Elvin Jones

Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed an interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan.

He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949 and subsequently played in a Detroit houseband led by Billy Mitchell. He moved to New York in 1955 and worked as a sideman for Charles Mingus, Teddy Charles, Bud Powell and Miles Davis.

From 1960 to 1966 he was a member of the John Coltrane quartet (along with Jimmy Garrison on bass and McCoy Tyner on piano), a celebrated recording phase, appearing on such albums as A Love Supreme. Following his work with Coltrane, Jones led several small groups, some under the name The Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. His brothers Hank Jones and Thad Jones were also jazz musicians with whom he recorded. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1995.

Biography

Early life

Elvin Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to parents Henry and Olivia Jones, who had moved to Michigan from Vicksburg, Mississippi. His brothers, Hank Jones and Thad Jones, both became important jazz musicians. By age two he said he knew he held a fascination for drums. He would watch the circus marching band parades go by his home as a boy, particularly fascinated by the drummers. Following his early passion, Elvin joined his high school's black marching band, where he developed his foundation in rudiments. Jones began service in the United States Army in 1946. He was discharged in 1949, and returned home penniless. Jones said he borrowed thirty-five dollars from his sister when he got back to buy his first drumset.

Chelsea Bridge

Chelsea Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in west London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank. There have been two Chelsea Bridges, on the site of what was an ancient ford.

The first Chelsea Bridge was proposed in the 1840s as part of a major development of marshlands on the south bank of the Thames into the new Battersea Park. It was a suspension bridge intended to provide convenient access from the densely populated north bank to the new park. Although built and operated by the government, tolls were charged initially in an effort to recoup the cost of the bridge. Work on the nearby Chelsea Embankment delayed construction and so the bridge, initially called Victoria Bridge, did not open until 1857. Although well-received architecturally, as a toll bridge it was unpopular with the public, and Parliament felt obliged to make it toll-free on Sundays. The bridge was less of a commercial success than had been anticipated, partly because of competition from the newly built Albert Bridge nearby. It was acquired by the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1877, and the tolls were abolished in 1879.

Chelsea Bridge (song)

"Chelsea Bridge" (1941) is a jazz standard written by Billy Strayhorn. The song has been recorded by Duke Ellington, Ben Webster, Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett, Lew Tabackin, Vince Guaraldi, Joe Henderson and Tony Bennett, among many others. Ella Fitzgerald recorded it with Ellington on her albums Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (1957) and Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur (1967).

In 1958, lyrics were written for the song by Bill Comstock, a member of The Four Freshmen for their album Voices In Latin. According to Ellington biographer James Lincoln Collier, during a trip to Europe, Strayhorn actually saw a J. M. W. Turner or James McNeill Whistler painting of Battersea Bridge and mistakenly named the song after Chelsea Bridge.

References / External links

Chelsea Bridge (quartet)

Chelsea Bridge is a Canadian jazz quartet based in Ottawa.

Career

AllMusic calls the group "an excellent Canadian jazz quartet comprised of Rob Frayne on tenor and soprano [sax], bassist John Geggie, drummer Jean Martin, and singer Tena Palmer (whose voice is effectively integrated as part of the group's ensemble)." AllMusic states that the "group (which has recorded several CDs for Unity) mostly plays originals by Frayne, Geggie, and Palmer. Their spontaneous performances are adventurous, but also often melodic and accessible." AllMusic states that "Ranging from advanced straight-ahead to freer explorations, the Canadian group Chelsea Bridge is a quartet notable for including singer Tena Palmer's voice as part of the ensembles." In a Centretown News online article, a reviewer called the group "one of Ottawa’s most prestigious jazz groups."

References