Elvin Jones was not only one of the most original, innovative, and influential drummers the world

has ever seen, he was also a musical genius far ahead of his time. In his early years he was often
criticized for playing unconventionally, and to a great extent, his critics were correct — Elvin never
played the obvious. But that, among so many other qualities, made him unlike any drummer that
preceded him, and changed the direction of jazz drumming forever.
Jazz bassist Ron Carter might have put it best when he stated in the 1979 video documentary
Different Drummer: “The only way to illustrate or accurately define Elvin’s contribution is to play a
recording of a pre-Elvin Jones drummer, play a recording of Elvin Jones, and then play a recording
of a post-Elvin Jones drummer. I think these three examples would best illustrate all of Elvin’s
contributions to the drums better than words could ever say.”