5727 33rd Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Jones For Elvin - Volume 1
Liner notes - 1
Elvin is at the heart of music I yearn to hear: Passion and intensity balanced perfectly with sensitivity, wisdom, and serenity. Like a free dance where we are in contact but never collide, interacting musically with Elvin is magical and effortless.
Elvin talks to me through his drums. Rim shots from his snare shout affirmations. Shifting grooves keep me playing from my emotions instead of my intellect. Rolling crescendos are a bear hug lifting me off my feet. His mallets cry, "Love!" His brushes whisper, "Peace."
Centered, direct, joyous, wise, playful, and deep, Elvin's presence takes music - and life - to a more enjoyable plane. I will always have a Jones for Elvin. - Steve Griggs
Liner notes - 2
What you are listening to and holding in your hand is a dream made real - the opportunity to play and record with one of the masters of jazz drumming - Elvin Jones.
Over the course of three days with some of Seattle's finest musicians, Elvin and I recorded 16 songs at Bear Creek Studio, a renovated barn in the woods north of the city. I have selected nine songs for Volume 1 of Jones For Elvin and will be releasing the other seven songs in Volume 2. This is my debut CD as a leader and is the first release from my new record label, Hip City Music.
I can't speak for the scene in 1965 during Elvin's first Seattle recordings with John Coltrane (Live in Seattle, Om). But since my move here from New York City in 1993, I have found a fertile creative music environment with strong jazz education, supportive radio, informed press, dedicated performance organizations, a steady stream of big names passing through town, and deep benches of talented local players. I hope this recording will be viewed as a positive contribution to the legacy of Seattle jazz.
Elvin once told Down Beat, "I like to be moved. I like to feel things. I like to feel music because that is the way I am... I want to enjoy myself." He also told Frank Kofsky in John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the 1960's, "I've always liked the sound of the drums; its rhythm and those sounds make me feel good and I just like to do it because I like to hear it. I like to hear it done well; that's why I wanted to be a drummer. You have to like to, and you have to want to, and you have to love it." Elvin's enjoyment and love of playing music touched everyone within earshot of this project.
We made this recording the old-fashioned way - in a big comfortable room with vintage microphones and 2-inch analog tape. We mixed after the fact, but didn't really stray from the original sound and feeling. These are mostly first takes and we never did more than three tries on any one tune. The fresh spirit of the first take usually outweighed any mistakes. The feeling was so good on the first take of "Claudia" that Elvin declared, "Do not disturb!" and we moved on to another song.
I like writing music for people I know. Besides songs for each of the musicians, there are songs to capture the beauty and playfulness of "Flora" and "Claudia," two first-born daughters of my close friends. "Healing" is a lullaby for my wife who gave birth to our son Ruben just two weeks after this recording.
The other selections are also special to me. "You're the Berries" was written by my mentor, trumpeter John Scott. John was a classmate of Herbie Hancock at Grinnell College in the late 50's and wrote "The Maze" and "Tribute" on Herbie's early records. When I lived in Illinois during the late 70's and early 80's, I played in John's quintet and was inspired by his writing and playing.
"In a Sentimental Mood" was a spontaneous choice. We were getting tired at the end of the first day of recording but felt up for one more song, a ballad. Before the session, Elvin's wife Keiko told me a story of John Coltrane practicing in the wee hours of morning and playing this song for her. Given Keiko's story and the imminent centennial of Duke Ellington's birth, the song fit perfectly.
I am deeply grateful to Milo Petersen for introducing me to Gregg Keplinger and forever indebted to Gregg for introducing me to Elvin and Keiko Jones. I must thank Elvin, Milo, Jay Thomas, and Phil Sparks for playing with so much feeling, artistry, and freshness. I would also like to add my thanks for the patient care of Joe Hadlock for engineering such a warm sounding record. Thanks to Matt Janke and Corinne Kocher for their delicious food after each day of recording. Thanks to the visitors in the studio for adding their positive spirit to the proceedings. Thanks to Kate Kulzer for capturing all of this on film and Nancy Karier for translating the mood and ideas into a package design. Thanks to Earshot Jazz for printed coverage of this event. Thanks to Ross Nyberg for "masterizing" the recording. Thanks to family and friends for supporting my urge to create music. Most of all, thanks to my wife and soul mate, Doris Kogan, for encouraging me to live my dreams.
In 1997, Elvin told Down Beat, "You always hope that the listener will hear what you are doing. If they hear what you are doing, then they also hear what you feel." On behalf of the band, I sincerely hope you enjoy this music and hear how elated we felt in May of 1998.
Hip City Music, 5723 33rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
© 1999 Steve Griggs, All Rights Reserved