Elvin Jones was a jazz drummer who found his fame during the post bop era. Over the course of his illustrious career, Jones played with just jazz luminaries asCharles Mingus, Miles Davis and John Coltrane with whom he played for six years during the ’60s. He can be heard on Coltrane’s landmark album, A Love Supreme. He also played behind several of his own groups over the years. J0nes’ style was highly influential on rock drummers – Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker have cited him as a direct influence. He was also a tireless educator, often taking part in drum clinics and free performances at prisons. Elvin Jones died of heart failure on May 18, 2004.
John “Mitch” Mitchell
July 9, 1947 – November 12, 2008
Mitch Mitchell is best remembered as the drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Coming from a jazz background, Mitchell was also credited for being one of the pioneers of jazz fusion. Prior to his work with Hendrix, Mitchell lived in London and did session work for such ’60s rock acts as the Pretty Things, Georgie Fame, and the Riot Squad. He hooked up with Hendrix in 1966 and played on all three legendary Experience albums, Axis: Bold as Love, Are You Experienced?, and Electric Ladyland. He also backed Hendrix at Woodstock. Although he was officially out of Hendrix’s band by 1969, Mitchell can still be heard playing on his posthumous releases of the early ’70s. Through the ’80s and ’90s, Mitchell stayed fairly active performing with other musicians and doing session work. Just before his passing, Mitchell participated in a Hendrix tribute tour alongside the likes of David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Eric Johnson. In less than a week after the tour ended, Mitch Mitchell, 62, died of natural causes in his sleep.
Jimi Hendrix was unquestionably the greatest guitarist rock music has ever known. With one foot firmly planted in the blues and the other in jazz, Hendrix took the best of both, added some fire and created a guitar sound like had never been heard. It makes no sense to list those he’s directly influenced here, because it would likely lead to the end of the internet. Unless you count the broomstick Hendrix strummed on as a child, the first guitar he ever played was at the age of 15. He went on to teach himself how to play by watching others on TV or by listening to records. After a stint in the army, Hendrix began playing guitar professionally, mostly along the so-called chitlin’ circuit. In 1964, Hendrix was hired by Little Richard to record and play on the road in his band. Within a couple of years, he formed his own band, Jimmy James & the Blue Flames, with whom he began building a reputation around the southeast. That band included rhythm guitarist, Randy California who would later form the band Spirit. Hendrix soon formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience with Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding, and Billy Cox. That group would record three of the most acclaimed albums in history, Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland. After disbanding the Experience, Hendrix formed Band of Gypsys with Cox and Buddy Miles. They recorded a popular live album of the same name, released just three months before Hendrix’s death which is still shrouded in mystery to this day. What is known is that Jimi Hendrix was just 27 years old when he died on September 18, 1970. The official cause of death was determined to be choking on his own vomit. The coroner found an excessive amount of wine and sleeping pills in his body. There are some who believed he committed suicide while others thought it to be an accidental overdose. And still others believe something more sinister had taken place.
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Elvin Jones was a jazz drummer who found his fame during the post bop era. Over the course of his illustrious career, Jones played with just jazz luminaries as Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and John Coltrane with whom he played for six years during the ’60s. He can be heard on Coltrane’s landmark album, A Love Supreme. He also played behind several of his own groups over the years. J0nes’ style was highly influential on rock drummers – Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker have cited him as a direct influence. He was also a tireless educator, often taking part in drum clinics and free performances at prisons. Elvin Jones died of heart failure on May 18, 2004.
