I thought I'd pass this along. The following email is from a poster on the Mike Watt list who got it from a poster on the Latin Jazz list. I hope Elvin is doing bettter.
> From the latinjazz@yahoo.com e-group:
>
>This might be beyond Latin Jazz, but this is the only egroup that I
>think might be interested in the description of my experience during
>a recent 4 days stay in the SF for a meeting. I was able to go to
>Yoshi's to see Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. I am not that familiar with
>his work, but knowing he was John Coltrane drummer and more recently
>worked a lot with Candido with his poly-rhythm stuff that I wanted to
>check him out. First of all, Yoshi's is a great modern place to see a
>Jazz band, good acoustics, pretty big as well. The only problem is
>that it is in the middle of a mall-like complex and after the last
>set we were stranded, without a cab or even a person to help us out
>to get back to SF. I tried to ask for somebody at Yoshi's to actually
>call a cab for us or help us out, and he looked at me like "Are you
>from another planet?" (and he was the last person there, once he
>left, we were truly alone). Took us an hour to actually get back to a
>BART (subway) station to head back to SF. But that is beyond the
>point.
>
>I was really eager to see Elvin Jones, waiting to see the Black
>Thunder pounding those drums. The scenario was perfect, no mikes over
>the drums so I though "wow, he can really pound those drums, eh?".
>Well, the band came out (2 saxes, pianist and bassist) and the place
>went crazy but...no Elvin...and no Elvin...and no Elvin. After about
>5 minutes of constant applause, Elvin Jones came out, couldn't walk
>and had to be helped by his wife and the band members. We were a
>group of physicians and nurses and we all looked at each other with
>the same expression in our faces "he is dying of heart failure". His
>wife gave him the sticks and the band started playing a bebop-like
>tune. It was quite an experience seeing him playing that night. The
>stick in his right hand (hitting the cymbal) kept slipping back and
>he needed to reposition it. He was certainly off, considering the
>timing of the tune. I couldn't see his left hand, but I could not
>hear any beats. Similarly with the hi-hat, I did not hear it all
>night long. As the performance continued, he looked more ill...in
>fact, he closed his eyes once, and grabbed his stomach as if he was
>in pain, and everybody in my group got up because we though that he
>was going to fall. He finally woke up and continued playing. He took
>one solo all night long, and basically what he did was to drop the
>sticks on the drum one at a time, at a very slow speed. He did not
>have the strengh or energy to lift up the sticks from the drum fast
>enough. The band sounded great thought. I guess he is like Art Blakey
>and surrounded himself with the best young players available. The
>bassist kept the rhythm going all night long, working super hard and
>the pianist would take very long solos, as both sax players. Elvin
>could still swing at a very low speed, but was well complemented by
>the bassist and pianist. At the end of the performance, his wife
>whose name I couldn't catch, came out and said that Elvin Jones was
>very ill, dying from heart failure. She also said that he had not
>eaten anything that day but that she had fired his prior 3 physicians
>when they said that he was dying and decided to take care of things
>herself, booking him continuosly until July (she also went on and on
>talking about medical insurances, doctors, etc) Elvin did not said a
>word all night long, and I actually wondered if was still coherent
>enough (which is a common, late event in patients with heart
>failure). He stayed there, sitting by his drums for about 20 minutes
>after the performance was over. We all gave him a standing ovation, I
>guess is the way of thanking him for what he has done. He did wave
>goodby as he was helped out of the stage. We sent him our cards as
>there are some options for patients with advanced heart failure
>(which we happen to especialize in our group).
>
>I am not sure I can actually describe the feeling I had that night.
>The music was good, and seeing him on the drums made me happy and
>sad. Happy because I got to see him before the inevitable. Sad
>because somebody like him should be at home, spending the last few
>days of his life surrounded by family and friends. I know he also
>needs our support (income as his wife put it). I haven't heard
>anything about his health in the news, and patients with heart
>failure have good and bad days, but I can actually say that he is in
>bad shape, weakened by his illness (already cachectic). I will
>forever have the image of an elderly Elvin Jones playing the drums
>that night.
>
>
>
>
>Dr. Jazz
>Dr. Jazz Operations
>24270 Eastwood
>Oak Park, MI 48237
>(248) 542-7888
>http://www.drjazz.com=20
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