Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.58.0404290347110.3950@panix3.panix.com>
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>
To: Cyb <cybermind@listserv.aol.com>,
"WRYTING-L : Writing and Theory across Disciplines" <WRYTING-L@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA>
Subject: Elvin Jones Gravely Ill (fwd)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 03:47:18 -0400 (EDT)
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 00:54:31 -0400 From: Gerald Schwartz <gejs1@ROCHESTER.RR.COM> Reply-To: UB Poetics discussion group <POETICS@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU> To: POETICS@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU Subject: Elvin Jones Gravely Ill Dearest friends, Wow! My heart is so heavy sending this out. Share a moment. May the great Elvin Jones be well and when he does pass on may it be as gracefully as he shared. Respectfully, Bopa King Carre bopakingcarrmusic.com >From: Arkady >To: bopa king carre >Subject: Elvin Jones Gravely Ill >Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 18:52:30 -0400 > >Pass this on... and pray for Elvin! > >-------- >Dear Vinnie, > >HOPEFULLY the collective prayers help, and the rest is up to God... > >I am passing this to my friends... > >YOU be SAFE, HEALTHY, and happy.... > >God Bless..... > >� Arkady >web site: http://www.arkady.com > > > From: Vinnie Colaiuta > > Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 18:13:53 -0400 (EDT) > > To: JAscione@aol.com > > Subject: Fwd: Elvin Jones Gravely Ill > > > > To those who may yet not know, I just got this today; something that I did > > not want to hear. May he be in all of our prayers, and may we be eternally > > grateful to him; the legend. > > ELVIN JONES GRAVELY ILL > > > > > > > > The following showed up today, April 27, 2004, on the "Jazz Program > > List" > > site from Larry Applelbaum. > > > > "I saw Elvin last night at Yoshi's here in San Francisco. > > > > He could barely make it to the stage, his wife helping him sit and > > placing the sticks in his hand. > > > > Elvin had trouble hitting the drums but his time and sound was > > impeccable. > > > > His wife made an announcement that Elvin was obviously very sick and > > has been in the hospital for 3 months and she wanted him to spend his > > last moments, at his wish, behind the drums. > > > > He looked about like he weighed 75 pounds and was truly sick...it was > > one of the saddest moments of my life. I was so used to seeing him > > look fit, happy and powerful. > > > > The last number was announced, Dear Lord, and his wife asked us all to > > pray as she hugged him from behind the drums for the entire tune. > > > > I could not stop crying... > > > > Please send prayers to this legend, the great inspirational Elvin!" > > > > > > > > and this, from an unidentified doctor, is from the Latin Jazz site: > > > > > > > > "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 strength 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 continuously 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 > > goodbye 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 specialize 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." > > > > Very sad! A wonderful person who it has been my pleasure to spend time > > with > > on a number of occasions. > > > > > > > > Len Dobbin > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >