Elvin Jones and Mike Portnoy at Hudson

BDT — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:28:55 +0000

Elvin and Mike aren’t actually hanging out together (primarily because the great Jones has already given up the ghost), but the two do feature in recent postings from Hudson Music.

A good, though fairly staid, bio vid of Elvin is available here. Even if you already know everything there is to know about the jazz drumming legend, check it out for some great performance clips (yes, we know those same clips are available on YouTube, but the sound quality is better in the Hudson podcast).

Portnoy spends five or so minutes chatting here about his drumming, what’s in his iPod, and who his favorite movie directors are. It’s not the most essential reading on the Net this evening, but if you’re a die-hard Portnoyte and have already combed through all your favorite porn sites today, you should click on over.

[Update 2022: Alas, alack, and goddamn it. These videos have been removed.]

Elvin Jones, by the Numbers

BDT — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:58:49 +0000

Not that we’re complaining or anything, but Yahoo!’s finance page is one strange-ass place to post a really good bio of Elvin Jones. And like a good financial report, it’s big on the stats:

Jones had a 60-year career.
He began playing drums at age 2.
He got his first kit at age 13 and played his first pro gig at 14.
At one point, he practiced up to 12 hours a day.
He released around 50 albums as a leader.
He recorded over 500 albums in all.

Yeah, dude was definitely a slacker.

Elvin Jones – Big Drum Thump

Elvin Jones and Mike Portnoy at Hudson

Elvin Jones, by the Numbers