Born on September 9, 1927, Elvin Jones was the youngest of 10 children. He grew up in Pontiac, Michigan in a musical family. His brothers Thad and Hank are also well know jazz musicians. Even from an early age, Jones was fascinated by the drums. He enjoyed watching marching bands in parades and paid especially close attention to the drummers. He always had his drumsticks with him and by the age of 13 he was practicing 8 hours a day. In high school, he joined the marching band.

In 1946, Jones joined the army. When he was discharged in 1949, he borrowed money from his sister to buy his first drumset. Soon after buying that set of drums, Jones was playing his first professional gig at Detroit’s Grand River Street. The gig didn’t last long. Jones started attending the Birdland Inn regularly to listen to the music, but when he was asked to sit in he’d always decline. Eventually, the bandleader hired him.

Here is a 1965 TV performance with Jones, Coleman Hawkins, Harry Edison, Jimmy Woode and Charles Thompson.