Thank you Bret for honoring the most forward thinking jazz musician who has ever lived. That he has fallen off of the radar screen and is not even taught as part of most college level jazz history courses is an abomination. Here was our Grammy nominated tribute to him back in 2012.
Hot Damn Bret, what a joy to wake up to this one. I was given an album of Don Ellis probably by one my older jazz playing/loving friends. It fit so well into my heavily weed and hallucinogenic influenced brain. Every time I see anyone like Zappa do something with “weird” time signatures I think what ever became of Don Ellis? But sometimes, though it’s easy to search anything these days, I don’t want to look, the memory is too good to perhaps be disturbed by how the business or life chewed them up. Reading this was joyful and exciting. Thinking back the only person I remember actually listening to Ellis with was my good friend at the time, Bill Laswell, who didn’t just listen but heard everything. He went on to do a few pretty interesting things musically himself.
Thanks for another one of your great rides! I’ll be trying to count out 19 beat rhythms all day.
Again, your descriptions wow me all the way to heaven and back to the tree branch I started on. Thanks for introducing me to this jazz great. Somehow, I had missed him!
I watched a German TV documentary about the making of Pussy Wiggle Stomp, a fantastic piece in 7/4, somewhere in the late 1960s. I taped it on an old reel to reel tape recorder, and played it for many years after, getting other jazz friends and fellow students hooked on his mad enthusiasm.
At the end of the documentary there is the full live performance of the piece, with three drummers and three percussionists, making that 7/4 swing like mad. I simply love the start, with whole band simply clapping out the 7/4, making the audience join in.
Over the last ten years I’ve been trying to persuade the leader of the Royal Conservatoire big band of The Hague to study and perform Pussy Wiggle Stomp.
I hope they’ll go for it one day!
Ps: another amazing piece was Bulgarian Bulge, with Milcho Leviev on piano. Time is an Indian like recurring stretch in 33!
You neglected to mention Hugo Montenegro’s score for LADY IN CEMENT but otherwise you NAILED IT, Bret! The world needs to remember Don Ellis and his fantastic music!! 👍🏻💕
early pioneer of odd meter. i became aware of him while at Mt. Hood CC enrolled in stage band. Our director brought him and his orchestra to the college where he held a clinic for us music majors. it was illuminating to say the least and that night he gave a concert at the college. He had just acquired a Maestro Echoplex EP2 and gave us a demo of how he was using it and it just warped our brains. I went out and bought one. .wow. Several months later he gave another concert and Clackamas CC of course we all went to that one also and then finally he came to the Paramount theater in Portland Or. which was the last time any of us saw him play. Unbelievable show. The man was possessed of boundless energy and enthusiasm, it just radiated off of him. His album Live at the Fillmore is a classic. Sadly he died way too early. Glad to see this post. He’s a seldom sung hero of Jazz.
Don Ellis tributes have been few and far between over the far too many years since his untimely death. Thank you for this wonderful review of Don's contributions and innovations.
I was a high school junior in 1972 taking a music appreciation class when I was introduced to the most incredible music that I ever heard. Our teacher played Electric Bath. Indian Lady just blew me away. For me, it was one of those special moments in life that you never forget. This moment made a huge impression on me. It got me seriously interested in music and as a drummer, a fascination and love for "odd" rhythms. It was so exciting to go and buy the album, take it home, and obsess over it.
Don's music was so powerful. I was fortunate to hear the big band once and it was something that you felt as well as heard.
Over the years I've collected every album and have always been on the lookout for some descendant of Don's work. There were so many great musicians who went on to do great things.
I still remember hearing that Dpn had passed. It was announced on WRVR in NYC, a onetime great jazz station from back in the day.
It's wonderful to see that Don's music is still receiving accolades and I can hope that now and then he might gain a few more fans.
I know what I'm going to be listening to tomorrow.
Thanks so much for that. It is a horrible shame that Don and his music has been just so... forgotten. Thank you for so eloquently trying to keep the flame alive.
Thank you Bret for honoring the most forward thinking jazz musician who has ever lived. That he has fallen off of the radar screen and is not even taught as part of most college level jazz history courses is an abomination. Here was our Grammy nominated tribute to him back in 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUmE6fAgBw
Love this music!
Thank you!
Hot Damn Bret, what a joy to wake up to this one. I was given an album of Don Ellis probably by one my older jazz playing/loving friends. It fit so well into my heavily weed and hallucinogenic influenced brain. Every time I see anyone like Zappa do something with “weird” time signatures I think what ever became of Don Ellis? But sometimes, though it’s easy to search anything these days, I don’t want to look, the memory is too good to perhaps be disturbed by how the business or life chewed them up. Reading this was joyful and exciting. Thinking back the only person I remember actually listening to Ellis with was my good friend at the time, Bill Laswell, who didn’t just listen but heard everything. He went on to do a few pretty interesting things musically himself.
Thanks for another one of your great rides! I’ll be trying to count out 19 beat rhythms all day.
Wow! Thank you, Professor….
Thank you for this.
I am missing Hari Har Rao in this Essay.
Don Ellis played and practiced intensively with Indian Musicians to grasp these „Odd Meters“.
He was a Fusion Musician who linked the Upcoming Jazz Rock with Indian Rhythms.
Some of his followers could handle it, others didn’t.
Thanks for mentioning Hari Har Rao!
You‘re welcome.
I have learned so much studying the music of Don Ellis, thank you for this superb portrait
Again, your descriptions wow me all the way to heaven and back to the tree branch I started on. Thanks for introducing me to this jazz great. Somehow, I had missed him!
He was an innovator, but sadly, died in his early 40s. Life.....
Great article!
Thanks Bret for this great exposé on Don Ellis!
I watched a German TV documentary about the making of Pussy Wiggle Stomp, a fantastic piece in 7/4, somewhere in the late 1960s. I taped it on an old reel to reel tape recorder, and played it for many years after, getting other jazz friends and fellow students hooked on his mad enthusiasm.
At the end of the documentary there is the full live performance of the piece, with three drummers and three percussionists, making that 7/4 swing like mad. I simply love the start, with whole band simply clapping out the 7/4, making the audience join in.
Over the last ten years I’ve been trying to persuade the leader of the Royal Conservatoire big band of The Hague to study and perform Pussy Wiggle Stomp.
I hope they’ll go for it one day!
Ps: another amazing piece was Bulgarian Bulge, with Milcho Leviev on piano. Time is an Indian like recurring stretch in 33!
You neglected to mention Hugo Montenegro’s score for LADY IN CEMENT but otherwise you NAILED IT, Bret! The world needs to remember Don Ellis and his fantastic music!! 👍🏻💕
“The Don Ellis Orchestra wasn’t a jazz group. It was a battalion of sound. A tactical assault unit of syncopation.”
‘nuff said
Still got my copy of “Don Ellis at Fillmore”
early pioneer of odd meter. i became aware of him while at Mt. Hood CC enrolled in stage band. Our director brought him and his orchestra to the college where he held a clinic for us music majors. it was illuminating to say the least and that night he gave a concert at the college. He had just acquired a Maestro Echoplex EP2 and gave us a demo of how he was using it and it just warped our brains. I went out and bought one. .wow. Several months later he gave another concert and Clackamas CC of course we all went to that one also and then finally he came to the Paramount theater in Portland Or. which was the last time any of us saw him play. Unbelievable show. The man was possessed of boundless energy and enthusiasm, it just radiated off of him. His album Live at the Fillmore is a classic. Sadly he died way too early. Glad to see this post. He’s a seldom sung hero of Jazz.
Mt. Hood CC -
Hal Malcom?
Dave Barduhn?
Don Ellis tributes have been few and far between over the far too many years since his untimely death. Thank you for this wonderful review of Don's contributions and innovations.
I was a high school junior in 1972 taking a music appreciation class when I was introduced to the most incredible music that I ever heard. Our teacher played Electric Bath. Indian Lady just blew me away. For me, it was one of those special moments in life that you never forget. This moment made a huge impression on me. It got me seriously interested in music and as a drummer, a fascination and love for "odd" rhythms. It was so exciting to go and buy the album, take it home, and obsess over it.
Don's music was so powerful. I was fortunate to hear the big band once and it was something that you felt as well as heard.
Over the years I've collected every album and have always been on the lookout for some descendant of Don's work. There were so many great musicians who went on to do great things.
I still remember hearing that Dpn had passed. It was announced on WRVR in NYC, a onetime great jazz station from back in the day.
It's wonderful to see that Don's music is still receiving accolades and I can hope that now and then he might gain a few more fans.
I know what I'm going to be listening to tomorrow.
Thanks so much for that. It is a horrible shame that Don and his music has been just so... forgotten. Thank you for so eloquently trying to keep the flame alive.
Thank you, Bret. Tremendous tribute to one of the most innovative musicians who ever lived.