Alice Coltrane performing with Pharoah Sanders on saxophone, Reggie Workman and Bill Wood on bass and Rashied Ali on drums live in 1970.

Remembering the great Elvin Jones who was born on this day in 1927. Regarded as one of the most impactful drummers in jazz history, Jones’ revolutionary style transformed the drums as a traditional time-keeping instrument. He established a forceful polyrhythmic approach to the traps set, combining different metres played independently by the hands and feet into a propulsive flow of irregularly shifting accents. For over four decades, his innovative rhythmic technique has served as a catalyst for drummers who seek greater improvisational freedom. Here, he is performing “Take the ‘A’ Train” with Duke Ellington and his orchestra live in Italy, 1966.