NEW YORK, May 19 (UPI) -- Drummer Elvin Jones, who played with jazz's influential John Coltrane Quartet, has died in New York after months of failing health. He was 76.
Jones, who performed until just a few weeks ago despite requiring an oxygen tank to aid his breathing, died Monday, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
A Pontiac, Mich., native known for his explosive and energetic drumming, Jones played with a number of jazz greats, including Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, before landing in Coltrane's group from 1960 to 1966.
He left Coltrane to form the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, which played steadily for three decades.
Jones was known for mastering improvisation, a style that divided the jazz world, said the Times, with some calling his musicianship busy and others embracing its creativity.
Most agree, however, that he was the first great post-bebop percussionist, the Times said.
Jones, who kept homes in Manhattan and Nagasaki, Japan, is survived by his wife and manager, Keiko, and brother Hank.
