About

Elvin Jones’ 1968 Blue Note debut Puttin’ It Together marked the start of a new chapter in the master drummer’s career. Following his six years with the seminal John Coltrane Quartet, and Coltrane’s death in 1967, Jones signed with Blue Note and began a run of 10 impressive and wide-ranging albums that established his own legacy as a bandleader. 

Puttin’ It Together found Jones in a trio with bassist Jimmy Garrison and multi-instrumentalist Joe Farrell, who is heard on tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, and piccolo. The spare format let Farrell embark on fantastic solo flights in a lively three-way dialogue between the musicians with highlights including the enticing Brazilian tune “Reza,” Garrison’s playful “Sweet Little Maia,” and Jones’ rollicking dedication to his wife “Keiko’s Birthday March.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. — (via Label)

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Puttin’ It Together marked the start of a new chapter in the legendary drummer’s career following his six years with the seminal John Coltrane Quartet, and Coltrane’s death in 1967. 

The spare trio album found Jones engaged in a three-way dialogue with bassist Jimmy Garrison and multi-instrumentalist Joe Farrell.

Puttin’ It Together marked the beginning of a stellar run for Jones, contributing his own albums to Blue Note’s rich history alongside the celebrated records he played on like Freddie Hubbard’s Ready for Freddie, Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil, Joe Henderson Inner Urge, Larry Young’s Unity, and McCoy Tyner’s The Real McCoy, among many others. After releasing Puttin’ It Together, he began recording a series of remarkable albums for the label through the early 1970s that included The Ultimate, Poly-Currents, Genesis, and Mr. Jones.

In a 2002 interview with Jazz Times, Jones reflected on his discography and some of his favorite releases. He explained how he’s always been partial to Puttin’ It Together: “I like them all but with my schedule I just don’t have time to sit and realize what I’ve done, one record compared to the others…But there are two or three I especially like. I like the first one I did on Blue Note — Puttin’ It Together [1968] — with the trio of me, Joe Farrell, and Jimmy Garrison. I always liked that.”

In that same interview, Jones also reflected on his approach to playing the drums, a style that reverberates through classic albums like Puttin’ It Together. He explained: “The only thing I can think of is that when I play the drums, I try to play them as an instrument. I’m not trying to play in only one style. I just try and interpret the music as it comes. I could play, if I wanted to, in a rock ‘n’ roll band. I’d play drums…but I’m not going to play the guitar or anything like that.” — (via Label)

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Label: Blue Note 
Series: Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2025 / Original: 1979
Genre: Jazz
Style:  Hard Bop, Post Bop

File under: Jazz // Blue Note Records
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