“Freedom” is, of course, one of the words most often used to describe the miraculous polyrhythmic pulse of Elvin Jones. It’s showcased to full effect on Earth Jones (Quicksilver), a straightahead LP released in 1982 and just reissued on CD. Those familiar with Jones’ oeuvre as a leader will recognize the medium-uptempo of “Three Card Molly,” the loping ballad time of “Is Seeing Believing?” and the stone-solid swing of the title track. What sets this album apart from the others in Jones’ discography is the personnel: a tight frontline consisting of cornetist Terumasa Hino and soprano saxophonist David Liebman, and a can’t-miss rhythm section of pianist Kenny Kirkland and bassist George Mraz. The ensemble works well as a unit and the tunes-two by Jones, three by Liebman and the standard “Never Let Me Go”-still sound relatively fresh. The disc’s substandard sound quality is unfortunately a shortcoming, but it’s easily forgivable in light of these vintage performances.
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