[Cover photo credit to Tao Ho]
Drummer Tony Moreno has announced the upcoming release of A Celebration of Elvin Jones, out November 6, 2026, via Mayimba Music. Paying tribute to his friend and mentor who gave him his first set of drums, Moreno crafts an album that features ten tracks associated with Jones’ recordings as a leader.
Alongside the announcement, Moreno has shared “E.J.’s Blues”, a Blues track that shows the drummer returning to his roots.
Known for redefining Jazz drumming, Elvin Jones (1927 – 2004) was the drummer of John Coltrane’s legendary quartet (A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things, Crescent, etc.), treating drums “as a fluid, multi-layered voice.”
For the release, Moreno has assembled an all-star ensemble, featuring 3X Grammy-nominated tenor saxophonist Tony Roberts, Grammy-nominee pianist Manuel Valera, Grammy-winning percussionist Mauricio Herrera, alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, and legendary bassist Gene Perla, who spent the first half of the 1970s in Elvin Jones’ band.
Reflecting on the profound impact Elvin Jones had on him, Moreno says:
This album is a tribute to a man I consider to be my father figure. Elvin gave me a purpose, to live and grow and to be a musician, so this is my way of giving thanks.
At a show in 1967, an eleven year old Tony Moreno was determined to see the legendary drummer live for the first time, and soon realizing he was out well past his bed time, fell asleep on the table of the Jazz club he was at. He was awoken by Elvin Jones, who sat down at the table, and upon learning that Moreno hadn’t owned a drum set yet, invited him to his apartment. Quickly assembling and gifting a set for his newfound protégé, Moreno still owns that drumset to this day, which happens to be one that Elvin played with the Coltrane Quartet. The exchange kicked off decades of friendship and mentorship.
Having performed with the likes of Dave Liebman, Barry Harris, Mal Waldron, Frank Kimbrough and more all over the world, for Moreno, that day in Jones’ home marked the beginning of a career that has now spanned more than half a century. A Celebration of Elvin Jones has provided a portal to transport Moreno back to the moments that sparked his profound love of the music.
He concludes:
Playing Elvin’s music is like going home. My formative years were based on the things that I learned from him, but every musician gets to a point where they realize that your own identity is paramount. It may be difficult to shed some of the history that you’ve lived in your music, but you realize at a certain point that you have to make personal statements, which took me in different directions. So this feels like returning home, and it’s been an emotional journey.
In 2024, with the 20th anniversary of Jones’ passing, Tony Moreno felt the time was right to assemble a project to pay tribute to his most formative mentor. He collaborated with arranger Rich Shemaria (Stevie Wonder, Michael Brecker, Lady Gaga) to present the music orchestrally.
