On Monday 26 October the internet was buzzing with the news of the death of legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette. Faster than the click of a mouse the news of DeJohnette’s passing was appearing everywhere on social media before being reported as fake news. Finally, the confirmation that we had all been dreading came through, that the drummer had passed away peacefully in hospital with his family by his side.
Over the last sixty years, DeJohnette has been a ubiquitous presence on the international jazz stage. His move to New York in 1966 brought to him to wider attention when he joined the Charles Lloyd Quartet. He stayed with Lloyd until 1968 when the group were the height of their fame and popularity, and upon leaving became a permanent member of the Bill Evans Trio alongside bassist Eddie Gomez.
From here on in the drummer would be much in demand playing in the bands of Betty Carter, Jackie McLean and Stan Getz, but it was joining Miles Davis in 1969 that perhaps was the main catalyst in boosting his burgeoning reputation and career into the stratosphere. It was during his time with Miles that his acquaintance with Keith Jarrett was furthered (they had worked together in Lloyd’s quartet) and cemented a working relationship that would continue for more than thirty years.
The drummer would stay with Davis until 1971 and then would strike out on his own. His relationship with bassist Dave Holland (also a Davis alumnus) he formed the collective Gateway Trio with guitarist John Abercrombie and began a long association with ECM.
For me, today has been spent listening to Jack DeJohnette’s incredible playing and musicianship having plucked at random half a dozen albums from my collection. From his playing on Bill Connor’s Of Mist And Melting (1978) might imply he is not the most natural choice for this type of music, DeJohnette totally nails it. Sounding like nobody but himself he seamlessly colours and propels the music in a wholly satisfying manner. As a complete contrast and also from the same year is New Directions with Abercrombie, his old sparring partner from his days with Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez and completing the line up trumpeter Lester Bowie (is it ok to admit that my favourite track from the album is the drummer less quartet composition ‘Silver Hollow’ with DeJohnette on piano?).
DeJohnette was such a versatile musician that he was at home in any setting and always able to contibute something uniquely his own to the music without ever dominating proceedings. The duet album with saxophonist John Surman, The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon from 1981 has stood the test of time well, and absolutely timeless is his playing in various ensembles led by trumpeter Kenny Wheeler with Double, Double You being part of todays listening.
No appraisal of the drummer’s career would be complete without making reference to the Standards Trio with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock in which they quickly established themselves as the most important and influential piano trio since Bill Evans classic trio with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Standards, Vol. 1 (1983) sounds as inspiring as the day it was released, and the mammoth At the Blue Note: The Complete Recordings that captured the trio one weekend in January 1994 shows how far the group had further refined their music.
Another giant of the music has left us, but the musical legacy that DeJohnette has bequeathed us will ensure that his incredible musicianship will continue to inspire future generations.
