Drummers Review is sad to report the death of legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette at the age of 83.
Although renowned as a hugely influential figure as a drummer, DeJohnette began his musical career as a pianist, learning the instrument as a child, before switching to drums in his early teens. It’s his mastery of both instruments that informed DeJohnette’s unique approach to rhythms, and resulted in his long career in some of the most important and influential bands in the history of jazz. The list of jazz musicians who enjoyed the input of DeJonette’s unique approach to rhythm is far too long to list, but without doubt he is best remembered for his time with Miles Davis, which coincided with the trumpet legend’s move into jazz fusion. DeJohnette was the principal drummer on Davis’s seminal Bitches Brew album, as well as Miles Davis At Filmore, where his surging drum patterns drove the band to extremes of improvisational skill which rightly assumed mythical status with the passing of time.
Jack DeJohnette never allowed himself to be tied to any musical genre or style for any length of time, and it is the sheer variety and complexity of his output that has assured his reputation as one of the greatest jazz musicians of the twentieth century. Stints with Sun Ra And His Arkestra, John Coltrane, and Charles Lloyd, were followed with extended collaborations with pianist Keith Jarrett, as well as time with Stan Getz, which led to his work with Davis.
DeJohnette also excelled as a band leader in his own right. He worked with a number of different sets of musicians, sometimes overlapping with each other, Directions, and Special Edition being two of the more fruitful of his many collaborations. But it was his Standards Trio, with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock that grew to be one of the best known and most influential jazz trios, lasting from the early 1980’s, through to 2014.
DeJohnette always believed in being as open as possible to opportunities to work in different areas of music. He played with jazz legends such as Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans, fusion artists Pat Matheny and John Scofield, and rock artists Carlos Santana and Bruce Hornsby.
With a playing style that embraced and influenced Swing, Fusion, Free Jazz, and World Grooves, DeJohnette always delighted in moving between genres and sub-genres, keeping his interest as high, and his playing as adventurous as possible.
Citing his early days as a pianist as a major influence on his rhythmic and melodic senses, Jack DeJohnette will be remembered as a musician who didn’t so much break down barriers between different musical genres, but far more as a player who simply refused to see them as being there in the first place. His constant drive to explore different areas of the musical spectrum kept him at the forefront of experimentation and development throughout his long and illustrious career. The timeline of that career is covered by the release of the Forces Of Nature: Live At Slugs’ album, which was recorded back in 1966, featuring McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Henry Grimes, but only came out in 2024. And Jack DeJohnette continued attracting plaudits for his output until almost the end of his career, his Skyline album, released in 2021, won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
Jack DeJohnette will be remembered as a drummer, composer, band leader, and constant explorer of the outer boundaries of music in all its myriad forms.
Drummers Review sends condolences to Jack’s family, friends, and colleagues.
ANDY HUGHES
