The Elgin Wells Group Gallery
(continued)
1980-82: Elgin, Eric Johnson, Keith Rawls and Ronnie Harville. The Elgin Wells Group perfomed at the Radisson Inn (I-285 and Chamblee-Dunwoody Road) as the house band. Eric Johnson replaced Mike Nepote on drums, and, later in '82, Alvin Speights joined the band, to replace Ronnie Harville on bass. 1980 saw the completion of Elgin's first album, "Brand New Love," and it enjoyed regular airplay on WQXI's "Jazz Flavours," by this time hosted by Russ Davis. In the days before digital photo compositing, this picture was shot with a star filter on the camera. The background, a blue piece of "seamless" paper, had pinholes in it and a bright light behind it to create the starfield.
1983-84: The Elgin Wells Group started playing at Chequers, a fine seafood restaurant/night club located in Dunwoody, GA. Doc Samuels replaced Alvin Speights on bass, Tom Woodruff started his long tenure with the band on keyboards, and Tim Mulac (drums) was replaced by a computer. This period marked a shift in music, in general, and in the Elgin Wells Group, specifically, toward MIDI-interfaced, synthesizer supported performances. The use of digitally recorded "samples" of drum sounds, especially, allowed a cleaner, more evenly timed presentation, and a "fatter" drum sound, live, without high volume levels. By 1984, the band was using nine microprocessors, most of them interfaced with each other, on stage. Ray Shoenbaum and Steve Alterman had just opened "Ray's on the River," and they recruited the Elgin Wells Group to play in the old "Moorings" location for what turned into a sixteen year stand.
1984: Elgin, shown here holding his second, hand-made, 5-string violin, released his second album, "Mirage" (see the "Earth Records Catalog" for more details). The title song was included, also, in the Best of Jazz Flavours, Volume I , an anthology of music by Atlanta Jazz artists, produced under the auspices of WQXI radio. The band played mostly at "Ray's on the River," but still, occasionally, at "Chequer's." Increasingly, the Elgin Wells Group was called upon to appear at benefit concerts for Easter Seals, The Council For Children, The Leukemia Society, the American Cancer Society and the Martin Luther King Center. With yearly appearances at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, and the Pensacola Jazz Fest, the group was enjoying an increasing reputation in Jazz circles. Their annual trip to Destin, Florida, to play at Charles Morgan's "Harbor Docks" and the Pensacola Jazz Fest, was becoming a tradition, and the highlight of each summer.
1985: "Nightdrives," Elgin's third album, was an instrumental effort, featuring Alto Sax, originally recorded as a soundtrack for a tennis practice video. Ty Fuller, President of the Southern Tennis Association, conceived "Tennis Eurythmics," a rudimentary approach to the seven rudimentary motions of tennis, practiced to music. He commissioned Elgin to analyze the rhythm of each of these rudiments, when practiced in repetition, and then to compose music to which students of the game could polish their technique when weather or logistics prevented being out on the courts. The result was a fine video, and "Nightdrives," a mixture of Funk, Rock, Disco and Do-Wop. See "The Earth Records Catalog" for more details.
1988: The Elgin Wells Group had been splitting its calendar between dates at "Ray's on the River" and "Chequers" for about five years. Tom, Doc and Elgin were enjoying regular airplay on "Jazz Flavours," and contributed yet another arrangement to "The Best of Jazz Flavours" ("Winter Moon," on Best of J.F. Vol. 3). At the request of their fans, they outfitted the stage at "Chequers" with digital recording equipment, and began capturing the sound of their performances. A two album set was the result, and it included a mixture of original tunes and fan favorite "cover" songs.

See "The Earth Records Catalog" for more details.

1989: These pictures of Leigh Blanchard didn't make it to the cover of "Money to Spend," Elgin's sixth album, released this year. Deciding on the best picture was pretty tough, as you can see.
Leigh was a bartender at "Ray's on the River" and a Fitness Consultant, and she admitted that the two-hour photo shoot, with Geoff Bortz, was gruelling. The diamond ring was a loaner from Carolyn Mirkle, and the over-sized bill was inked, after photocopying, then waxed lightly to create a realistic look (note whose picture is on the bill). "Money to Spend" was recorded in Elgin's studio (located in the basement of his ex-wife's house - a story in itself), and he played all the instruments and sang all the tracks, himself. Visit The Earth Records Catalog for more details.
1990: This photo appeared with an article by Bryan Powell in Footnotes, a weekly newspaper devoted to Atlanta's Music and Entertainment. Kevin Wake can be seen (almost) on right. When Doc Samuels left the band (again), Elgin tried a new approach, sequencing the bass tracks and bringing Kevin, a fine percussionist on board. Tom Woodruff endured on keyboards, and, by now, the band was playing at "Ray's on the River" eleven months of the year, to packed houses. Bryan has been very good to The Elgin Wells Group, writing articles about the band for The (Marietta) Daily News, Creative Loafing, and The Atlanta Journal, as well as for Footnotes. In this issue, he said, "..[Elgin's] eclectic approach to contemporary jazz may well become Wells' trademark, and while he may not be inventing any musical styles, his contemporary jazz "painting" continues on a canvas that knows no frame." Thanks, Bryan!
1991: The Elgin Wells Group is voted "Jazz Band of the Year" at the New South Music Awards. "Butterfly Dreams," Elgin's seventh album, is released. This album quickly becomes a favorite with massage therapists and parents of hyperactive children, because of its soothing powers.

For more on "Butterfly Dreams," see The Earth Records Catalog.

1992: Tom Woodruff, Elgin and Doc Samuels (he's back!) in this photo from the Daily News. The shot captures the cramped stage at "Ray's on the River," before the room was renovated and the stage was repositioned and enlarged. The roof leaked so badly and consistently when it rained that the band installed an indoor gutter system to protect the sensitive electronic instruments. Enduring inadequate ventilation (note the electric fans onstage) and seating, the group's fans managed to fill the room consistently throughout the 90's.
1993: Cheli Brown, in an article called "Homegrown and Hot" for Atlanta Magazine, points out that Elgin spends a lot of time throwing toilet paper out of airplanes, then shredding it with the plane's wings and prop. For more on that topic, see Airshow Flying.

Still at Ray's on the River, the band consisted of Tom Woodruff, Doc Samuels, and Elgin.

1994: Elgin, shown here with his third handmade violin, was in his third year of aerobatic competition and his second year of flying airshows. Still at "Ray's on the River," the band saw Richard Meeder take over on bass. Album #8, "Under Cover," was completed; this collection of "cover" tunes, arranged by Elgin but written by other artists, was recorded live at "Ray's." For more about "Under Cover," visit The Earth Records Catalog.
1996: Two long-awaited albums are released. The new all-digital studio Elgin built in his new home proves to be a winner. "Jazz Fingers" has been Earth Records' best seller, to date, and "Tidings of Comfort and Jazz" is widely acknowledged to be Elgin's best work. "Fingers" bears his trademark sense of humor, while blending Jazz, Rock and Blues seamlessly. "Please, Mr. Asshole," based on a true story, was played repeatedly on WSB radio by Neal Boortz, much to Elgin's surprise. See if you can spot Elgin's name in the clouds on the cover.

"Tidings" contains the most complex and technically challenging music in The Elgin Wells Group's repertoire, and many fans make a point of seeking out the band each Holiday season to hear it. Over the years, the band has amassed nearly three hours of Christmas arrangements, all with a fresh approach to some of the worlds most beautiful and interesting music. Elgin's own "Be True to Your Elf" and "The Twelve Jamaican Days of Christmas" are refreshingly irreverent, while the soaring, frenetic arrangements of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells" push these traditional songs to a new level.

Elgin recorded a second, unreleased Christmas album in '96, titled "Christmas Eternal." This New Age project may be made available for special order purchase.

Visit The Earth Records Catalog for more information on "Jazz Fingers" and "Tidings of Comfort and Jazz."

1997 - 2003: With Bill Wilson taking over keyboard duties, and Doc Samuels returning to take over the bassist's slot from Jim Cobb, the Elgin Wells Group reached its highest level of musicianship. Under new ownership, "Ray's on the River" dismissed the band without notice in January, 2000. Since February, 2002, the band has been found performing frequently at Sambuca Jazz Cafe, in Buckhead (Atlanta), at Wild Times Cafe, in Alpharetta, and most recently at 57th Fighter Group, featuring Bill Wilson on keyboards and Deshone Williams on Latin Percussion. Elgin is currently recording two new projects, a new Jazz album and a Country music collection, and they will be available for purchase online at Elgin Wells.com. Please check this website for updates on record releases and future Elgin Wells Group performance dates!

Thank you for your interest!
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