Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roy Haynes: Fountain of Youth

Roy Haynes: Fountain of Youth

By Richton Guy Thomas
February 14, 2004
View read count

Roy Haynes will turn 79 years young with the release of this new recording. Whatever his secret to the Fountain of Youth, that’s the most logical choice for the title of Mr. Hayne’s new CD on the Dreyfus label. Not only is he playing with the strength and enthusiasm of much younger musicians, he also brings to the set an overflowing data bank of euphonious rhythms. He's seen a prolific history of compliments, from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and the distinguished piano players he has backed reads like a Who's Who. This drummer’s name will always appear in numerous chapters of the book of jazz.

The choice of a live recording means you can hear the beauty of the connections between these virtuoso musicians. Roy Haynes has chosen to ensemble himself with a like-minded group at a relatively early stage (in jazz terms anyway) of their careers, with a hunger to succeed and progress quickly in their art.

Pianist Martin Bejerano is a wonderfully responsive player, a musical listener whose interaction with his colleagues is instinctive, thoughtful and thoroughly supportive. Saxophonist Marcus Strickland swings lightly while emphasizing a lyrical passion, and bassist John Sullivan keeps everything in place with his steady beat.

There are three Monk composition on this date. “Green Chimneys” is a solid dose of clear-eyed hard bop. Mr. Haynes keeps this performance kicking forward with harmonic freedom and trance-inducing rhythm.

Track Listing

1. Greensleeves 2. Twinkle Trinkle 3. Summer Night 4. Ask Me Now 5. Butch And Butch 6. Inner Trust 7. Green Chimneys 8. Remember 9. Question & Answer

Personnel

Roy Haynes

drums

Roy Haynes drums: Martin Bejerano piano; Marcus Strickland tenor and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; John Sullivan bass

Album information

Title: Fountain of Youth | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Dreyfus Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Time Will Tell
< Previous

Jack Kleinsinger's Highlights in Jaz...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.