Phil Haynes: Return to Electric

Phil Haynes, a drummer who possesses an extensive and heralded resume, unleashes Return to Electric, a semiavant-garde fusion-fueled romp that feels like a love letter to the electric guitar's golden era, delivered with a sly wink. This album displays Haynes, guitarist Steve Salerno, and bassist Drew Gress capturing the experimental spirit of 1970s jazz-rock while demonstrating their mastery over modern styles. Haynes provides near-flawless support, punctuated by colorific cymbal accents, off-kilter deviations and polyrhythmic fills.

The trio kicks off with Chick Corea's "Crystal Silence," a track that glides in like a velvet glove as Salerno's phrasing morphs a sublime beauty into the primary melody. From there, the trio dives into John McLaughlin's "Spectrum," a fiery beast that roars with Salerno's blistering leads and Haynes's intense drumming, which somehow manages to be both chaotic and precise.

Haynes's original compositions, including "Spell," "Cycle," and "Eclipse," are the album's secret weapons. "Spell" lurches forward with start-stop rhythms that may keep listeners on their toes, as if the trio is playing a musical game of red-light, green-light. "Cycle" takes a more introspective stance amid Gress' prolific patterns to help weave a mournful thread through Salerno's delicate chords. At the same time "Eclipse" erupts with a fervent bop-like undercurrent, largely due to the drummer's zesty mid-tempo pulse.

What makes this album sing is its balance of nostalgia and forward-thinking swagger. Haynes, Salerno, and Gress, all seasoned veterans, play with the hunger of newcomers but the wisdom of old souls. The production is crisp, letting every note breathe, yet raw enough to feel like the band is jamming in your living room, albeit with slightly better acoustics. Return to Electric is a reminder that the past can inspire without shackling, and that Haynes, with his irrepressible wit and boundless energy, remains a force to be reckoned with. This is jazz that struts, smirks, and soars—plug it in and let it rip.

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