ROY HAYNES: Roy-Alty
Dreyfus, 2011

BOP – A grand master of jazz drumming at age 86, Roy Haynes still plays with the sharp, vigorous attack of a young lion. He ain’t subtle, but he can swing. For most of this disc, Haynes employs his Fountain of Youth quartet (these guys are half a century younger than he is!), with the added attraction of Roy Hargrove’s trumpet on six tracks, a couple of larger ensemble cuts, and two great duets with Chick Corea.

All solid. Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

1. 5:57 – thumping swing: solos hang from a heavy beat, trumpet/sax tradeoff
2. 3:41 – folksy showtune standard as a thick waltz: nice sax work here
3. 8:42 – solid duet: very Monk-ish piano, stuttering drum rhythms won’t quit
4. 8:24 – ballad: a nice changeup, soft & sweet with gorgeous trumpet
5. 5:29 – cool-bop: band bounces lightly over Haynes’ firm ground, bass solo
6. 8:43 – easy latin groove with conga, a brief vocal by Haynes, drum solo
7. 7:44 – improvised duet: shadowy drum patter & thoughtful piano… nice!
8. 3:52 – moody ballad: nice moaning sax and tender piano
9. 6:48 – modern sound, a bit lopsided: horn solos are quite strong
10. 7:01 – insistent septet: theme feels methodical but the solos roll along

[ Fo ] - January 2012