Roy Haynes with David Wong©Andrea Canter

“As 'Fountain of Youth' so exuberantly captures, Roy Haynes is one of the seven wonders of modern jazz." --Dan Ouelette (Billboard) 
 

If there is an “Energizer Bunny” of jazz, it has to be drummer extraordinaire Roy Haynes. At an age when even jazz musicians tend to slow down and take it easy, 83-year-old Haynes has done the opposite, revving up his engines with his latest “Fountain of Youth” quartet—so aptly named for its leader, issuing volcanic recordings and traveling cross- country to share the beat. One of the most dynamic timekeepers in the business, Haynes’ career mirrors the history of modern jazz as one of the last of the great innovators of the 1940s who is still pushing the genre forward in the 21st century. Few—if any-- working musicians in 2008 include the bands of Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie on their resumes; but some of today’s hottest rising stars are graduates of the “Academy of Roy Haynes.” Celebrating the 3-CD/DVD retrospective release of A Life in Time, Haynes and the Fountain of Youth are on tour this summer, with a final summer gig at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, August 27-31. Throw in Roy’s new persona as “DJ” for the video game, Grand Theft Auto IV! 

Roy Haynes

Born in 1925 in the Roxbury section of Boston, Haynes taught himself to play drums, fascinated by the talents of Jo Jones, Sid Catlett and Chick Webb. Older brother Doug played trumpet, studied for a time at the New England Conservatory, and introduced Roy to Jo Jones; listening to his brother’s record collection and the big bands on radio were early influences on young Roy. “Doug knew everybody. He was my main connection to jazz.” Still in high school, Haynes played drums for various bands around town. In 1942—at only 17—Haynes began his professional career with guitarist Tom Brown, bandleader Sabby Lewis, and Kansas City blues-shout alto saxophonist Pete Brown.  In 1945 he was asked to join legendary bandleader Luis Russell at New York's legendary Savoy Ballroom, and between gigs absorbed the lessons of bop along 52nd Street and at the legendary Minton’s. Along the way, and after his stint with Russell ended in 1947, Roy Haynes became the favorite drummer of many bop-era titans, including Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Lennie Tristano, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane. His chops led Young to dub him “The Royal of Haynes”; Bird and Coltrane regarded him has among the very best they worked with, Coltrane regarding Haynes as his preferred substitute for the late Elvin Jones in the historic Coltrane Quartet (1961-65). 

Roy Haynes©Andrea Canter

Numerous accolades and honors have been awarded to Haynes, including the “Living National Treasures of Jazz” (Museum of American History) in 1988; an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in 1991; the 1993 inductee into the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame (University of Pittsburgh); the French Chevalier des l'Ordres Artes et des Lettres; numerous Down Beat polls. His Dreyfus release, a tribute to Charlie Parker aptly titled Birds of a Feather, received a Grammy nomination in 2002. In 2004, he released the explosive, live Fountain of Youth (Dreyfus), featuring Marcus Strickland, Martin Bejerano, and John Sullivan. Of Haynes’ then-approaching 80th birthday, Lloyd Sachs (Amazon.com) remarked, “Signs of slowing down? Forget it. The only one trying to catch any breath is the listener.”  FOY (now with Jaleel Shaw and David Wong replacing Strickland and Sullivan) continues to be Haynes’ main project, releasing Where As in 2007. 

As he launches his Life in Time Tour, Haynes has taken on a new adventure, portraying a DJ in the new video game, Grand Theft Auto IV. The latest release by Rockstar Games, game features 16 in-game radio stations featuring a wide variety of musical choices - rock, electronic, and classic jazz tunes by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.  Haynes plays himself in a guest voice-over, appearing as the DJ of JNR 108.5 – “Jazz Nation Radio,” a station that plays Roy’s own “Snap Crackle.”   “I travel all over the world performing this music, connecting with the audiences,” explains Haynes.  “But this is an opportunity to connect with a different audience, in a different way...Jazz has always been about personal expression, but it’s also about communication.  This is an excellent opportunity to communicate this music to millions of young people, so I have been really excited about it!”  The game sold six million copies in its first week. 

Another recent change of pace found Haynes at the recent Jammy Awards honoring rock legends Phish, as the drummer performed jazz interpretations of Phish tunes in a jam led by Phish pianist Page McConnell.  

Jaleel Shaw©Andrea Canter

The Fountain of Youth

Hot young alto saxman Jaleel Shaw has performed with such star acts as Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Arturo Sandoval, Nicholas Payton, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, and the Count Basie Orchestra; currently is a member of the Charles Mingus Big Band and Jeremy Pelt Quartet; and tours with Judy Niemack and Melvin Sparks as well as Haynes. His second release, Optimism, has been garnering rave reviews, and he has twice won ASCAP awards for composition. 

Elegantly assertive pianist Martin Bejerano is building a solid career backing some of modern jazz’s elders and young masters. In addition to his work with Roy Haynes, Bejerano has worked with Russell Malone, James Moody, Ira Sullivan, Marcus Printup, and Marcus Strickland. He’s appeared at festivals around the world, including Playboy, Montreal, Aspen, Ravinia, Sedona, Big Sur, Lincoln Center, Bahia, and the Charlie Parker jazz festivals, and at such venues as Birdland, The Blue Note, Jazz Gallery, Sunset Club (Paris), Jazz Showcase, Dakota, and the Artists Quarter. 

The most recent addition to the FOY band, bassist David Wong graduated from Juilliard. In high school he was a member of the 2000 Grammy All-American High School Jazz Band. He’s performed with Wynton Marsalis, John Faddis, Illinois Jacquet, Christian McBride, Leroy Jenkins, Eric Reed, Paula West and the Heath Brothers, and currently tours with Pete Zimmer and Sachal Vasandani, in addition to Roy Haynes. 

Roy Haynes courtesy of Drefys Records

“Every time I get on the bandstand, it's going to be something different. I want to do something that I've never done before.”– Roy Haynes 

Catch Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth  at Dizzy’s/Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan (www.jalc.org) August 27-31. 

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