Roy Haynes

Item: Love Letters
Author: Jeff Cebulski

Love Letters

(2002)

Reviewed by Jeff Cebulski

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Label Eighty-Eights / Columbia RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

jazz swing

These three recordings are connected by players who have established themselves as among the most inventive artists we hear.

In Damaged, we get nine improvised pieces played live in France by enigmatic electric bassist Steve Swallow, the rising young saxophonist Chris Potter, and the powerful percussionist Adam Nussbaum. The amazing thing to these ears is that Potter, who finished a tour with the Dave Holland Quintet (and was recorded for Extended Play) a month before these recordings, sounds no worse for the wear, meeting the stylistic challenges presented by Swallow head on with panache. Swallow, known for his forays into cerebral jazz with Paul and Carla Bley while receiving kudos for his dexterous bass playing, presents his players with rich, energetic formats and slower, pensive moods. Nussbaum is equal to the task, answering Potter's runs and pushing the group toward tolerable chaos.

Extended Play, the first live recording released by what is arguably the world's top jazz ensemble, will be many people's last chance to hear the volcanic Billy Kilson on the drums in a Holland-led group. Recorded in November, 2001, Holland, the highly-acclaimed bassist, leads his band through "extended" versions of already long compositions that show Holland's connection to his late mentor Miles Davis: the settings present the musicians with just enough melody and tone to improvise one layer at a time until they meet in a rising crescendo, with a grinning Holland behind them nodding in pure joy. Potter's playing sometimes becomes a bit static in approach, but when the music opens up to soloing, both he and trombonist Robin Eubanks are able to take advantage and blow notes like there's no tomorrow. In the meantime, no bassist commands the attention Holland does, either when he introduces a song or when he takes off on his own solo.

Holland also commands attention when he plays for someone else, and Roy Haynes' latest album, Love Letters, is no different, even when the bop master Haynes is the drummer. Perhaps no other percussionist (since Billy Higgins died) receives as much homage as this ageless wonder does. On Letters, given the rather traditional list of songs presented, Haynes demonstrates wise restraint and lets his guests find ways to uplift what could have been mere redundant material. Joshua Redman's blistering solo awakens the normally languid "My Shining Hour"; John Scofield's tasty picking enhances the title cut and a trio version of "Afro Blue"; and Kenny Barron's chromatic piano is featured on "How Deep Is the Ocean." While the young bass genius Christian McBride demonstrates his own versatility on four songs, Holland is clearly a shining star as he melds Scofield and Haynes into a refreshing unit on four others, with rising pianist David Kikoski helping out on two of them. Even with this talent on display, this CD possesses surprisingly engaging music from seemingly ancient settings.