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Ravi Coltrane Quartet/ Roy Haynes Quartet

A A A Comments By Rick Mason Wednesday, Mar 5 2008

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Drummer Roy Haynes arrived on the jazz scene just as the swing era was giving way to the bebop revolution. Some 60 years later, his lean, nuanced, crackling-yet-elastic style still virtually sings as he leads a formidable group of strong young musicians. In between, Haynes witnessed and played a critical role in the evolution of modern jazz, supplying the rhythms for a who's who of jazz giants: Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Bud Powell, Miles, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane. A smart cross section of that history is captured on last fall's wonderful four-disc set, A Life in Time: The Roy Haynes Story (Dreyfus), which follows Haynes from a 1949 date with Young to a tune from his 2006 album Whereas, recorded live at the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul. Haynes's current Quartet includes saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, bassist David Wong, and pianist Martin Bejerano. Ravi, the second son of John and Alice Coltrane, was only two years old when his father died, and it wasn't until his 20s that he became immersed in jazz and the saxophone. He got a start in the band of his father's former drummer Elvin Jones, later got involved in Steve Coleman's M-Base movement, and eventually emerged as a leader in his own right. He has apparently come to terms with his legacy, occasionally referencing his father's sound but mainly playing with a lithe contemporary ingenuity that mixes cool intelligence and undulating dynamics. His band includes pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer E. J. Strickland.
Thu., March 6, 7:30 p.m., 2008