Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band
1:30–2:45PM, Carhartt Amphitheatre Stage
Detroit Jazz Fest is proud to present the legendary and seemingly ageless drummer Roy Haynes. In an illustrious career that spans eight decades, this NEA Jazz Master has played with just about every musician of note. It began in the mid-1940s in his hometown of Boston, where he worked with pianist Sabby Lewis, Frankie Newton and Pete Brown. In 1945 he joined the Luis Russell band, followed by stints with Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Kai Winding, Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan.
During the early ‘60s, Haynes occasionally substituted for Elvin Jones in John Coltrane’s classic quartet. Other important affiliations during this period include George Shearing, Kenny Burrell, Lennie Tristano and Stan Getz.
Over the years, Haynes has remained a vital force on the jazz scene, performing and recording in a variety of settings. While periodically leading his own bands, he has worked with artists like Billy Taylor, Hank Jones, Art Pepper, Ted Curson, Joe Albany and Horace Tapscott. He has also enjoyed an occasional playing relationship with Chick Corea, dating back to their Stan Getz days and most recently on display in Chick Corea’s Freedom Band. In the late ‘90s he formed a trio with pianist Danilo Pérez and bassist John Pattitucci, followed by a 2001 tribute to Charlie Parker—the Grammy-nominated album Birds of Feather. In 2006, Haynes released Whereas, which also received a Grammy nomination for “Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.”
Haynes’ own bands, ranging from his Hip Ensemble to various quartets, have included some of the more exceptional young musicians on the scene. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than with Fountain of Youth. All About Jazz proclaimed the group “. . . one of the last true breeding grounds for young musicians à la Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.” The group’s 2004 release, Fountain of Youth, earned Haynes another Grammy nomination. Fountain of Youth consists of Martin Bejerano (piano), Jaleel Shaw (reeds) and David Wong (bass).
