Roy Haynes, 88

I’ve been busy in my continuing battle with the tech monster you see on the right. He won’t leave my computer system alone. I was so occupied with his depredations that I didn’t realize until the day was all but gone that this is Roy Haynes’ 88th birthday. It would be wrong to let it go by without celebrating. I’ll do that by toasting Roy with a glass of Layer Cake Shiraz and by sharing with you one of his solos from Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz concerts. This was New York, 1973. Mr. Haynes’ colleagues were Howard McGhee and Jimmy Owens, trumpets; Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone; Lee Konitz, alto saxophone; Ted Dunbar, guitar; and Richard Davis, bass. There is video disturbance partway through, but the sound is fine. Roy introduces the tune.

Around the same time in the ‘70s, I dropped by the old Half Note one night after the newscast to hear Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Roy was playing drums. He had a solo the equal of the one we just heard, and longer. He came off the stand soaking wet, grinning. “Feel better?” I said. His smile broadened and he said, “I felt good to START with.”

He usually does.