Snap Crackle Keeps the Clock Ticking
Roy Haynes at eighty-plus still swings like a man half his age, and Marcus Strickland's soprano keeps pace.
The most distinctive presence on Fountain of Youth (2004) may be saxophonist Marcus Strickland, whose soprano playing gives the record a bright, searching edge that sets it apart from the rest of Roy Haynes's catalogue. Haynes, nicknamed "Snap Crackle" back in the 1950s for his crisp snare sound, leads the date from the drums, but Strickland's lines are what a listener will remember.
The band is a small, tight quartet: John Sullivan on double bass, Martin Bejerano on piano, Strickland on soprano saxophone, and Haynes behind the kit. Nothing about the setup is fancy. It is a working piano trio with a horn out front, and the musicians play like they have shared a bandstand for years. Haynes keeps the pulse light and busy, always pushing the soloists forward rather than sitting back.
Where does this sit in his career? It is a late-period record from a drummer who spent more than eight decades playing swing, bebop, fusion and avant-garde jazz, so it is not where you should start. Listeners new to Haynes are better served by earlier dates. This one is for people who already know his playing and want to hear him still working at full strength, with a younger horn player who clearly enjoys the company.
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