1977 · Album
Thank You Thank You
Recorded 1977 · Galaxy · Produced by Not specified in source material
Haynes in the Groove: A 1977 Snapshot
Haynes swings across poppish grooves and straightahead settings, restless and alive.
By 1977, Roy Haynes had already spent decades at the center of jazz. Thank You Thank You finds him in an exploratory mood—not searching for new language exactly, but testing different rooms to play in. The album spreads across varied settings and moods, which tells you something important: Haynes was still curious about where his drumming could land, still willing to follow musicians into unfamiliar terrain rather than retreat into his own established sound.
AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow heard this eclecticism clearly, noting that the record moves from poppish textures to more straightforward jazz with plenty of ground covered in between. That range reflects how Haynes worked—he was never a drummer who imposed a signature sound on every session. Instead, he listened hard and adapted. By this stage in his career, that flexibility was partly what kept him essential. Younger players still sought him out because he could make sense of almost anything you put in front of him.
Thank You Thank You is not a peak moment or a major turning point in Haynes' story, but it captures him doing what he did well: moving fluidly between idioms, never sounding uncomfortable, never sounding bored. For serious Haynes listeners, it's a solid record worth hearing. For newcomers, you'd be better served starting elsewhere—something more focused would give you a clearer picture of what made him matter. But if you already know his work and want to hear him in a more experimental frame, this one rewards the dig.
Who's playing
Ron Carterdouble bass
Cecil McBeedouble bass
George Cableselectric piano
Milcho Levievpiano
Stanley Cowellpiano
Marcus Fiorilloguitar
John Klemmertenor saxophone
Roy Haynesdrums
Kenneth Nashpercussion
Bobby Hutchersonvibraphone
Where next?
More by Roy Haynes
Question and Answer 1990
Wanton Spirit 1994
Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker 2001
Cymbalism 1963
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
