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A constant innovator in the jazz scene for well over 50 years, Roy Haynes continues to gain international recognition well into his 70s. The Maine Center for the Arts, a recent recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award, is pleased to welcome Haynes to the University of Maine Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m.
The Jazz Masters Award program allocates funds to one performing arts center in each state.
“This organization invites who they think are the best jazz masters, creating a list of approximately 20 musicians,” said Adele Adkins, associate director of the MCA.
Each performing arts center chooses one jazz musician from this list to perform in their facility. Depending on the artist, the event may cost from $10,000 to $50,000.
Born in 1925 in Roxbury, Mass., Haynes was inspired by his father, a church organist, to become musically involved. By the mid-1940s, Haynes was immersed in the jazz scene, working with such greats as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell and Kai Winding. From 1945 to 1947, Haynes played for Lester Young’s band and backed Thelonious Monk, which ultimately led to the formation of his own group in 1958.
Haynes continued to accompany various singers and integrate his unique drumming style that served to accent the vocals and to liven the actual performances. In 1995, Haynes was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and continues to impress audiences as he remains at the forefront of jazz innovation, improvisation, and experimentation.
Haynes is indeed a monolithic icon in the jazz genre. According to Adkins, Haynes’ performance offers not just a fantastic concert, but an extraordinary chance to glimpse into the heart of what has characterized the jazz experience in the latter half of the 20th century.
