Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Roy Haynes is one of the best...and still playing, September 8, 2003
This recording is one I listen to specifically for Roy Haynes. I swear, at times he is more melodic than Roland Kirk. What a joy to hear a drummer 'play' the melody - or even just be melodic. Many drummers don't even understand what that means. Once, Jimmy Ponder was playing with a drummer (and ONLY a drummer) who had great chops, and was doing a good job, under the circumstances, of keeping it going. When it came time for his solo breaks, Ponder would occasionally turn and whisper, "Play the melody!" The drummer (a young buck) would look at me with an expression like a deer caught in headlights. During the break, he asked how in the world does a drummer 'play the melody'. I told him that you can do it in a variety of ways, like alluding to it in your rhythm, and then I suggested that he listen to Roy Haynes, among others, but I specifically gave him this CD to punctuate the point. As much as I like the drumming on this (and almost any other Haynes work), I have to agree that this is not of 5 star quality - the best of the best. That doesn't diminish it as a CD at all. I love Henry Grimes' bow bass work on "Raoul", and Kirk is inventive as always, especially on "Snap Crackle". A great Roy Haynes CD.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why isn't this a classic?, June 13, 2001
Roy Haynes played with the best, including Trane, Bird, Miles, Monk etc...He may have had a low public profile, but his sound was huge. On "Out of the Afternoon" he's joined by a stellar group, including the eccentric Roland "Rahsaan" Kirk, the blind virtuoso who thought playing only one saxophone at a time was for squares. Anyway, this album really smokes, and it's all the more delightful for being so obscure. The style is hard to classify--the music is way too cool and the solos too restrained to be bop--but always melodic, and the solos always swing like crazy. Plus, for those new to Rahsaan, his style is a true revelation, and he's never been in better form. Using multiple saxes simultaneously, he creates chords (!) and jaw dropping solo runs, all while sounding in perfect harmony with himself and the rest of the group. The tunes are all memorable, about half originals, half brilliantly adapted standards. The opener, the classic "Moonrays" makes immediately clear the confidence, consummate musicianship, and brimming originality of this quartet. And the rest of the album makes good on the promise of this first track, particularly on "Snap Crackle" an homage to Roy Haynes' nickname and the crisp, signature sound of his drums, and "Fly Me to the Moon," another beautifully rendered standard full of sultry swing and terrific solos. In any case, this is highly accessible, extremely musical, and totally swinging jazz that provides a refreshing change from the overplayed classics.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of My Favorite Albums, July 15, 1999
I recommend Out On The Afternoon more than any album available today simply because it does not get the publicity that it so deserves. It may not be as "good" as My Favorite Things, Kind of Blue etc. but it is a fantastic record, and even more so considering that Roy Haynes had mostly been a sideman at this point in his career. The group and the playing are stellar. Roy is at his best behind the drums, playing stimulating, intense, and above all interesting rhythms and solos, but never becomes self indulgent. Rather, he goves much solo space to Roland Kirk (who simply roars!!), Henry Grymes (who is also with Roy on another fantastic album, Reaching Fourth by McCoy Tyner) and Tommy Flanagan. So definitely give this record a shot. It won't get all the hype that the new Trane Box got, but it's all here in one package. Snap Crackle Pop!
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by Roy Haynes Quartet 
