Alto saxophonist, percussionist, composer and African folklore singer Kevin Haynes first rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s as a leading percussionist on the UK jazz scene. He worked with the major groups of those defining decades (the Jazz Warriors, Courtney Pine, Steve Williamson and Philip Bent) and with more seasoned players like the late Clifford Jarvis and Dick Heckstall-Smith.
As an artist, his evolution has been distinguished by a combination of West African spiritual percussion (he is an ordained Yoruba Ifa priest) with a startling technical facility on the alto saxophone, earning him the title, ‘African Charlie Parker’. Haynes now divides his time between the UK and Benin in West Africa (known as Dahomey until the mid-1970s).
This was an evening truly resonating with African rhythms. Fans and newcomers alike got a taste of his unique melding of Yoruba religious music and John Coltrane-inspired riffing when he performed selections of his forthcoming new recording, ‘Ti abenu ati ti ita titete (Inner Outer Alignment)’ with his Grupo Elegua.
Check out the rest of the review, using this link: https://ukjazznews.com/kevin-haynes-and-grupo-elegua-at-the-camden-club/
