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“Don’t think of yourself, become one with the music and you’ll have more to contribute.” — Jeff Haynes
“I was watching Ed Sullivan with my parents when the Beatles came on. I was so taken by the band and the audience screaming that I just kept creeping closer and closer to the set and getting more and more charged until I pulled the TV down on myself — my father had a fit! I guess you could say it was my first attempt to literally get inside the music,” Jeff confesses.
“…Jeffrey Haynes brought forth an amazing array of rhythms, textures, and timbres from his hands and the instruments.” — Classical Voice of North Carolina
“...Haynes has consistently been called on for rhythmic stimulation, support and color.” — Modern Drummer Magazine
Jeff brings a sound to today’s music scene that takes
percussion beyond “technique” and “tradition”. In recorded and stage performances, Jeff moves effortlessly from varied and subtle textures... to grooving in the pocket... to anchoring the rhythm section.
Jeff has toured and recorded extensively with Cassandra Wilson, for 15 years. He has toured with the Pat Metheny Group, Al Jarreau, Boney James, Lizz Wright , Harry Belafonte, Dionne Farris and Peabo Bryson. He has recorded on over a 100 CDs with recording credits ranging from prominent names in R&B, Jazz, World Beat—to New Age.
After Jeff graduated from High School, he put off college for a few years and opted to tour with a variety show company that performed in hotels and resorts throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Puerto Rico. “I thought it was my big shot to see the world I was like a kid running away to join the circus,” recalls Jeff.
When Jeff returned home, he worked his way through college on Long Island . “I majored in Business and Computer Science—Music has always been more an instinctive and spiritual thing than any kind of school of thought for me,” says Jeff.
After college, Jeff took on a fast track position with European American Bank, climbing the corporate ladder by day and easing in to the New York City Jazz scene by night. From sitting in with Wynton Marsallis, Danny Mixon, Chaka Khan, Roy Haynes and Phyllis Hyman To one on one jam sessions with Jeff “Tain” Watts. In the late 1980s , Jeff did his first studio recording session with Terrence Blanchard.
“I wasn’t really thinking about making it in the business; I just loved to play,” admits Jeff. But, things changed when Jeff got a call from Cassandra Wilson, to record on “After the Beginning Again” in 1990.
The call came 10 years after Jeff had met Cassandra —when she first moved to New York City. Jeff recalls that the music scene was buzzing that the “new voice” in town was a rising star. Yet, he recalls playing it cool when he received her call and then being swept away by her music.
“Cassandra’s odd meters, the driving rhythms and the way she weaved and flipped lyrics were a refreshing, over-the-top challenge for me. That’s when the game got serious for me,” says Jeff. He stepped up to embark on a musical journey spans far beyond Jeff’s imagination.
Jeff went on to tour with Cassandra, promoting their first work together and has since recorded over 8 recordings, including Blue Light ‘til Dawn, New Moon Daughter and Traveling Miles. Jeff increasingly became an intrinsic part of Cassandra’s music by staying at the pulse of her sound as it has evolved. While riding this wave, Jeff has taken many side trips to record and take the stage with a world of greats in the industry.
In late 1991, Jeff sat in with some members of Peabo Bryson’s band at a club in Atlanta, by the end of the night they were urging him to go out on tour with the R&B balladeer! Jeff was riding high on the wave of performing with Peabo Bryson and Cyline Dion as they promoted the hit single from “Beauty and the Beast,” when his bank job refused to extend his leave of absence any longer. At a crossroad, Jeff had to make a life choice between the music or the growth and stability of his corporate job. “It actually didn’t feel like a choice I had a show to do in Detroit the next day—I had to go. I felt like God made it for me,” says Jeff.
Moving to Brooklyn in 1991 brought forth tremendous opportunity for Jeff to meet and cultivate life long friendships with some of New York’s most sought-after talent. “The music scene in Brooklyn was bittersweet. There were long nights of waiting to sit in, doing $50 gigs and giving out cards to contacts with the hope of planting seeds. Yet, there was so much creative energy and amazing talent out there, that it kept me coming back for more!” says Jeff.
Recording and co-producing with long time friend Bassist, Lonnie Plaxico, was one of the many creative collaborations that developed . Other recording credits during his years in Brooklyn include Carla Cook, Craig Bailey, Greg Osby, Rene Marie and Marvin Hannabal Peterson.
Jeff recalls meeting the late Mark Ledford, Vocalist and Multi-instrumentalist one night. “At the time he was the lead vocalist in the Pat Metheny Group. He took my card and said he would call me if Pat was ever looking for a percussionist.” Jeff took that promise with a grain of salt, while going on to record with Mark on Faith Evans’ Faith CD and Mark’s solo CD, Miles 2 Go.
In 2003, Drummer, Producer and Musical Director, Brian Blade called Jeff to play with yet another young new vocalist that was rising fast—Lizz Wright. Jeff recorded on Lizz’s debut CD, Salt and went on to tour extensively with Lizz. “He renders a real performance every time he plays. He plays from his heart and propels me to do the same,” said Lizz Wright in a 2003 DOWNBEAT Magazine article that highlighted Jeff’s appeal to vocalists.
The Other Side of the Beat...
American Folk, World Beat, R&B, Funk if there’s a rhythm — Jeff can keep the time. He is well versed and enjoys embracing in all genres of music. Jeff’s approach to drumming is not Latin-based or even African. Rather, he strives to become one with the music and the band.
Jeff has even had a chance to be a part of emerging Crossover sounds of the mid 90s with extensive touring with Alternative Rap pioneers, PM Dawn and later touring and recording with Arrested Development’s Dionne Farris. The groups appeal to Jeff, as their sound was recapturing a style from the music of the 60s and 70s. “They say everything comes around again, I’m not sure if these groups were old souls or simply a head of their time.” says Jeff Haynes.
Jeff reflects a different scope and diverse flavor of Jeff’s percussive talent, with each and every musical situation. From performing with eclectic percussion and vocal based performers like Dean Bowman and Vinx, or coloring New Age Music recordings for Will Ackerman. Jeff’s driving rhythms were a significant force in Harry Belafonte's World Beat band in 1992. Jeff colors and moving percussive work can be heard on a number of CD’s and even a documentary soundtrack by Samite of Uganda.
Growing up in the late 60s and 70s was an amazing time for music and musicians. Jeff grew up listening to everything from Marvin Gay, John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson — to Mighty Sparrow, Harry Belafonte to — the Jackson Five, Tower of Power — to Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell. My approach to music is a product of everything I grew up listening to and it continues to be influenced by the music that surrounds me today,” says Jeff Haynes.
Jeff left Brooklyn in 2003—opting to have more space for his family and home studio in Beacon, New York. “I set up a studio in my house and kind of took the mindset of “Field of Dreams” – build it and they will come,” admits Jeff. He envisioned that his musician friends from the City would take the 90 minute ride up – stay the weekend or the day enjoy creating or taking in the Hudson Valley scenes.
He was right! Lizz Wright did a great deal preproduction for her new CD, Dreaming Wide Awake, in Jeff’s studio. Milwaukee based guitarist, Paul Cebar tries to carve out recording days with Jeff, whenever he’s performing in the Northeast Region.
“What excites me the most, is discovering that there are so many talented musicians tucked away all over the Hudson Valley!” says Jeff Haynes. Since moving to Beacon, Jeff has met and enjoyed creating music with Brandon Ross, an amazing guitarist and songwriter, vocalist, Timothy Hill.
Thanks to funding from the New York State Music Fund, Mount Saint Mary College can take Mid-Hudson Valley community on a free percussive journey across many cultures -- right in their own backyard! For information about Jeff's partnership with the college. Through Mount Saint Mary College's Center for Community and Educational Services, Jeff will present the percussion instruments, rhythms and history related to a different genre of music each month. Over the course of the Fall and Spring semesters, the community will learn about percussion in the context of the following genres of music: Classical Jazz, Caribbean, Blues, American Folk, New Age, African, Brazilian and Klezmer.
Jeff Partners with Hudson Valley Schools on Grant Opportunities
His school programs have been featured in the Poughkeepsie Journal and Times Herald-Record. Jeff has been developing conceptual curriculum based arts in education programs through grant partnerships. This Spring he worked with the faculty and PTO at Forrestal Elementary School in Beacon City School District on the Dutchess County Arts Council Arts-in-Education Partnership Grant. The were awarded the grant and Jeff is gearing up to work with Forrestal 5th grader in spring 2008 on an arts in education program which weaves poetry, drumming through the study the Underground Railroad.
Jeff is increasingly being drawn to sharing his experiences, talent and love for percussion with people of all ages through workshops, health related drum circles and intimate stage performances. “I truly believe that I have been blessed with a gift from God — this business of touching lives through my music. Whether I’m on stage at Lincoln Center or abroad at the Montreux Jazz Festival or working with students in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District -- I live to play; I live to share,” Jeff concludes.
“Life has been my greatest teacher.” — Jeff Haynes
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