Hip Ensemble

Description

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Roy Haynes' album Hip Ensemble, recorded in New York for Bob Shad's label, Mainstream Records, and released in 1971. Having passed away last November at the age of 99, Roy Haynes is one of the undisputed giants of modern jazz. He played with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Lester Young among many others, and became an institution over the decades. In the late 60s, after a stint with John Coltrane's quartet, he formed the Hip Ensemble, a group bringing together young Turks George Adams on saxophone, Hannibal Marvin Peterson on trumpet, Japanese bassist Teruo Nakamura, Lawrence Killian on percussion, and German pianist Carl Schroeder on Fender Rhodes. The album is a superb blend of jazz funk and spiritual jazz, showcasing his powerful drumming and creativity. Wewantsounds has added a bonus track, "Roy's Tune," recorded during the same session but not included on the original album. The track is another superb breakbeat that, strangely, has never been sampled, even though Roy Haynes has appeared over the years on many hip-hop classics from De La Soul to Dilla, as well as Pete Rock and Q Tip. Hip Ensemble is reissued here on vinyl for the first time since 1971, in its original sleeve with first-generation photos. With remastered audio and a 2-page insert featuring new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.