Roy Haynes, the 83-year-old jazz drummer who has played behind everyone from Charlie Parker to Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea and Pat Metheny, is now reaching out to the younger generation via a whirlwind of activity that finds him appearing as a guest DJ on the smash hit video game Grand Theft Auto IV and jamming with members of the defunct rock jam band Phish. Haynes is shown here with Phish members Page McConnell and Jon Fishman.
Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest release by Rockstar Games, has sold six million copies and made $500 million in sales in its first week. The game includes a feature to enhance play: 16 in-game radio stations featuring a wide variety of musical choices: rock, electronica and classic jazz. Haynes plays himself in a guest voice-over, appearing as the DJ of JNR 108.5, “Jazz Nation Radio,” a station that plays classic jazz sides such as Chet Baker’s “Let’s Get Lost” and Haynes’ own “Snap Crackle.”
6/7/08-Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin
6/9/08-Minneapolis, MN: The Dakota
6/20/08-Boise, ID: Gene Harris Jazz Festival
7/12/08-Norwalk, CT: Norwalk Jazz Festival
8/27-8/31-New York, NY: Dizzy’s Club/Jazz @ Lincoln Center
10/21-11/5-EUROPEAN TOUR
11/8/08-Austin, TX: PASIC Convention
Photo by Doug Yoel
