Followers of trumpeter Graham Haynes’ career have watched his ambulatory muse take him from M-Base to the far East, to Miles-ish funk. With that in mind, Tones for the 21st Century (Antilles 314 537 692-2; 52:42), Haynes’ foray into electronica shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Abandoning the acid-funk grooves of his last effort, (“Transition”), Haynes goes straight for the subconscious, with wash upon wash of generated sound and exotic texture. It’s a fair enough first effort: “Nameless River” frames his horn lines against eddies of synthesized sound and African Harp figures, while spoken word artist Tracie Morris lends an ethereal, spiritual vibe to “Out of Phaze.”
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