New Orleans-based drummer Herlin Riley may be best known for his 10-year stint with Wynton Marsalis, during which he often held down a traditional groove with immaculate timing and a raw, sometimes rowdy pulse. A master then and now, Riley has only gotten better, if that’s possible.
“Snap Crackle” may be Roy Haynes’ nickname, but Riley steals some of Haynes’ thunder on Perpetual Optimism, playing with immense fire, wit, and snap crackle-worthy dynamics. Despite his NOLA background, the compositions and performances on here can’t be pigeonholed: this is simply wonderful music, jazz of the highest order. Featuring an equally striking group of Emmet Cohen on piano, Russell Hall on bass, Godwin Louis on alto saxophone, and Bruce Harris on trumpet, Riley’s band rages on 12 tracks of high-flying improvisation.
