Turning 90, Drummer Roy Haynes Celebrates with Metheny and McBride

Roy Haynes at the Blue Note, NYC, 3-15

Roy Haynes (right) with Christian McBride at the Blue Note, NYC, 3-15

Roy Haynes (right) with Pat Metheny at the Blue Note, NYC, 3-15

Last Friday, March 13, the innovative and apparently inexhaustible drummer Roy Haynes had the kind of 90th birthday that anybody-or at least any musician-would hope to live to enjoy: surrounded by great players, loving friends and admirers, making soul-stirring music into the wee hours of the morning.

It was the first evening of a three-night celebration at New York City’s Blue Note, where Haynes was accompanied by his nimble Fountain of Youth band (Jaleel Shaw, alto and soprano sax; Martin Bejerano, piano; David Wong, bass). But what made the evening truly a one-off event was the presence of guitarist Pat Metheny and bassist Christian McBride, who replaced Wong for the set’s second half.