Return of the Jazz Communicators

ONE OF THE CHIEF ARCHITECTS OF MODERN JAZZ DRUMMING, Louis Hayes has provided the rhythmic drive for historic recordings by Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, and McCoy Tyner. His playing has an intensity that is as subtle as it is complex, creating a musical feel and vibe that is unmistakably Hayesian. When he reformed this band that he co-founded in the late ’60s with Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson-which Freddie dubbed the Jazz Communicators-Louis purposefully deviated from a conventional quintet lineup by featuring a vibraphone / tenor saxophone frontline. It’s the esteemed pair of Steve Nelson and Abraham Burton, respectively, and their chemistry with Louis, pianist David Bryant and bassist Dezron Douglas makes Return of the Jazz Communicators an inspired and rewarding set of music.

The selections include a nice balance of standards and originals such as a ballad-feature for Nelson, “Lush Life,” and one for Burton, “Portrait of Jennie,” as well as the deep, loose groove of Mulgrew Miller’s “Soul-Leo,” which opens the record. Return of the Jazz Communicators captures this important jazz quintet in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative live audience. In the words of Hayes, “I try to do what I do best and what makes me feel good…I guess I might as well keep on swinging.”