Music: “Jazz giant”: US drummer Roy Haynes dies

The US drummer Roy Haynes is dead. He died on Tuesday after a short illness at the age of 99 in Nassau County (New York state), US newspapers reported, citing his daughter and a spokesman for the musician.

In his more than 70-year career, Haynes, who was born in 1925, has shaped every significant development in modern jazz since bebop, according to the New York Times – without significantly changing his style. The “jazz giant’s” drumming was characterized by “penetrating clarity” and had a rousing energy.

Heard on hundreds of albums

Haynes worked with numerous jazz legends, such as tenor saxophonist Lester Young, guitarist Pat Metheny and singers Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. He recorded classics such as “Morpheus” by Miles Davis and “Anthropology” by Charlie Parker. In total, he could be heard on more than 600 albums, according to the Washington Post. In 1995 he was honored for his life’s work with the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award.

Haynes remained on stage and recorded pieces well into his old age. In 2008, according to the New York Times, he also took on a speaking role in the video game “Grand Theft Auto IV” (GTA IV) – as the host of a radio station whose motto was tongue-in-cheek: “Jazz from a time before it became elevator music.”