Jazz moderne

Certainly, this album won’t be to everyone’s taste. It explores a form of experimental music where sound and atmosphere eclipse more conventional structures.

What’s on offer here is a kind of philosophical, literary, and intellectual composition; music that only fully reveals its meaning in a live setting. As Phil Haynes explains: “During the isolation of the Covid era, I began dreaming up projects that might inspire a sixth artistic decade. That’s when engineer Jon Rosenberg whispered to me: ‘Do what Art Blakey or Anthony Braxton would do’; in other words, bring in some brilliant young players. While the idea of injecting new blood felt obvious, putting it into practice took time; though I did begin working with the flamboyant 28-year-old tenor sax titan, Peyton Pleninger.”

Guitarist Ben Monder shares the same intellectual approach as drummer and percussionist Phil Haynes. In this realm of music, nothing is immediately obvious; one enters it as if stepping into a play or an art gallery, allowing emotion and sensation to take over. Only then do the colors and poetic shapes emerge, felt as much as understood. Haynes continues: “Because I rely on instant artistic chemistry to guide my collaborations, living in ‘centrally isolated Pennsylvania’ for the past two decades has brought its share of challenges. These days, connecting and playing with the new generation of artists is far more complex than it was back when I lived above a corner store in Brooklyn. So, although it took longer than expected to find a group of inspiring young creators to grow with, I recalled several ‘cats’ from my New York days;  musicians with whom the magic had always been there, even though we’d never recorded together. Ben Monder was at the top of that shortlist.”

It turns out that beyond numerous jam sessions from that time, Ben and Phil would meet every few weeks or months over several years; just to play duo. Blowing their minds and spirits apart over Coltrane’s Transition became a ritual.

“I’ll never forget the many times we opened a session with a 20-to-40-minute rendition of that iconic piece; only to circle back and play it again before heading to Joe’s Pizza for eggplant parm sandwiches. After digesting and hanging out, we’d usually wrap the day with another dive into the world of ‘Trane — a kind of energetic trinity, like J.C. himself, or… who knows?”

Now imagine this: the two musicians hadn’t played together in nearly a quarter of a century. Each had taken different paths, lived different lives. And yet, when they finally reunited, the magic reappeared; elusive, impossible to pinpoint, driven above all by a purely intellectual urge to explore. You may or may not be drawn in, but if you are, the door opens wide to the joy of discovery. Again, let’s give the final word to Haynes: “Our very first sounds together gave birth to Openings; the prelude to a near-cinematic journey of evocative titles, with space as the backdrop around Transition, and a surprise session standard: I Fall in Love Too Easily. We ultimately wrapped with our own Epilogue. A full album in just a few precious hours, graced by a glorious June afternoon ;  back in Brooklyn, and yes, with another hearty lunch to boot. Yo!”

A feast for the senses, a tapestry of sound; this is an album that asks for time, for contemplation, something increasingly rare in today’s world. These two master musicians invite us in through the front door.

Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor for All About Jazz
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, April 14th 2025

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To buy this album

Musicians: Phil Haynes (drums), Ben Mondler (guitar)
Tittles: Ben I, Untitled, Brief Piece, Transition, Ben II, Phil III, Openings, Beyond, ‘too Easily, Phil II, Ben III, Epilogue

Phil Haynes’s website

Ben Monder’s website