Roland Haynes 2nd Wave (LP, colored Vinyl, Ltd.)

This 1975 album is unique in several ways. Firstly, it is the only album by keyboardist Roland Haynes. But more importantly, “Second Wave” has a sound and instrumentation unlike any other jazz fusion album. Anchored by the fantastic rhythm section of Carl Burnett (Cal Tjader, Vince Guaraldi and most notably Gene Harris and The Three Sounds) and Henry “The Skipper” Franklin (bandleader on many Black Jazz albums, as well as Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Hugh Masekela and many others), the album features a duel between Fender Rhodes tickled by Haynes and Kirk Lightsey, who has played with everyone from Chet Baker to Pharoah Sanders to Sonny Stitt. The cascading sound of the two electric pianos, one (Lightsey's) often driven by a wah-wah pedal, gives “Second Wave” its own special vibe; there are no horns or guitars to get in the way of these mind-blowing keyboard jams. Some might hear a bit of '70s-era Miles Davis, when Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and/or Herbie Hancock were in the band, and Hancock's own album “Head Hunters” comes to mind.
The reissue of Real Gone has been remastered for CD and vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision with LP lacquer cuts by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Musik, and includes new liner notes by Pat Thomas, author of "Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975", which include a few quotes from drummer Burnett and bassist Franklin. Reissued on vinyl for the first time!