Drummer Phil Haynes unveils two 2 HORNS & WHAT? trio albums on Corner Store Jazz

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The drummer pairs experimental trumpeter Nathan Wooley on AvAnt MODerN and saxophonist Jonathan Ragonese on JAzZ nOW.

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Drummer/composer Phil Haynes revisits his eccentric, venturesome horns and drums concept in trio form with 2 Horns & What?, a slimmed down version of his quartet 4 Horns & What?. The band makes its recorded debut with a pair of diverse new albums, both out October 2 via Corner Store Jazz, featuring Haynes and saxophonist Peyton Pleninger with two distinct line-ups — one with trumpeter Nathan Wooley, the other with saxophonist Jonathan Ragonese.

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Sure, using an interrogative as a band name certainly reflects the spirit of wry playfulness that Phil Haynes always brings to the drum kit - he was in the habit, for instance, of introducing himself as the 'What?' in the equation from the time that he launched his eccentric quartet 4 Horns & What? at the tail end of the eighties.

But there's also a serious side to that sobriquet, one that epitomizes Haynes' restlessly inquisitive nature. Combining a cadre of horn players with one adventurous and conversational drummer, what might happen? What will this music become? What, quite simply, next?

Those questions led the original band down a thrillingly fruitful path during its original five-year run, which yielded a pair of vital studio recordings and a live album that only surfaced decades later, with the release of The Complete American Recordings in 2024. But the possibilities have continued to tantalize Haynes ever since, leading to the revival of the concept in slimmed-down form as 2 Horns & What?

The project makes its recorded debut on October 2, 2026 with a diverse pair of albums released via Haynes' Corner Store Jazz imprint, each featuring a distinct line-up and feel. Both trios include Haynes and the saxophonist Peyton Pleninger, with whom the drummer has forged a mentorship and collaboration over the course of sonic experiments at Pleninger's upstate New York venue and research space, The Tavern. AvAnt MODerN is a freewheeling live outing with experimental trumpeter Nathan Wooley as Horn #2, while the studio recording JAzZ nOW places the focus more on Haynes' jazz roots with saxophonist Jonathan Ragonese.

The revival was born of yet another question, one that Haynes has asked himself often in recent years. 'At this point in my career,' he explains, 'I'm constantly trying to figure out where I'm going next. Getting rid of everything but horns and drums challenged me in a lot of ways and also garnered some attention early in my career. I thought that lots of other bands would have explored that setting in the 25 years since, but that hasn't really happened. So it seemed like there was endless potential in revisiting the idea.'

For repertoire, Haynes dug back into his catalogue for material from Paul Smoker's trio, the 4 Horn band as well as his venturesome trio No Fast Food. This in itself was an unexpected move for a composer and improvisor who normally looks resolutely forward. 'So many of my heroes, like Joe Henderson or Miles Davis , performed different versions of the same material over the course of time. And boy, when the tunes changed and something new emerged, it was always exciting to me. A great tune is a great tune, and it was fun selecting things from my early records with the new guys in mind and then witnessing how they transformed them.'

AvAnt MODerN delights in extremes, taking full advantage of Wooley's and Pleninger's penchants for delving into the outer limits of their respective instruments, with ample use of extended techniques, striking textures and startling vocalizations. The human voice becomes another 'What?' over the course of the album, with Haynes offering spoken recitations on several pieces.

The album opens with 'Never Doubt I Love,' a fanfare built around several poignant Shakespeare texts that the drummer originally arranged for his wedding, sung there by his sister Mary Beth, a coloratura soprano. Haynes' animated delivery here reportedly brought his wife Dee, who was in the audience, to tears. She is also honored on 'For Doc, Hawk & Dee,' in which Haynes gives an impassioned reading of 'Body and Soul,' which also pays tribute to Coleman Hawkins and the drummer's late mentor, Paul Smoker.

JAzZ nOW could be termed the more 'straightahead' of the twin albums, though with Haynes and his cohort that's a playfully relative term. Ragonese is a longtime acquaintance of the drummer, a former protegé of pianist Steve Rudolph, one of Haynes' partners in the Day Dream Trio. He and Pleninger intertwine sinuously, tenor madness echoes of Newk and Trane reverberating in a bracingly contemporary context. Opener 'Together' unleashes them on a fiery dual solo as Haynes' tempestuous drums roll away, while 'Goofus' Step' balances woozy lines atop a stumbling rhythm. 'Blue Dop' unfolds with a Mancini-esque stealth, while 'A Lil' Iowa Get-Down' closes the proceedings as an angular hoedown. (What would they make of this in Davenport?)

'This really is one band,' Haynes insists, 'even though we're exploring different strains of my material. I really enjoy highlighting the ways that the performers change interpretation. When I explain the idea of horns and drums to people, they inevitably respond, 'What?!' And that inevitably opens the door to some serious fun.'

Phil Haynes is featured on nearly 100 releases from numerous American and European record labels. His collaborations include many of the seminal musicians of this generation: saxophonists Anthony Braxton, Ellery Eskelin and David Liebman; trumpeters Herb Robertson, Paul Smoker and Nathan Wooley; bassists Mark Dresser , Ken Filiano and Drew Gress; keyboard artists David Kikoski, Denman Maroney and Michelle Rosewoman; guitarists Ben Monder, Steve Salerno, and Jim Yanda; vocalists Theo Bleckmann , Nicholas Horner and Hank Roberts ; violinist Mark Feldman; and the composers collective Joint Venture. His outlets include the Americana string band, Free Country; Terra, featuring guitarist Ben Monder w/next gen saxophonist Peyton Pleninger; the new originals trio, 2 Horns & What?, as well as the romantic piano trio, Day Dream, featuring Yamaha artist Steve Rudolph. In 2023 he published his memoir, Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modern Drumming Artist, hailed by Toledo's WGTE as 'an engaging blend of insight, curiosity, humility, and humor.'

AvAnt MODerN — Corner Store Jazz – CSJ #0160 – Recorded March 28, 2026

JAzZ nOW — Corner Store Jazz – CSJ #0161 – Recorded May 8-9, 2026

Release date October 2, 2026

philhaynesmusic.bandcamp.com

cornerstorejazz.com

philhaynes.com

Photo Credit: Amanda Nichols

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Phil-Haynes-Releases-Two-Trio-Albums-via-Corner-Store-Jazz-20260918)._