Review: Phil Haynes’s ‘Terra’

Phil Haynes keeps pushing ahead, often in unexpected directions. Terra (Corner Store Jazz, 2026) is less a revolutionary setting than a natural development on some of his prior work. As an hour-long group improvisation between Haynes, guitarist Ben Monder, and tenor saxophonist Peyton Pleninger, record seems to be an outgrowth of the drummer’s duo project with Monder, Transition[s] (Corner Store Jazz, 2024), a project that itself had been incubating for twenty-five years. But the relative familiarity makes Terra no less exciting.

Recorded live on the stage of Bucknell University’s Natalie Davis-Rooke Recital Hall, Terra finds Haynes in his natural habitat. Once a fixture in Oregon, Iowa, and the loft scene in New York, he now teaches at Bucknell and is currently based in Central Pennsylvania. But even on home turf, things are hardly predictably safe. The performance captured on Terra marked the first meeting of all three musicians – a grand experiment. The leader envisioned the music as a cherishing of the earth as it confronts ever-growing destructive tendencies. He has even described the music as lying down, stargazing. Yet, the subliminally environmental themes were never discussed with his collaborators beforehand. Instead, Haynes let the music itself guide its creators across the four lengthy, seamless pieces.

Of his co-creator, Monder is the ‘biggest name.” He may even have wider critical recognition than Haynes himself. The guitarist is currently a member of the Bad Plus on their farewell tour. His three disc solo effort, Planetarium (Sunnyside, 2024), is a compelling listen. And his recent credits include work with Theo Bleckmann, Tony Malaby, Tom Rainey, and Donny McCaslin. As to the last of these, Monder even contributed to David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar (ISO/Columbia/Sony, 2016). He was also a major contributor to Maria Schneider’s Grammy-winning Data Lords (Artistshare, 2020). Monder’s sound is spatial and ethereal, but he with a hidden edge. He is capable of transitioning to driving rock in an instant. 

Pleninger is certainly the “newest” name here. Haynes met the saxophonist when invited to an improv gig in the Hudson Valley. At one point, the other musicians dropped out, and as Haynes says, “We just instantly, inexplicably had this magic together.” Pleninger is a multi-disciplined talent, not only musically but also as an astrologer and guerrilla contractor, interested in painting, sculpture, botany, construction, massage, and medical inquiry.  He was mentored by the late Milford Graves and studied with edgy saxophonist Steve Coleman. He directs the upstate New York venue and arts research center, The Tavern.

On Terra, Haynes serves more as a percussionist than a drummer. He places heavier emphasis on hand drums, bells, and bamboo textures than the standard kit. In fact, the very first sounds heard on the album are chimes and percussive rattling. Monder’s echoing guitar enters around the four-minute mark, and Pleninger blows a few short bursts in this piece entitled “Moonrise/Aurora/Starlit/Meteor,” running for over 19 minutes. The mood is dramatic and mysterious. It’s almost as if Haynes and Monder represent the universe, and Pleninger’s deeper sounds represent the Earth contained as a small powerful spot therein. The saxophonist begins with elongated lines that float over the other two. Those lines soon turn to primal cries, as if seeking help. The trio is clearly searching, posing questions, and resisting any easy, definable path. Growing more insistent and assertive as the piece evolves in its many ebbs and flows, Pleninger serves as the prime instigator. Fragments, suspended harmonics, and unexpected bursts form a fragile overall sound that continually threatens to break apart. 

In “Vision Quest/Three Visitors,” Monder initially quietly suggests ideas. Pleninger is locked into the low register with a ‘splatting” sound that the guitarist responds to with quick, higher register squeals. Haynes stirs up a bubbling undercurrent, mixing his drum set sounds with various percussion, increasing the unsettled feeling. At times, the trio seems to drift into the cosmos, content to remain there until Pleninger introduces a new idea. He improvises freely, especially in the latter sections of the piece, where his fragmented, agitated approach eventually sputters out, leaving Monder to return to the outer realms until percussion creates a chaotic close.

There was one aspect of the concert that was planned. The artists agreed to include a few familiar standards if needed, eventually settling on only one., “Skylark” emerges as the third track, about halfway through the program. Arguably, and understandably, there is a more tangible melody here, but the rendering adheres to the atmospheric nature of the previous pieces. Monder’s cyclical chord progressions and Pleninger’s robust tones toward the end of the piece are sublimely gorgeous.

The fourth piece, “Borealis/Showers/Dreams/Dawn,” perhaps, as the title suggests, best represents Haynes’ characterization of the album. Picture yourself gazing toward the night sky, searching for patterns and movements. Pleninger again takes the lead with Monder relying heavily on electronics to create a mystical, cinematic backdrop. The piece reaches a crescendo through Haynes’ drumming before aptly fading into the ether upon closing.

Throughout its hour, Terra never seems hurried. The trio, at times, values silence as much as sound. At others, the music is eruptive and disruptive. The record is both a challenging and rewarding listen. 

‘Terra’ is out now on Corner Store Jazz. It can be purchased on Bandcamp.

Photo credit: René Pierre Allain