Kevin Whitehead for NPR Fresh Air – The New Orleans drummer produces jazz with its own distinct character on his new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Perpetual Optimism is marked by Riley’s upbeat nature and attention to detail.
New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley has played in some high-profile settings with pianist Ellis Marsalis and Ahmad Jamal, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and New York’s Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Herlin Riley is also a bandleader who makes his own records. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead really likes his latest.
Drummer Herlin Riley’s quintet with Bruce Harris on trumpet. It’s from the album “Perpetual Optimism.” Riley’s side folk are native or transplanted New Yorkers, but the leader lives in his hometown New Orleans. That city’s musical culture stamps the band’s interplay, rhythmic buoyancy and high spirits. In New Orleans music, drums and drumbeats reflect and represent centuries of African American folkways and culture. That’s a legacy Herlin Riley takes seriously. He honors the elders.