Cal Haines

My musical life was set in motion at age 5 when I started taking private drum lessons. After several years of study, my brother (who played piano) and I entertained at our grade school's PTA meetings. My home life was filled with friends of my father - saxophonist - coming to our house to play Jazz because we had a set of drums AND a baby grand piano in the living room. At the age of 13, I was asked to play at a local hotel. The gig turned into 3 nights a week and I was billed as "The Boy Wonder".

Drafted after high school, I played in the Army band in Georgia and toured with the USO in the late '60s. On a music scholarship at Memphis State University, I studied percussion and drum set and played in the wind ensemble, marching band, Jazz bands and in the percussion ensemble. While in Memphis I had performances with the Memphis Symphony, Bob Hope, Charlie Rich, Al Greene, Danny Thomas and the St. Jude’s Telethon, Clark Terry, and with Yul Brynner in the “King and I” and more. I auditioned for the Opryland Theme Park and moved to Nashville for a one year contract and then moved to Santa Fe — the first time.

At this point education in the technical field was completed and employment as an equipment engineer in the semiconductor industry began in Albuquerque and then later to Rockwell in Southern California. While in California, playing jazz continued. I returned to New Mexico again in 2006 and have continued the pursuit of music and shared stages over the years with the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, The Santa Fe Symphony, Bobby Shew, Concordia Santa Fe, The Tribute Trio and many more. Over the last couple of years, co-presented more than 60 independent regional jazz concerts.

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