For the last twenty-plus years, Louis has led or co-led some of the most uncompromisingly swinging groups in all of jazz. Each unit has displayed tight-knit harmonic cohesion and hard-driving consistency as part of its signature.
With so much activity in his past, Louis could easily rest comfortably on his laurels. But being a forward thinker and doer, Hayes operates "in the present!" His recent groups boasts some of the cream of jazz’ recent crop. Saxophonist Javon Jackson and Abraham Burton, young trumpet titan Riley Mullins and other stellar players are among current members of the Louis Hayes Quintet. Louis Hayes posses an embarrassment of riches. His story, still being told, contains a glorious past, a vibrant present and an ever promising future.
Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937, in Detroit, MI) is a jazz hard bop drummer.
His father played drums and piano and his mother the piano and he refers to the early influence of hearing jazz, especially that of big bands, on the radio. His main influence was Philly Joe Jones and he was mentored by Papa Jo Jones.
Hayes led a band in Detroit as a teenager and worked with Yusef Lateef and Curtis Fuller from 1955-1956. His three most notable associations are Horace Silver's Quintet (1956-1959), The Cannonball Adderley Quintet (1959-1965), and The Oscar Peterson Trio (1965-1967). Hayes often teamed up with Sam Jones, both with Adderley and Peterson, and in freelance settings.
From the 1970's onward, he led a variety of groups including a quintet co-led by Junior Cook and Woody Shaw. Louis Hayes has appeared on many records throughout the years, and played with John Coltrane Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, Booker Little Tommy Flanagan, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Bartz, Tony Williams and Dexter Gordon. He also led sessions for Vee-Jay (1960), Timeless (1976), Muse (1977), and Candid (1989), Steeplechase (1989-1994), TCB (2000-2002). Today he mentors young jazz artists, and continues to perform with a variety of other musicians both old and young.
He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for over three years. And since 1989 has led his own band, and got together with Vincent Herring to form the Cannonball Legacy Band.
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