Louis Hayes


Louis Hayes is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He is part of the NEA Jazz Masters awards class of 2023.

Biography

Louis Sedell Hayes was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, to a father, an automaker, who played drums and piano. His mother waited tables and played the piano. She was the sister of John L. Nelson, the father of the musician Prince. Hayes got his first drum set at age 10. The key influence in his early development was his cousin Clarence Stamps, an accomplished drummer who grounded his technical fundamentals and gave him lessons that stuck for life. He refers to the early influence of hearing jazz, especially big bands on the radio. His main influence was Philly Joe Jones and he was mentored by Jo Jones. His three main associations were with Horace Silver's Quintet, the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, and the Oscar Peterson Trio. Hayes often joined Sam Jones, both with Adderley and Peterson, and in freelance settings.
When he was a teenager, he led a band in Detroit clubs before he was 16. He worked with Yusef Lateef and Curtis Fuller from 1955 to 1956. He moved to New York in August 1956, to replace Art Taylor in the Horace Silver Quintet and, in 1959, joined the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, with which he remained until mid-1965, when he succeeded Ed Thigpen in the Oscar Peterson Trio. He left Peterson in 1967, and formed a series of groups, which he led alone or with others; among his sidemen were Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, and James Spaulding. He returned to Peterson in 1971.
The Louis Hayes Sextet, formed in 1972, became, in 1975, the Louis Hayes-Junior Cook Quintet and the Woody Shaw-Louis Hayes Quintet ; in its last form the quintet played successful engagements throughout Europe and acted as the host group when, in 1976, Dexter Gordon visited the U.S. for the first time in many years. After Shaw left the group in 1977, Hayes continued to lead it as a hard-bop quintet.
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, Gary Bartz, and Tony Williams. He also led sessions for Timeless, Muse, Candid, Steeplechase, and TCB.
He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Louis Hayes Breath of Life Ichi-Ban with Junior Cook The Real Thing – recorded in 1977Variety Is the Spice – recorded in 1978Light and Lively The Crawl Una Max – live recorded in 1989Nightfall Blue Lou The Super Quartet Louis at Large Quintessential Lou The Candy Man Dreamin' of Cannonball Maximum Firepower Return of the Jazz Communicators Serenade for Horace
  • ''Artform Revisited''

As sideman

With Cannonball AdderleyIn San Francisco – liveThem Dirty Blues The Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse – liveCannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners – recorded in 1959-60African Waltz Plus Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley Cannonball in Europe! – liveJazz Workshop Revisited – liveNippon Soul – live recorded in 1963Autumn Leaves The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York Cannonball Adderley Live! Live Session! Cannonball Adderley's Fiddler on the Roof Domination Phenix The Sextet – recorded in 1962-63
With Nat AdderleyWork Song Naturally!
With Kenny BurrellK. B. Blues – recorded in 1957Bluesin' Around – recorded in 1961
With Al Cohn
With John ColtraneColtrane Time – recorded in 1958Lush Life – recorded in 1957-58The Believer The Last Trane – recorded in 1957-58
With Tommy Flanagan, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, and Idrees SuliemanThe Cats
With Curtis FullerNew Trombone Jazz...It's Magic! – recorded in 1957Curtis Fuller Volume 3 – recorded in 1957Curtis Fuller with Red Garland – recorded in 1957
With Dexter GordonCa'Purange – recorded in 1972Tangerine – recorded in 1972
With Grant GreenGooden's Corner Oleo Born to Be Blue
With Joe HendersonThe Kicker Tetragon
With John HicksGentle Rain On the Wings of an Eagle
With Freddie HubbardThe Artistry of Freddie Hubbard The Body & the Soul The Hub of Hubbard
With Sam JonesThe Soul Society The Chant Changes & Things Something in Common
With Clifford JordanCliff Craft Inward Fire – recorded in 1977
With Yusef LateefJazz for the Thinker Stable Mates Jazz Mood Before Dawn: The Music of Yusef Lateef – recorded in 1957
With Jackie McLeanStrange Blues Makin' the Changes – recorded in 1957
With Phineas Newborn, Jr.A World of Piano! – recorded in 1961The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. – recorded in 1962-63
With Horace Silver6 Pieces of Silver – recorded in 1956The Stylings of Silver Further Explorations by the Horace Silver Quintet Finger Poppin' with the Horace Silver Quintet Blowin' the Blues Away
With James SpauldingSongs of Courage – recorded in 1991Blues Nexus – recorded in 1993
With Lucky ThompsonConcert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail I Offer You
With Cedar WaltonA Night At Boomers, Vol. 1 – liveA Night At Boomers, Vol. 2 – liveFirm Roots – recorded in 1974
With others