louis hayes quintet
Saturday, September 23
TIME: 8:30-9:30PM
VENUE: wagner stage. midway plaisance at south woodlawn ave.
A black and white image of Louis Hayes playing a drum set and wearing a plaid suit, followed by an image of five of the Louis Hayes Quintet band members posing together, followed by an image of Louis Hayes sitting in a chair wearing a gray suit with his hands outstretched against a white background.
LOUIS HAYES QUINTET
NEA Jazz Master Louis Hayes was born in 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised surrounded by music. His father gave him a set of drums at age 10.
After studying with the likes of Yusef Lateef, Kenny Burrell, and Doug Watkins in Detroit, Hayes found himself in New York City at the tender age of 18, playing as a member of the great Horace Silver Quintet. His first recording with the quintet, the classic Six Pieces Of Silver, introduced him to the jazz world as a new force to be acknowledged.
He played with the Horace Silver Quintet from 1956 to 1959, then with Cannonball Adderley through 1965. He joined piano master Oscar Peterson from 1965-67, during which time he and bassist Sam Jones became known as the “dynamic duo,” and were recognized as the most powerful rhythm duo in jazz.
Soon, Hayes became leader or co-leader of a series of electrifying groups which included musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Barron, Junior Cooke, Woody Shaw, and Dexter Gordon. He also spent several years touring with McCoy Tyner. The Louis Hayes Group, with Herald Mabern and Frank Strozier, capped off four years of artistry with the album Variety Is the Spice, which received five stars: truly an accomplishment during an era when hard-driving bebop was less preferred. He continuously traveled throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan, making musical history.
Through the years, Hayes has played and recorded with jazz greats including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, J J Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Cedar Walton, George Benson, Ravi Shankar, John Lee Hooker, and others. He has received numerous honors and awards, including a Downbeat New Star Award, State of Louisiana Special Recognition Award, State of Michigan Special Tribute, Spirit of Detroit Award, Bakers Keyboard Lounge Lifetime Achievement Award, and a U.S. House of Representatives Special Tribute.
He has been leading The Cannonball Legacy Band, which pays tribute to the gifted art form of that heritage, and The Jazz Communicators for over a decade. Recently, he has played at The Kennedy Center for the Arts, The JVC Jazz Festival, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Chivas Jazz Festival in Brazil. His latest recording, Exactly Right, was released this year.
Abraham Burton is a tenor saxophonist and educator. He has been a prominent figure on the jazz scene for more than three decades. He has been a featured musician on more than 100 recordings, including Serenade for Horace, Crisis, and Exactly Right with Louis Hayes.
Vibraphonist Bryan Carrott, a native New Yorker, has been featured with renowned artists in over 20 countries and on over 70 recordings, including those of David “Fathead” Newman, Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Steve Kroon, Ralph Peterson, Dave Douglas, Eric Person, The Lounge Lizards, and Jay-Z.
David Hazeltine is a pianist who has recorded almost 40 CDs as a leader, on a variety of record labels worldwide. His extensive work with Louis Hayes began in 1996 with The Classic Trio. He is featured on Hayes’ last two albums, Crisis and Exactly Right.
New York City-based acoustic/electric bassist and composer Barry Stephenson has been acclaimed as “one of the most sought-after bassists on the scene today.” Barry has performed with many internationally-recognized jazz, blues, and soul artists, including Nicholas Payton, the late Freddie Cole, Marc Cary, Sullivan Fortner, Jazzmeia Horn, Herlin Riley, the late Henry Butler, Mark Whitfield, Christian Sands, Etienne Charles, and Marcus Printup.
The musicians:
Abraham Burton - tenor saxophone
David Hazeltine - piano
Bryan Carrott - vibes
Barry Stephenson - bass
Louis Hayes - drums