Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 31, 1937, and grew up surrounded by music, first starting his musical studies on piano before his father gave him a set of drums at age 10. After developing his skills in the fertile musical ground of Detroit in the 1950’s with the likes of Yusef Lateef and Kenny Burrell, Hayes moved to New York City in 1956 and joined the Horace Silver Quintet. It was as a member of Silver’s Quintet from 1956-1959 that Hayes was first introduced to the jazz world as the driving force on classic Blue Note albums including 6 Pieces of Silver, Further Explorations, The Stylings of Silver, Blowin’ the Blues Away, and Finger Poppin’.

Hayes was a member of Cannonball Adderley’s Quintet from 1959-1965, and also had a notable stint with Oscar Peterson from 1965-67. He has recorded with the titans of jazz including John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and McCoy Tyner, and co-led an influential quintet with Woody Shaw and Junior Cook throughout the 1970s. Beginning with his self-titled debut for Vee-Jay in 1960, Hayes has recorded 18 albums as a leader. Hayes and Silver reunited in 1997 for the recording of the pianist’s Impulse album A Prescription for the Blues.

Hayes makes his Blue Note debut with Serenade for Horace, a loving tribute to his mentor and friend, the great pianist, composer and bandleader Horace Silver.