Louis Hayes

by Scott Yanow
 
A superior hard bop drummer best known for supporting soloists rather than taking the spotlight himself, Louis Hayes led a band in Detroit as a teenager and was with Yusef Lateef during 1955-1956. He had three notable associations: Horace Silvers 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. He led a variety of groups during the 1970s, including quintets co-led by Junior Cook and Woody Shaw. Louis Hayes appeared on many records through the years with everyone from John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor to McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, and Dexter Gordon, and has led sessions for Vee-Jay (1960), Timeless (1976), Muse (1977), and Candid (1989). Since the 90s, he has continued to remain active releasing such albums as Louis at Large in 1996, Quintessential Lou in 2000, and Dreamin of Cannonball in 2002.