* En anglais uniquement
A forthright, propulsive drummer, Louis Hayes ranks as hard bop's top drum stylist after Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones. He's anchored many excellent hard bop groups. He doesn't play behind or on the beat, but pushes it, never hurrying or crowding the soloist but providing fills and nicely interacting with other members in the rhythm section. Hayes was a bandleader in Detroit by the time he was 16. He moved to New York in 1956 to replace Art Taylor in Horace Silver's quintet. He joined the Cannonball Adderley quintet in 1959, remaining until 1965, when he succeeded Ed Thigpen in Oscar Peterson's trio. Hayes stayed with Peterson until 1967, then began heading his own combos. He played with such musicians as Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard and James Spaulding before rejoining Peterson in 1971. Hayes formed a sextet in 1972, which subsequently was co-led by Junior Cook, then Woody Shaw, though Cook remained in the band until Rene McLean replaced him. The quintet was among the '70s busiest combos of the '70s, touring extensively in Europe. They were the host group when Dexter Gordon made his long anticipated return to America in 1976. Hayes continued leading the group when Shaw departed in 1977. He's also been a contributor to many bands as a sideman. Only a couple of recent Hayes sessions for Candid and Timeless are currently available on CD. ~ Ron Wynn and Michael G. Nastos