Jazz / Hard Bop
Louis Hayes - Drums
Dr. Chuck Berg Liner Notes
Dutch Repro Lithography
Guilherme Franco Percussion
Joost Leijen Cover Design
Junior Cook Sax (Tenor)
Maarssenbroek Lithography
Ronnie Mathews Piano
Stafford James Bass
Tony May Engineer
Wim Wigt Producer
Woody Shaw Trumpet
Taken from a live performance of the short-lived Louis Hayes-Junior Cook Quintet, this recording features some fine hard bop. The two horns are trumpeter Woody Shaw and tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, who are complemented by a fine rhythm section headed by drummer Louis Hayes. Shaw is in good form, and one of the joys of this album is the chance to hear Shaw as a sideman in the mid-'70s in a hard bop context not unlike his own small groups. Cook plays well, and he stretches on each piece, although his solos are not remarkable in any way. Hayes takes the customary drums solos to which he is entitled as a leader, and proves once again his solid feel for the genre. The limited recording time (under forty minutes) is a shame since the group is such a pleasure to hear. The music retains its excitement years after it was recorded, a tribute to both the choice of tunes and the quality of playing. The other members of group are pianist Ronnie Matthews, bassist Stafford James, and percussionist Guilherme Franco, each of whom makes adequate, though hardly distinguished, contributions. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide
Louis Hayes
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: May 31, 1937 in Detroit, MI
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Post-Bop, Hard Bop, Mainstream Jazz
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 Silver's 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.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
