Big bio kick it with you all night series#

Among his many credits, Hayes was one of the session musicians on Music in a Doll's House, the 1967 debut album by rock band Family, on which Mike Batt arranged the strings and brass. Hayes was also a prolific session musician in many genres. He stood in for Paul Gonsalves in February 1964 (with whom he also recorded twice: Just Friends taped in February 1964 and Change of Setting recorded a year later), when the Ellington orchestra played at the Royal Festival Hall.Īs well as leading his own bands and recording under his own name, Hayes also appears on recordings by other UK jazz musicians, such as the Harry South Big Band, the Ian Hamer Sextet and later studio sessions by Ted Heath's Orchestra.

Big bio kick it with you all night series#

He played at the Half Note again in 1964, and at the Boston Jazz Workshop the same year, and at Shelly Manne's Manne-Hole in Los Angeles in 1965.īack in London, Hayes formed his own big band, working in television, film and radio, and even having his own television series (1961–1962, and 1963). While in the United States, Hayes recorded ( Tubbs In N.Y.) with Clark Terry, Eddie Costa, and Horace Parlan, returning in 1962 for another visit, this time recording Return Visit! with James Moody, Roland Kirk, Walter Bishop Jr, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.

Then, in 1961, he was invited to play at the Half Note Club in New York City a new transatlantic Musicians' Union agreement meant that, in exchange, Zoot Sims played at Ronnie Scott's. Subsequently, Hayes reformed his quartet, and toured Germany with Kurt Edelhagen. He continued to feature the flute throughout the remainder of his life. Hayes took up the flute in 1958, making his recording debut on the instrument a year later. Although the vibes were a key double in his instrumental arsenal, he eventually tired of playing them, recording his final solo on the instrument in 1966.įrom 1957 to 1959, he joined Ronnie Scott in co-leading a quintet, The Jazz Couriers, perhaps the most fondly remembered of British modern jazz groups. Hayes took up the vibraphone in early 1957, having tried Victor Feldman's instrument on a gig. In 1955, he formed his own octet, with which he toured the UK for 18 months. In 1951, aged 16, Hayes joined Kenny Baker's sextet, later playing for big-band leaders such as Ambrose, Terry Brown, Tito Burns, Roy Fox, Vic Lewis and Jack Parnell. After a period spent playing with various semi-professional bands around London, Hayes left school and started playing professionally at the age of 15. Hayes attended Rutlish School in Merton Park, south London, where his music teacher was Roy Howard. Rather patronisingly I suggested a number and off he went. Scott was playing at a club in Rose Hill near Sutton, and was asked whether he minded if a local player sat in: 'This little boy came up, not much bigger than his tenor sax. One much repeated story about Hayes' early career was told by Ronnie Scott. As far as my influences over the years are concerned, Getz was it at one stage in the proceedings, and later Rollins, Coltrane, Hank Mobley and, to a lesser degree, even Zoot. I think maybe Dizzy influenced me more than Parker because he was sort of more accessible, he caught your attention more. I did not really intend becoming a tenor player, though I always liked tenor.

I always used to listen to swing music in the early 'Forties and, in fact, I was just a kid at the time. By the age of ten, Hayes was playing the piano, and started on the tenor sax at 11.

His father was a BBC studio violinist who gave his son violin lessons from an early age. Hayes was born in St Pancras, London, England, and brought up in London.