Louis Hayes - Serenade for Horace (2017)

Legendary drummer Louis Hayes will make his Blue Note debut with the May 26 release of Serenade for Horace, a loving tribute to his mentor and friend, the great pianist, composer and bandleader Horace Silver. Hayes was 19 years old when he moved to New York City in 1956 and joined Silver’s Quintet, putting his stamp on timeless Blue Note recordings like “Señor Blues,” “Sister Sadie,” and “Blowin’ the Blues Away.”

“I wanted to do this recording for Horace Silver because I wanted jazz fans to hear his music and I wanted to honor his memory,” writes Hayes in the album’s liner notes. “Horace and I always stayed in touch ever since I first worked with him. When he got to the point where he wasn’t feeling too well, I went to see him and one day he said to me ‘Louis, you’re a part of my history.’ I thought about what that meant and I began thinking about how to take Horace’s music and his legacy into the future.”

The pre-order for Serenade for Horace launched today along with the release of the album’s lead track “Song for My Father” featuring GRAMMY-winning vocalist Gregory Porter. Hayes will celebrate his 80th birthday next month with album release shows at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center from May 29-31.

Co-produced by Blue Note Records President Don Was and bassist Dezron Douglas with the eminent Maxine Gordon acting as executive producer, the album presents Hayes leading an ensemble that includes Douglas, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist David Bryant, tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, and trumpeter Josh Evans. The band revisits 10 Silver classics in addition to Hayes’ new original “Hastings Street,” a dedication to his hometown of Detroit.