NEA Jazz Masters: Louis Hayes (2023)

Louis Hayes’ ability to shift seamlessly between driving hard bop and quiet sensitivity on ballads make him one of the premier drummers in jazz. In addition to being a member of bands led by jazz legends such as Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, and McCoy Tyner, through his long career he has recorded on hundreds of sessions as a sought-after sideman. Since the 1970s, he primarily has led his own bands to popular acclaim, often featuring new generations of stellar musicians.

Visit the National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Masters Fellowships section to learn more about the recipients of our nation’s highest honor in jazz: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz