Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band Live at Cory Weeds' Jazz Club

Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band
Live at Cory Weeds' Jazz Club
Cellar Live Records

As many know, drummer Louis Hayes was a cornerstone of the Cannonball Adderley Band for several years. In honor of the great saxophonist, he has led a Cannonball Adderly Legacy Band. This live recording from Cory Weeds' Vancouver, BC club has him joined by Dezron Douglas on bass, Rick Germanson on piano, Vincent Herring on alto sax, and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. Cory Weeds adds tenor sax on one selection.

Not much to say, but this quintet captures the blues-drenched hard bop soul that characterized Adderley's great band. Indeed, things get off to a terrific start with "Exodus." The performances throughout are outstanding with the rendition of "Dat Here," with a superb Germanson solo being a specific highlight. Hayes and Douglas drive the hot grooves here while Herring and Pelt are characteristically exceptional. The closing notes of "Sack Of Woe" conclude a superb performance.

This recording is available as a download from Bandcamp, https://louishayes.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-cory-weeds-jazz-club.

I purchased this download. This review appeared in the March-April 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 389). Here is the Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band performing at Cory Weeds' Jazz Club in 2013.

Jazz Incorporated's Hard Bop at Smalls.

Among the latest batch of Smalls Live recordings from Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village is one by Jazz Incorporated, “Live at Smalls. Jazz Incorporated is a quartet comprised of Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Louis Hayes on drums, Anthony Wonsey on piano and Dezron Douglas on bass. Pelt and Wonsey have been associated with Hayes as part of the Cannonball Legacy Band while the Connecticut-born Douglas is new to these ears. This recording dates from August 2010 and is presented in the the attractive packaging Smalls Live employs, centered on striking black and white photographs.

There are six lengthy performances here with nearly an hour of hard bop with four vintage compositions mixed with a couple of originals. Art Farmer’s Punsu opens up and includes strong piano from Wonsey along with Pelt’s trumpet in the Clifford Brown-Lee Morgan vein. Hayes drives the group along while Douglas provides a solid anchor. Among other performances here is a sizzling rendition of Woody ‘N You, taken at warp-drive speed with Wonsey’s crisp and clean playing not fazed by the tempo, followed by some blistering playing by Pelt and a taut drum solo from Hayes. A nice contrast is presented by the Rogers and Hammerstein ballad We Kiss in the Shadow, with considerable warmth displayed by Pelt and lovely, restrained piano from Wonsey. Wonsey’s Hey Jimmy has a nice brisk walking tempo with a bouncy melodic line.

This is a live recording by a group whose familiarity with each other contributes to the strong, cohesive performances here. For more information on this check out www.smallslive.com. It can be downloaded or one can purchase as a CD which includes the ability to download it as well.

This was a purchase.