Kevin Hays and Bill Stewart have had a long and fruitful musical relationship for 25+ years. They’ve played in each other’s respective trios along with artists such as John Scofield, Chris Potter, and Peter Bernstein, among others. This unique duo features both original compositions and spontaneous improvisations. Stay posted for their new recording planned in 2020.
"There are plenty of talented pianists… few have Hays’s melodic charms and sense of style." – The New Yorker
"Stellar! Kevin Hays is a true original. Everything he plays has a deep intelligence and swing." – Brad Mehldau ...
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Kevin Hays and Bill Stewart have had a long and fruitful musical relationship for 25+ years. They’ve played in each other’s respective trios along with artists such as John Scofield, Chris Potter, and Peter Bernstein, among others. This unique duo features both original compositions and spontaneous improvisations. Stay posted for their new recording planned in 2020.
"There are plenty of talented pianists… few have Hays’s melodic charms and sense of style." – The New Yorker
"Stellar! Kevin Hays is a true original. Everything he plays has a deep intelligence and swing." – Brad Mehldau
Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, composer, and singer/songwriter Kevin Hays, is internationally recognized as one of the most original and compelling musicians of his generation. His many recordings have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Times, as well as the “Coup de Coeur” award from the Académie Charles Cros (France).
Kevin has appeared on over 60 albums as a guest artist, recording with Chris Potter, Bill Stewart, Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Nicholas Payton, and Al Foster, among others. Notable collaborations include a widely-acclaimed piano duo project with Brad Mehldau (Modern Music – Nonesuch), performances with James Taylor, Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Joe Henderson, and Roy Haynes.
In addition to his celebrated work as pianist and composer, Kevin has become increasingly known as a gifted and expressive singer/songwriter. In 2015 he released the critically acclaimed recording New Day (Sunnyside), on which he performed his own songs and a riveting performance of the Jimmy Webb classic ‘Highwayman’.
In 2017 Hays joined the Steve Gadd Band. The group released their eponymous album which garnered a 2019 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. He co-wrote several compositions with the other band members, and the album features Kevin’s own “Spring Song”, the sole vocal track.
Hope, the highly anticipated August 2019 release on Edition Records, highlights the beauty of Kevin’s duets with Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke, who came to the world’s attention through his stellar work with Herbie Hancock.
Stewart has a considerable output as a leader, assembling top tier players on numerous recordings. An entire record of Stewart compositions, Snide Remarks, was chosen as one of the top ten jazz CDs of the year by Peter Watrous of the New York Times.
Stewart's recordings have a certain unique blend of playfulness and mystery propelled by his thoughtful drumming and equally melodic and rhythmic compositional style. Stewart thinks it very important to find an interesting combination of musicians whose abilities complement each other and sound "at home" on the the session.
Stewart recently completed a creative collaboration with the Avedis Zildjian Company in developing the Special Dry Complex Ride cymbal, which is meant to replicate the sound of an old K. Zildjian cymbal Stewart has used for a long time. Stewart says of the new cymbals, "[They] are very pretty, yet can be very nasty."
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