sponsored by Jim & Julie Goodding and Two Jazz Fans

May 14, 2026 • 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Legendary, Grammy nominated drummer, bandleader and NEA Jazz Master Louis Hayes is considered one of the chief architects of modern jazz drumming and his latest release, Artform Revisited, was selected as one of the Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 2024 by The New York Times.  Having developed his skills in the fertile musical ground of Detroit in the 1950’s with the likes of Yusef Lateef, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins and others, Hayes became a member of the great Horace Silver Quintet at the young age of 18 after moving to New York and his first recording with Silver, the classic Six Pieces Of Silver would introduce him to the jazz world as a new force to be acknowledged. He played with Silver from 1956 until 1959 after which he joined Cannonball Adderley with whom he appeared on timeless recordings through 1965. He played with pianist Oscar Peterson from 1965-67 during which time he and bassist Sam Jones became known as the “dynamic duo”, recognized as the most powerful rhythm duo in jazz. For the next decade or more Hayes became a leader or co-leader of a series of groups which included artists like Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Barron, Woody Shaw and Dexter Gordon. He also spent several years touring with McCoy Tyner. Hayes has played and recorded with John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, J J Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Joe Henderson, Cedar Walton, George Benson, Ravi Shankar, John Lee Hooker and others and has been leading his Quintet for over a decade as well as The Cannonball Legacy Band for two decades. JazzTimes writes of Hayes that “His playing has an intensity that is as subtle as it is complex, creating a musical feel and vibe that is unmistakably Hayesian.”  Tonight, he is joined by Abraham Burton, saxophone; Steve Nelson, vibes; Dezron Douglas, bass; and David Hazeltine, piano.

Presented in partnership with PADMINI

sponsored by Rick Compton in memory of Tom Mouck

May 15, 2026 • 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The winner of two 2024 Grammy awards for his collaborative album with Zakir Hussain, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer (Best Contemporary Instrumental Album and Best Global Music Performance for “Pashto”), Rakesh Chaurasia, the nephew of legendary Indian classical flute maestro Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia continues to carve a niche for himself in Indian Classical Music as a master of the “simple yet extremely difficult to play” Bansuri (bamboo) flute. Much like his uncle, Rakesh “possesses the right balance of strength and serenity, very critical factors for an exceptional flautist” and he has performed all over the world, including at prominent festivals like WOMAD in Athens, ‘Festivals of India’ in Russia, and more. He has recorded with most of the leading stalwarts of the Indian film industry, and, along with his Grammy awards, has been the recipient of many honors, including the 2007 Indian Music Academy Award given by the President of India and the Nakshatra Samman 2024 by TV9 Network in entertainment and music. He performed a stunning duet concert with the late tabla Maestro, Zakir Huissain at the KiMo Theatre in 2012.  Chaurasia is joined tonight by his frequent collaborator Amit Kavthekar, tabla, who was heard just this past fall at Outpost with sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee. Known as the last ganda-bandhan (ordained disciple) of Alla Rakha, widely revered as one of history’s most iconic players of the tabla, and a prominent disciple of Zakir Hussain, Kavthekar is regarded as one of the leading young artists of Indian Classical music and tabla.

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