Kevin Hays – Piano

Rick Rosato – Bass

Jimmy Macbride – Drums

Raised in Greenwich, CT, Hays began playing professionally in New York while still in high school and has since built one of the most acclaimed careers in jazz. A true original whose music spans hard-swinging piano trio jazz, intimate singer-songwriter recordings, and ambitious collaborative projects, Hays has consistently defied easy categorization while earning the respect of the music’s greatest voices.

His many recordings have received critical praise from the New York Times, Downbeat Magazine, and JazzTimes, as well as the “Coup de Coeur” award from the Académie Charles Cros in France. He recorded three critically acclaimed albums for Blue Note Records, and his Seventh Sense was named one of the “Top 40 Jazz Releases of the Year” by Musician Magazine. Notable collaborations include a piano duo project with Brad Mehldau (Modern Music – Nonesuch), world tours with Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Roy Haynes, and James Taylor, and co-writing credits on the Steve Gadd Band’s 2019 Grammy Award-winning album for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

In addition to his celebrated work as a pianist and composer, Hays has become increasingly recognized as a gifted singer-songwriter, releasing the widely lauded New Day (Sunnyside, 2015) and the piano-guitar collaboration Hope (2019) with Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke. John Scofield has called him “all encompassing — phenomenally so,” while Brad Mehldau describes him as “a true original. Everything he plays has a deep intelligence and swing.” The New Yorker named him one of the best of the year, calling his playing “a jolt of joy.”

The Side Door Jazz Club is a dedicated jazz listening room located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. Tickets are reserved seating. Guests dining at the Old Lyme Inn prior to the show receive 10% off their dinner bill.