Edgar Junius Hayes (May 23, 1902 – June 28, 1979) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist and bandleader. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, Hayes attended

Wilberforce University Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates ...

, where he graduated with a degree in music in the early 1920s. In 1922, he toured with

Fess Williams Fess Williams ''(né'' Stanley R. Williams; April 10, 1894 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz musician.''Biography Index, A Cumulative Index to Biographical Material in Books and Magazines, Volume 10: September 1973 — August 1976'', Ne ...

, and formed his own group, the Blue Grass Buddies, in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in 1924. In 1925, he played with Lois Deppe, and later in the decade led the groups Eight Black Pirates and the Symphonic Harmonists. From 1931 to 1936, Hayes played in and arranged for the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. From 1937 to 1941, Hayes again led his own orchestra;

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...

was among his sidemen. His most popular recording was a version of the song " Stardust" and the original recording of "

In the Mood "In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition " Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by ...

" which was later covered by Glenn Miller, both songs were recorded in 1938. He moved to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1942, and led a quartet there for most of the decade. Following this he played solo, continuing to perform live into the 1970s. Hayes recorded under his own name in 1937-38, 1946, 1947, 1948, and 1960. He died in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...

, in 1979.

References

;Footnotes ;General references * Scott Yanow, Edgar Hayesat

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Edgar 1902 births 1979 deaths Musicians from Lexington, Kentucky American jazz pianists American male pianists American jazz bandleaders Jazz musicians from Kentucky 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Mills Blue Rhythm Band members