The Music of Louis Hayes feat. Henry Conerway III
Strictly Jazz: The Music of Louis Hayes feat. Henry Conerway III
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, June 21th, 2026
Doors open at 5:30 PM | Show starts at 6:00 PM
$25 in advance (plus fees) | $30 at the door
Join us for June’s installment of the Strictly Jazz series curated by Dennis Adams, this time featuring Henry Conerway III as he pays homage to living legend Louis Hayes!
When Dennis asked him to be a feature on one of his Strictly Jazz tributes, Henry Conerway III informed him that celebrating living artists was important! Louis Hayes, a native of Conerway’s hometown Detroit, Michigan; and one of the first people he called when he moved to New York. His contributions to music are vast, however many may not be aware that they have heard him. His early work was with Horace Silver, he played on several of Cannonball Adderly’s most important works, he was a co-leader with Woody Shaw and has been consistent as a full-fledged bandleader, serving as a mentor to many in the generations to follow his own. Hayes is a living link to those who have passed and carries the torch even now, for “this wonderful artform,” as he calls his music. Mr. Hayes is thrilled to have learned of this performance, and we look forward to giving him his flowers as we tell his story through song.
Henry Conerway III has become a leading presence on the modern jazz scene since moving to New York City in 2015, collaborating with renowned artists including Freddy Cole, Marcus Printup of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jazzmeia Horn, and Grammy-nominated trumpeter Russell Gunn, while also participating in residencies with Jazz at Lincoln Center in Doha. A proud native of Detroit, Conerway began performing at the Detroit Jazz Festival while still in high school and studied under legendary trumpeter Marcus Belgrave as part of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Jazz Orchestra. A graduate of Morehouse College with a degree in Music Composition, he co-founded the Atlanta-based ensemble Jaspects, which became a staple of the city’s music scene and collaborated with artists including PJ Morton, Janelle Monáe, Tony Hightower, and Chantae Cann. His career has taken him to major festivals and venues such as the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as iconic New York jazz clubs including Birdland Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, and Minton’s Playhouse. In addition to his work as a performer, Conerway has composed music for film and appeared in theatrical productions including the Tony-nominated Broadway show Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.