Pianist Kevin Hays and drummer Bill Stewart have been playing together for quite some time. Having performed together in numerous settings, including in the bands of Chris Potter and Peter Bernstein, the pair have nurtured a longstanding musical relationship that's been a product of both extensive performing and brilliant chemistry. In a 2008 JazzTimes profile, Hays said the following of Stewart:

“The amazing thing to me about Bill,” says Hays, who first called Stewart for a no-pay gig at a sushi restaurant, “is that he had that Bill-ness from the beginning. You could hear the Tony, you could hear the Roy, but he really put it together in his own way.”

And in a 2010 JazzTruth interview with pianist and blogger George Colligan, Hays said,

"... lately I've been playing with Bill Stewart so much...I'm so used to Bill that it's weird."

There's no doubt that this duo is predicated on a deeply shared sense of trust, and their sets this Saturday should promise an intimate setting for exploration and exchange.If you'd like to hear more of their music, we recommended some favorite videos featuring Stewart and Hays when we wrote about them last in September.Drummer Bill Stewart and pianist Kevin Hays perform at The Jazz Gallery on Saturday, May 10th, 2014. Sets are at 9 and 11 p.m. $22 general admission and $10 for members. Purchase tickets here.