Alvis, Hayes (Julian)

Alvis, Hayes (Julian), jazz tuba player, string bassist; b. Chicago, May 1, 1907; d. N.Y., Dec. 29, 1972. Originally a drummer, Alvis played in The Chicago Defender Boys’ Band. He played drums and tuba with Jelly Roll Morton on tour dates from 1927 to early 1928, then concentrated mainly on tuba, gigging with many bands in Chicago, then with Earl Hines from late 1928 to 1930. Switching to string bass, Alvis went to N.Y. with Jimmie Noone in the spring of 1931. He worked with The Mills Blue Rhythm Band from 1931 until early 1935 when he joined Duke Ellington (sharing bass duties with Billy Taylor). Alvis left Ellington’s band in spring 1938 and formed a short-lived band with Freddy Jenkins. From October 1938 until March 1939 he worked in N.Y. with the “Blackbirds Show” He joined Benny Carter’s Big Band at the Savoy in March 1939 and worked with Joe Sullivan from November 1940. During the following spring, Alvis played with Bobby Burnet’s band in N.Y. He then joined The Louis Armstrong Orchestra until February 1942, when he joined The N.B.C. Orchestra. After army service from 1943 until 1945, he worked with The Gene Fields Trio and LeRoy Tibbs. During 1946–47 he played with The Dave Martin Trio and in Harry Dial’s Combo; he then spent a long spell as house musician at Cafe Society, N.Y. (From 1940 he was also active in running his own millinery business in New York.) During the 1950s, Alvis was active as a freelancer in N.Y., worked for a spell in Boston with Joe Thomas (1952), and took part in Fletcher Henderson reunion sessions in the summer of 1957. Alvis continued regular playing in the 1960s, including regular work with singer Dionne Warwick.

—John Chilton/Lewis Porter