Kevin Hays s New Day marks the celebrated pianist and composer s return to the studio and first release as bandleader in over four years. The hiatus has provided Hays ample time to further his own craft of songwriting and performing, his main vehicle being his New Day Trio, featuring bassist Rob Jost and drummer Greg Joseph, musicians well versed in rock and folk as well as the jazz tradition. One tendency that Hays has more recently been relying on is the increasing use of his voice. This element has lent a more tuneful bent to his music, both vocal and instrumental. The focus on songwriting has led to a certain amplification of singer as songwriter and on his new recording, New Day, Hays enlisted fellow singer-songwriter (and jazz bassist) Tony Scherr on guitar and the wonderfully expressive Gregoire Maret on chromatic harmonica. The music that was recorded for New Day highlights the various influences that have become a part of Hays s music. The jazz influences are impossible to summarize, as many of the pieces are harmonically complex and have virtuosic displays of improvisational genius. There are also the more song-driven elements taken from the blues, folk and rock, further augmented by Hays s inclusion of guitar and harmonica in the band, creating rootsy music aimed at the gut.