Max Haymer was born and raised in Los Angeles. He began his classical piano studies at the age of seven and was introduced to jazz piano at the age of 14.
He studied with the great LA based pianist Tamir Hendelman through high school and went on to continue his music education at UC Irvine, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors and a Bachelor of Music degree in 2007. At Irvine, Haymer studied Jazz Performance with Kei Akagi, Darek Oles, Bobby Rodriguez, and the late Sherman Ferguson. During that time, he also studied Musical Theater Direction with Dr. Gary Busby.
Haymer is a SouthArts Jazz Roads winner, and has won 2nd prizes at the Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition and the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville Florida, and was a finalist in the Horace Silver Piano Competition and UWF Phillips Jazz Piano Competition. He was also named a Rising Star by the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
Haymer has had the pleasure of performing and recording with many amazing artists, including Arturo Sandoval, Jane Monheit, Ivan Lins, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Lynch, Mike Stern, Denise Donatelli. Greg Hutchinson, Bill Holman, Crystal Bowersox, Mike Clark, Bob Francheschini, Cindy Blackman, Joel Frahm, John Ellis, Andy Galore, Ernie Andrews, Justo Almario, Andrew Heringer, Brian Swartz, Munyungo Jackson, Bobby Rodriguez, and Barbara Morrison.
In 2006, Haymer debuted with his trio at the world famous Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood, being one of the youngest headliners this storied club had presented. In 2008, with that trio, Haymer released his debut album, Pickpocket Witness. The album is comprised entirely of Haymer's original compositions.
Haymer resided in New York City from, 2008-2012, where he has headlined at many NYC venues including Smalls, 55 Bar, Zinc Bar, Puppets, and the Metropolitan Room and also served as Music Director for the Music Theatre of Connecticut.
Haymer returned to LA in the summer of 2012, picking up where he left off, playing around at numerous venues such as Disney Hall, bluewhale, Vitello's, Vibrato, Wallis Annenberg Center, The Broad Stage, The Lighthouse, Sam First, and Baked Potato. Haymer has also turned focus to composition and production as well. Haymer worked as Score Coordinator for the new documentary "CUBAmerican." During this process, he was mentored by composer Carlos Alvarez.
Since 2015, Haymer has been touring and performing extensively with Grammy Award Winner and trumpet legend, Arturo Sandoval, playing at such places as the Blue Note NYC/Tokyo/Beijing, Newport Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Teatro Opera de Buenos Aires, Sala Sao Paolo, Focsani Blues Fest, Gazarte Athens, Detroit Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, Jazz Alley, Blues Alley, Yoshi’s Oakland, and Disney Hall. You can currently catch Haymer on the road with Sandoval, where they are playing around the world. Haymer was the featured pianist on Arturo Sandoval’s scores for Clint Eastwood’s films, The Mule and Richard Jewell. Haymer is also the pianist on Sandoval’s newest Grammy-Nominated album, Rhythm & Soul.
In 2019, Haymer recorded a 2-night live album at LA’s Sam First Bar, which was later compiled and released as WHIRLWIND: Live at Sam First. The album was released to critical acclaim and has been listened to by audiences in 148 countries. To date, this album is the perfect window to peer into Haymer’s current writing style, playing, and artistry. Since the pandemic, he has been able to and still tours this album with his trio nation-wide.
Haymer spent most of 2020 performing remote shows with vocalist Jane Monheit, cultivating a new musical relationship that has blossomed into a stellar partnership. This partnership has now blossomed into duo and quartet shows that have been performed nationwide at Blue Note Hawaii, Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Yoshi’s Oakland, SF Jazz, Jazz TX, LIBRETTO, Jazz Alley, and the Purple Room Palm Springs. Haymer played and arranged for Monheit’s most recent album, The Merriest.