Photograph © Frederick C.Warren - Used with kind permission of F.Warren
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Tubby (Edward Brian) Hayes - Born: London, 30 January 1935 - Died 8 June 1973 |
Photograph © Frederick C.Warren - Used with kind permission of F.Warren Tubby (Edward Brian) Hayes - Born:
London, 30 January 1935 - Died 8 June 1973
This web site - launched in June 2004 - is dedicated to the
memory of the late, great, Tubby (Edward Brian) Hayes who was arguably the most
prodigiously talented jazz multi-instrumentalist the British Isles has ever
produced. He played vibes, flute, soprano, alto and baritone sax, piano,
clarinet, bass clarinet and tympani, but was best known for his
coruscating tenor saxophone work. He was also a talented composer and arranger.
He started playing professionally at the age of fifteen joining the bands of
Kenny Baker, Vic Lewis, Ambrose and Jack Parnell. He then led the reknowned Jazz Couriers with
fellow tenor player and jazz legend Ronnie Scott between 1957 and 1959. Apart
from leading his own small and big bands he played with many international jazz
stars including Roland Kirk, Clark Terry, James Moody and Charles Mingus. In the
UK he recorded with, amongst many others, John Dankworth and Cleo Laine.
Ian Carr has described Tubby Hayes as "...one of the most robust talents
Britain has ever produced, and one of her most famous musicians..."
From: Music Outside by Ian Carr, Latimer: London, 1973
British jazz saxophone star Theo Travis, when asked to comment recently by the editor of this site on the statement that Tubby Hayes' seminal album 'Mexican Green' was one of the best jazz recordings made in the UK, replied: 'I couldn't agree more. Mexican Green is definitely one of the top 5 British jazz albums ever, and his best.'
"During
June [1973] Tubby stopped by the club to see Ronnie. His illness was not
responding to treatment. Just before he left, Tubby made a point of letting my
father know that his playing had influenced him in his formative years and that
he held him in high regard. Dad always believed that Tubby wanted him to know
this because he felt that his time was running out. Realising this, my father,
who considered that Tubby's contribution to jazz in Britain was second to none,
was a little embarrassed and let Tubby know that he had just paid him the
greatest compliment Ronnie could ever hope to receive, because it had come from
him, Tubby Hayes. Shortly after this, at the age of thirty-eight, Edward Brian
'Tubby' Hayes died."
From: A Fine Kind of Madness - Ronnie Scott Remembered by Rebecca Scott, Headline: London, 1999
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Little Known Anecdote "Hello, Thanks for a very interesting site – which I much enjoyed reading. The photographs of Tubby’s saxophone intrigued me. Back in 1960 (might possibly have been just into 1961) together with a few musician friends from the School of Music at RAF Uxbridge, I was visiting Bill Lewington’s shop – then located between Gerard Street and Shaftesbury Avenue (can’t remember the name of the connecting street) [13 Macclesfield Street - Ed]. We were busy picking through music, reeds, etc., when in strolls Tubbs to try out a new Selmer Mark VI tenor. He must have known he had a ready audience because after running down a few scale exercises and the like he began, gradually, to improvise on a (unnamed) blues. He seemed completely oblivious of time and space because, for the next 30 to 40 minutes he ran through chorus after chorus, blowing with unstoppable drive and huge rhythmic force, throwing in musical quote after musical quote. Needless to say, when he finally came to a conclusion the applause went on for more than just a minute. There weren’t many of us in the place but he came over, chatted for a few minutes and then shook our hands and wished us well. I was 20 years of age at that time and was utterly enchanted by his spontaneity and sheer musicianship. It was one of those unforgettable moments, other than for the small fact that I never did find out if he actually bought the new model. Best regards, Mike Davis" |
News - Straight Off the Wagon!2 May 2009 - Reel Recordings have just released a rare live session recorded at the 100 Club in London of Splinters featuring Tubby Hayes, Stan Tracey, Phil Seamen, John Stevens, Jeff Clyne, Kenny Wheeler and Trevor Watts. Entitled 'Split the Difference' it captures a groundbreaking and all-too shortlived group of some of the finest jazz musicians playing at their best. Check it out on the Reel Recordings website: here 24 March 2009 - Following public demand, Trunk Records has now just reissued for the first time on CD 'Hymns a Swinging' by The Ted Taylor Organsound with the Mike Sammes Singers and featuring Tubby Hayes on flute and tenor. This is an extremely interesting musical curio from the 1960s and a "must" for Tubbs aficianados.Check out the page on this release on the Trunk Records website here 21 December 2008 - Describing the new download re-release (4 December 2008) of "Hymns A Swinging" by The Mike Sammes Singers & The Ted Taylor Organsound (which also features Tubby Hayes), Jonny Trunk on his website, effuses thus: "the arrangements are absolutely insane, moving from hard latin jazz, through occasional swings and odd psych. Most of the hymns are hard to recognise until the vocals kick in, so you can use the album as a musical guessing game. Marvellous and totally unique. This is the first time this has been made legally available as it has been bootlegged in the past.". Available from iTunes or via the Trunk website here. 20 May 2008 - Tentoten Records issues next week the previously unreleased recordings of Tubby Hayes at Ronnie Scott's entitled 'Intensity - The 1965 Tapes'. This CD contains three tracks, 'Mini-Minor', 'Alone Together' and 'Sometime Ago' with over 60 minutes of music. Personnel in this quartet session includes Terry Shannon on piano, Jeff Clyne on bass and Benny (David) Goodman on drums. Tubbs can be heard on tenor and flute and there are expert and extensive (9 pages) sleevenotes by Simon Spillett. Release date is 26 May 2008 and the CD catalogue number is TTTCDS 759. This release is highly recommended. 31 March 2008 - This website is very saddened to report that former Tubbs' drummer Allan Ganley passed away on Saturday 29 March 2008 at the age of 77. This poll winning maestro of percussion will be greatly missed by his many fans and friends. RIP Allan. 20 March 2008 - A new Tubbs album taken from a live recording made in 1965 at Ronnie's is due out in the next few weeks on TentoTen Records. The album title is 'Intensity' and it features Terry Shannon, Jeff Clyne and Benny Goodman (the drummer). More details here. 24 January 2008 - The latest edition of Record Collector magazine (February 2008, No 346) has the first part of a major feature on British jazz collectables which naturally includes albums by Tubby Hayes and The Jazz Couriers amongst many others.  3 January 2008 - Sienna Red is the new album by Tubbs aficionado and tenor player extraordinaire Simon Spillett. It is out from 7 January 2008 and is released on the Woodville Label (Woodville WVCD 120). The album features no less than five tracks written by Tubby Hayes, and the full tracklisting is as follows: 1. Mini Minor (Ian Hamer) 2. Lifeline (TH) 3. Souriya (TH) 4. Peace Pipe (Ernie Wilkins) 5. Rumpus (TH) 6. Ricardo (TH) 7. Pint Of Bitter (Clark Terry) 8. The Right To Love (Lalo Schifrin) 9. Sienna Red (TH) 10. Oleo (Sonny Rollins)Copies are available directly from Simon - to contact him email him here: SIMONSPILL@aol.com 29 December 2007 - Stan Tracey, 'Godfather of British Jazz' received a CBE in the 2008 New Year's honours list for services to jazz music. Congratulations to Stan on this well deserved award. 25 October 2007 - The latest Jazz Journal, (November 2007) has a couple of articles which will be of interest to Tubby fans: Mark Gardner interviews drummer Tony Levin, and Simon Spillett's article 'The Little Giant and The Duke' details the background to Tubby's famous sit-in with Ellington in 1964. 21 October 2007 - A rare clip has been added to You Tube of The Tubby Hayes Big Band playing 'The Inner Splurge' from 1969 at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club and which features solos by Tubby on tenor and Louis Stewart on guitar and can be viewed here. 9 October 2007 - 'Tubby Hayes - The Little Giant' (Properbox 117) recently won the 2007 British Jazz Awards 'Reissue of The Year' category. The full list of winners is as follows: TRUMPET Guy Barker; TROMBONE Dennis Rollins; CLARINET Alan Barnes; ALTO SAXOPHONE Soweto Kinch; TENOR SAXOPHONE Karen Sharp; PIANO David Newton; GUITAR Martin Taylor; BASS Alec Dankworth; DRUMS Ralph Salmins; MISC. INSTRUMENT Jim Hart (Vibes); VOCALS Claire Teal; RISING STAR Karen Sharp; SMALL GROUP Stan Tracey Trio; BIG BAND BBC Big Band; BEST NEW CD Dune Records for “Ride! Ferris Wheel” by Abram Wilson; BEST RE-ISSUE CD Proper Records for “The Little Giant” by Tubby Hayes 18 September 2007 - There is an excellent three page article in this month's Jazz Journal International (Volume 60, No. 9) entitled "Re-Impressed: Tubby Hayes and the British Jazz Re-Issue Boom" by Simon Spillett. 13 July 2007 - Congratulations to Simon Spillett for winning the 'Rising Star' award at the BBC Jazz Awards last night. Simon and winner of the 'Best Instrumentalist' category, Julian Siegel, played a rousing version of 'Sonnymoon for Two' (the Tubby Hayes version to be found on 100% Proof) accompanied by the BBC Big Band led by Guy Barker. Appropriately, amongst the BBC Big Band members playing last night was Simon's saxophone teacher, the great Vic Ash. 12 July 2007 - Another great clip (see 7 July below) - 'Parisian Thoroughfare' from the album 'Tubbs Tours' - has now been put onto You Tube and can be viewed here. 7 July 2007 - A great clip of 'The Killers of W1' from the album 'Tubbs Tours' has now been put onto You Tube and can be viewed here. 7 June 2007 - Leading Tubby Hayes expert and tenor saxophonist extraordinaire Simon Spillett has today been officially named as one of three nominees for the category of 'Rising Star' at the BBC Jazz Awards which take place on 12 July 2007 at the Mermaid Theatre in London. 4 May 2007 - Mojo magazine (June 2007 issue) gives the Proper Box set 'The Little Giant' a four star rating in its reissues review section 17 April 2007 - Throughout the Easter weekend, theJazz digital jazz radio station revealed the top Jazz 500 as voted by listeners of theJazz. Tubby Hayes figured in three places, one of the few Brits to make the chart! Here are the Tubbs tracks in order with position shown in brackets: Tubby Hayes - 'A Dedication To Joy' (355); Tubby Hayes & Paul Gonsalves Allstars - 'Don’t Fall Off The Bridge' (379) and Tubby Hayes & Gordon Beck - 'The Song Is You' (from the album 'Commonwealth Blues') (420) 1 February 2007 - A mystery solved! (courtesy of Simon Spillett’s research): The Jasmine CD issue The Eighth Wonder (JASCD 611) has two untitled tracks as bonuses. These, together with an alternate of Tin Tin Deo, were dubbed from an original acetate from the December 1959 Tubby's Groove Tempo session which was entrusted to drummer Spike Wells after Hayes death. Upon the CDs release, many people recognised one untitled track as Visa by Charlie Parker. The other track is a Hayes composition called Supper At Phil's, dedicated to the drummer on the session, the great Phil Seamen. 27 January 2007 - A review of the new Tubby Hayes Proper Box 4 CD set can be viewed here. 16 January 2007 - A transcript of the Peter Clayton tribute to Tubby Hayes broadcast the week in which Tubbs died has kindly been provided to this website by Simon Spillett and can be read here. 18 December 2006 - A major Tubby Hayes retrospective 4 CD boxed set, entitled 'The Little Giant' and covering the period 1954-1956 will be issued by Proper Records in the New Year. A first-ever Tubby Hayes boxed set, it will contain copious sleeve notes written by Tubbs aficionado Simon Spillett. This historic collection will be available from 29 January 2007.  7 December 2006 - A review of the new debut album by Tubbs expert Simon Spillett can be read here. The CD contains quite a few Tubby Hayes musical allusions including a 10 minute version of "Off The Wagon". 
1 November 2006 - Good to see TH get a namecheck and photo in the latest edition of Radio Times. This occurs in a short article by journalist Louis Barfe on the subject of "Why don't we hear more live jazz on radio?" (RT week beginning 28 October 2006, page 121). 3 September 2006 - Ian Hamer 1932-2006 - Simon Spillett has just informed this website of the very sad news of the sudden death of trumpeter Ian Hamer after suffering a massive heart attack last night. He was nine days away from what would have been his 74th birthday. Ian's career stretched back over fifty years and included stints with Tubby Hayes (playing on all but one of Hayes' big band albums) and Ian's own sextet, formed in the middle 1960s, often included Tubby Hayes, as witnessed by the recent 2-CD set 'Acropolis' (released on the Jasmine label). Ian Hamer b. Merseyside, September 11th 1932 d. Brighton, Sussex, September 2nd 2006. Rest in peace Ian. 20 August 2006 - Some important and historic Tubbs CDs will be released in the next few months. One will be a major retrospective, the others will feature previously unreleased material - more news when we have it 29 June 2006 - Tubby Hayes will be the subject of BBC Radio 3's Jazz Legends next week. "Julian Joseph talks to journalist Jack Massarik about the British tenor saxophonist Tubby Hayes, whose career started at the tender age of 15. Hayes occasionally ventured on to the vibes and flute, and gave some memorable performances with Ronnie Scott and the Jazz Couriers". BBC Radio 3, Friday 7 July 2006 16:00-17:00 BST. 17 June 2006 - On FRIDAY JUNE 23rd COOKHAM SUMMER FM, South Bucks and Berks independent local radio station, will feature a tribute to the late great TUBBY HAYES. The regular Friday jazz show, NEVER THE SAME WAY ONCE, hosted by Geoff Cronin, will have SIMON SPILLETT as the studio guest, discussing his affection for Tubby's music, playing some prime examples of Tubbs at his best and talking about the late great saxophonist's legacy and influence. There may even be a rare recording or two heard on air! For those outside of the area Cookham Summer FM is also online. Look at Cookham FM 11 June 2006 - Record Collector (July 2006) lists Tubbs at number 5 in their Bid-o-meter column of June's biggest e-Bay bids with 'After Lights Out' (Tempo TAP 6) selling for (wait for it) £1,132. RC managed to spoil it somewhat by inserting a photo of 'Tubbs' which in fact was of Jimmie Deuchar clearly holding a trumpet and Tubbs nowhere to be seen! 31 May 2006 - Tommy Watt - who was a star of British jazz in the 1950s, died aged 80 on 20 May. Tubby Hayes recorded with him on several occasions including on Watt's album 'It Might As Well Be Swing'. An online obituary from the Guardian can be found here 4 April 2006 - Following the demise of Mole Jazz, classical record store Harold Moores Records is now stocking jazz CDs and records. The jazz section can be found in the basement of Harold Moores which is at 2 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7HQ, Telephone + 44 (0)20 7437 1576. email and website 3 March 2006 - Just released: The great tenor saxophonist, Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair's 'Africa Calling' - Produced by Tubby Hayes' former Tempo producer Tony Hall and recorded with one of Tubbs' classic rhythm sections (Terry Shannon, Jeff Clyne and Bill Eyden), also featured on some tracks is the great Shake Keane. This was recorded in 1960 for Tempo but never previously released due to the sad demise of that label. (Candid, CCD79552) 25 January 2006 - An excellent new website dedicated to British Be-Bop from 1948 to 1963 has been launched and contains references and useful information on Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott and all their contemporaries. It can be found here 23 January 2006 - Spotlite Jazz has just released two albums by the late, great Mick Pyne. 'Live at Ronnie Scott's' is a trio album from 1990 and features Tubbs' last rhythm section (Mick plus Ron Matthewson and Spike Wells) SPJ561CD and 'Alone Together' SPJ406CD is a solo album by Mick, surely one of the UK's best jazz pianists. 31 December 2005 - John Dankworth received a Knighthood in the New Year honours list. This is the first time a jazz musician has been honoured thus. Congratulations go to Sir John! 30 December 2005 - The Melody Maker Jazz Polls page (British Section) has been updated and expanded to include more of the polls in full. It also now covers from 1962-1974. Check it out here 23 December 2005 - Record Collector magazine (January 2006, issue 319) cites in its 'Pick of 2005' Tubby Hayes' 'Mexican Green' as one of the top 10 jazz CDs. As the only British album represented in this category, this website agrees with RC about this choice, easily Tubby's best small group album, which was thankfully reissued in October this year for the first time on CD in the UK by Universal Jazz. 29 November 2005 - Tubbs expert and tenor sax player Simon Spillett, has been gigging recently in the wilds of Kent. At Bexley Jazz Club yesterday, he was guesting with the legendary bassist Joe Mudele's trio and was billed as playing in a "Tubby Hayes style" which indeed he does and very well too. Be sure to catch him at a venue near you. Click here to go to the Simon Spillett website 28 October 2005 - A review by John Fordham of 'Mexican Green' appeared in today's Guardian and can be viewed here 10 October 2005 - A review of 'Live at the Hopbine' and 'Live at the Dancing Slipper' has now been posted on this website here 
4 October 2005 - Harkit Records are releasing two newly unearthed live recordings by Tubby Hayes "Live at the Hopbine" and "Live at the Dancing Slipper". Sleeve notes are by the erudite and redoubtable Tubbs expert Simon Spillett and the "Slipper" album is a double CD. Release date is set for 10 October 2005. Check out the Harkit website for full details here 23 September 2005 - The long awaited Fontana label Tubbs reissues are now definitely due for release on 10 October 2005 (according to Universal Jazz UK) - apparently the problems preventing their earlier release have now been resolved although there will still be a further delay on 'Return Visit'. Read the Universal Jazz newsletter (iJazz) article about these releases here 26 August 2005 - A major article on Tubby Hayes by Jack Massarik is published in the latest (September 2005) issue of Jazzwise 24 August 2005 - The six Fontana label Tubbs reissues are now expected to be reissued by Universal on 5 September 2005 28 July 2005 - A review of the soon-to-be-reissued Tubbs classic 'Mexican Green' has been published on the All About Jazz website here 20 July 2005 - A review of 'Commonwealth Blues' has now been posted on this website here 14 July 2005 - 'Commonwealth Blues' the rare transcription recordings made by the Tubby Hayes Quartet will be available to purchase from the Art of Life website from 15 July 11 July 2005 - Tony Levin's label "Rare Music Recordings" has issued a double CD of a live set from 1966 by the Tubby Hayes Quartet featuring Levin, Mike Pyne and Ron Matthewson, entitled 'Addictive Tendencies'. It is available now from Crazy Jazz and should be available eventually from his web site and from shops. 6 July 2005 - News just in - Universal (UK) plans to reissue no fewer than six Tubbs albums originally released on the Fontana label: Equation In Rhythm (with Jack Costanzo), Mexican Green, Return Visit (aka Tubby's Back In Town), Tubbs' Tours, Tubbs (wrongly named Tenor & Vibraphone in some initial press releases)and 100% Proof. There will be original liner notes plus updated notes, original artwork. Mastered from the master tapes. These are scheduled for sometime in August.
100% Proof, Tubbs Tours, Mexican Green, Return Visit, Equation in Rhythm and Tubbs 1 July 2005 - Art of Life Records is releasing 'Commonwealth Blues' which is the complete set of recordings by the Tubby Hayes Quartet originally intended for Spanish radio broadcast. There are 8 versions of the song "Tubby's Blues" which are not actually alternate takes. This was a theme that was played by the Quartet at the start and end of each of the 4 individual radio programmes and each of the 8 versions is different. Some of them are a minute long or less and one is over 3 minutes in length. Tubbs plays different instruments on the different versions depending on what instrument he played on that particular radio programme. The first programme, which conists of tracks 1 through 5 of the CD, is Tubbs on tenor sax. The second programme, which consists of tracks 6 through 10 on the CD, is Tubbs on vibes. The third programme, which consists of tracks 11 through 15 on the CD, is Tubbs on flute. The fouth programme, which consists of tracks 16 through 20 on the CD, is Tubbs on flute and vibes. Art of Life has chosen to include the complete performances in their entirety as they would be heard if actually listening to the original transcription discs. It is due for release very soon: 29 June 2005 - Jazzwise (July 2005) has published a four star review of the recently released Harkit Records Tubby Hayes album 'Live in London Volume 2'. 20 May 2005 - The Harkit reissue of Jazz Tete a Tete (featuring Tubby Hayes with the Les Condon Quartet, Tony Coe, et al) is now in the shops along with Tubby Hayes Live in London, Volume 2 17 April 2005 - There's a new review of the recently reissued album by Friedrich Gulda ('Eurojazz Orchestra', which includes Tubby Hayes) here 15 April 2005 - Clark Tracey has just released a new album by his trio entitled 'British Standard Time' which includes a version of the great Tubby Hayes composition 'Off the Wagon'. For more details about this CD check out Clark's web site here 12 March 2005 - A review of the forthcoming new Harkit CD 'Tubby Hayes Live in London Volume 2' can be found here 27 February 2005 - Good CD reviews for both 'Blue Hayes - The Tempo Anthology' and Spike Heatley's 'One for Clifford ...and Another One for Tubby' appear in the latest (March 2005) issue of Jazzwise magazine 22 February 2005 - A listing of the Tubby Hayes Quartet BBC Sessions 1967 is available to view here 21 February 2005 - A review of the recently reissued IAJRC album 'Tubby Hayes - England's Late Jazz Great', now on CD for the first time, is available to view here 17 February 2005 - A new Tubby Hayes Discography Addendum by Tom Davis, is available to view here 15 February 2005 - Jazz Britannia at the Barbican (12 February) paid a tribute to Tubby Hayes when the Michael Garrick Big Band played an excellent arrangement of Tubby's 'Down in the Village' and film of the TH Big Band on Jazz 625 (playing 'The Killers of W1') was shown. Other Tubbs' colleagues, Peter King and Bobby Wellins played on stage at this event with the MGBB. 26 January 2005 - Don't miss the British jazz night on BBC 4 television on Friday (28 January) which includes the first of a major three part series on jazz in Britain, 'Jazz Britannia' - Checkout the BBC web site for full details 26 January 2005 - This month two separate auctions on eBay fetched an amazing $100 and $79 respectively for two out of print Japanese CD reissues of 'Mexican Green'. Maybe if it were reissued in the UK on CD it might vie with Jamie Cullum's massive sales? 21 January 2005 - There is a review by John Fordham of 'Acropolis' in today's The Guardian 19 January 2005 - Read the first review of the outstanding new Ian Hamer album 'Acropolis' which features over an hour of Tubby Hayes here 14 January 2005 - The three part BBC 4 television programme 'Jazz Britannia' - scheduled for 28 January, is now detailed on the BBC web site here where Tubby Hayes is featured alongside heroes on British modern jazz 5 January 2005 - Simon Spillett has provided for this site the sleeve notes he wrote for the forthcoming Jasmine CD by Ian Hamer 'Acropolis' featuring Tubby Hayes and others, which can be viewed here 22 December 2004 - Simon Spillett has kindly contributed some discographical update notes which are at this page 19 December 2004 - A major article on Tubby Hayes by Simon Spillett 'Tubby Hayes - The Long Shadow of the Little Giant' has been posted on the Jazzscript web site here
15 December 2004 - A Jasmine press release just issued gives full details of the forthcoming major release by Ian Hamer 'Acropolis' which also features Tubby Hayes, Dick Morrissey and Alan Skidmore. The double CD contains 21 tracks recorded between 1966 and 1974 and over an hour of previously unheard Tubby Hayes including a version of Sienna Red, a Hayes composition never commercially recorded elsewhere and his last ever recording from 1973. It also contains an extensive 16 page booklet by Simon Spillett and previously unpublished photos of Ian Hamer. Release date is now 24 January 2005 - Catalogue number JASCD 641 12 October 2004 - The latest news from Jasmine is that the Tubby Hayes - 'Blue Hayes - The Tempo Anthology' CD will now be released on November 5th 2004.
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A Tubby Hayes Little Known Fact
Tubby as a rock star. Tubby Hayes accompanies rock group Family in June 1968... At one special concert the Tubby Hayes Quintet, decked out in white tuxedos, joins them [Family] onstage for "Old Songs New Songs". (Source: The "Strange Band" Family tribute web site) |
Photograph © Frederick C.Warren - Used with kind permission of F.Warren
Photographs of Tubby's quintet playing at the Bulls Head, Barnes, circa 1972 
© Used with kind permission of Charles Clifton
Tubby Hayes with Roy Castle in a still from
the film 
'Dr Terror's House of Horrors' (Melody Maker, 9 January 1965)
Photographs of one of Tubby's Selmer MkIV tenors which was recently purchased by an Australian musician.
The engraving on the bell of the saxophone states "Tubby Hayes Jazz Group 1959"
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Site last updated 2 May 2009
