Celebrating Tubby Hayes: Simon Spillett Quartet
As part of our weekend celebrating the talents of the late, great Tubby Hayes, we've teamed up with Firstsite art gallery who, prior to the Simon Spillett Quartet’s concert, will be screening Tubby Hayes: A Man In A Hurry, on Saturday evening, October 23rd. (Tickets on sale mid-August.)
This documentary looks at Tubby's life, his influence on fellow musicians, the UK jazz music scene of the mid-50s to mid-60s, and music in general. Simon Spillett will give a brief introduction, followed afterwards by a Q&A session.
Tubby was a true giant of British jazz and one of the most influential players of his generation. Sadly, at aged just 38, he was taken from us way too early. Thankfully, he leaves a rich legacy via his recordings and, in Simon, has someone considered by many to be his natural heir. Backed by a stellar rhythm section, this is a musician who delivers the goods every time - and then some.
"It's not only his mastery of the tenor saxophone, phenomenal though that is, but the absolute conviction of his playing that is so impressive," commented Dave Gelly of The Observer on Simon, while sister paper, The Guardian, said: "Straightahead, high energy jazz is his line and he does it with aplomb."
"He's stood old head and young shoulders above many of his contemporaries as a live performer for several years . . . gets five stars for knowing how to play jazz when so many of his generation think they can but they can't," said BBC Music Magazine
Winner of the Rising Star category in the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards, Jazz Journal's Critics' Choice CD of the Year in 2009, tenor saxophone category of the British Jazz Awards (2011), and Services to British Jazz in the 2016 British Jazz Awards, Simon has also formed a big band to play Tubbs' tunes.
Celebrated jazz leaders and bands with whom Simon has worked have included Sir John Dankworth, Stan Tracey and The Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra. He has recorded three albums, Introducing Simon Spillett (2007), Sienna Red (2008) and Square One (2013), all of which have received highly favourable reviews in both the specialist and national press.
Simon's also written a critically acclaimed book on his hero, The Long Shadow of the Little Giant: The Life, Work and Legacy of Tubby Hayes, and was also involved with Tubby Hayes: A Man In A Hurry.
Click here to read Echoes' review of a concert by Simon.
Simon Spillett (Tenor Saxophone), Rob Barron (Piano), Alec Dankworth (Double Bass), Pete Cater (Drums).
". . . has the Getzian knack of alternating between an affecting earnestness and steeliness as required on slower material . . ." - Jazz Review
"Spillett doesn't shake you by the hand so much as grab you by the throat . . ." - The Penguin Guide To Jazz Recordings
"An extraordinarily talented tenor player . . ." - Jazzwise
"A bruising, scruff-of-the-neck hard bopper, he has examined and absorbed all the greats . . . generates huge excitement, passion and swagger." - MOJO
Tickets £15 / £13 Concessions. Students £6
Jazz Express Offer: Book for any three gigs and get tickets for just £10 each!
Doors open 7.00pm, starts 7.30pm.
