“an era when jazz possessed an extraordinary vitality and, via radio, intimacy with its audience.”

JIB-81-S-CD and JIB-81-S-DL

3 CDs

Criticised often for his bravura, blazing style, his virtuosic high intensity soloing and his all enveloping tone Tubby Hayes dominated the nineteen sixties. .Jazz in Britain’s 3-CD boxset is a cause for true celebration. It is an an abundance of Hayes, celebrating the place of radio in Tubby’s legacy

Featuring previously unissued music spanning 1958 to 1972, this collection offers forty tracks—three hours of music—documenting Tubby Hayes’ evolution from the Jazz Couriers to his quintet with Jimmy Deuchar, quartets with Tony Levin and Spike Wells, and his dynamic big bands (including sessions with the Kurt Edelhagen All-Star Band and the Thorleif Østereng Big Band).

Accompanying the set are comprehensive liner notes by Simon Spillett, author of The Long Shadow of the Little Giant: The Life, Work and Legacy of Tubby Hayes. Spillett notes that while only about twelve hours of Hayes leading his own bands were issued on commercial LPs during his lifetime, his radio sessionography represents a true treasure house of riches. Radio shaped Hayes’ career “from a swing-loving preschooler to a careworn pro, offering a platform for his many talents,where he prospered (both artistically and financially)—and that at close to the very end of his days, it caught his final musical moments long after the record industry had cast him aside.”

Disc One: 1958–1962

The music opens with sheer joy, energy, and swagger. It is fitting that the Jazz Couriers take the first tracks: their zest leaps across the decades from 1958. On “Just One of Those Things,” twin tenors scythe through blistering runs with crisp aggression and swinging rhythms—the hallmark of Britain’s premier hard-bop outfit alongside Ronnie Scott, Jeff Clyne, Terry Shannon, and Phil Seamen.

A major highlight is the session with Kurt Edelhagen. Jimmy Deuchar’s sensitive arrangement of “‘Round Midnight” stays out of the way of Hayes’ improvisation, revealing a lyrical intensity and emotional depth often overlooked amidst his blistering tempos. It stands as one of the best solos in the box. On “Cherokee,” Hayes proves he could live with anybody at breakneck speed, roaring through the changes with effortless command.

Disc Two: 1964–1966

“100% Proof,” recorded with the Thorleif Østereng Big Band, finds Hayes jousting with the avant-garde through adventurous cadenzas punctuated by shouting brass. Moving seamlessly from lyrical to fervent, mellow to high-tempo, his command of the horn compels admiration.

Elsewhere, Jimmy Deuchar’s solo on “The Syndicate” delivers the clipped sonority and clarity Hayes valued so highly. On “Blues Fuse,” Freddy Logan’s bass paces through with a springy, woody tone before Terry Shannon steps up for a bluesy solo, complemented by Hayes’ adventurous flute and Deuchar’s surprising mellophonium solo. On “Secret Love,” recorded in Cologne, Hayes takes the sentimental melody for an extended run alongside a spirited solo from Bora Roković.

By 1966 in Birmingham, Hayes discovered drummer Tony Levin. On “Walkin’,” Levin’s muscular flexibility drives the theme while Mike Pyne supports Hayes’ ebullient tenor. The quartet provided the perfect launchpad for Hayes to soar, capturing the very best of these musicians even within concise track lengths.

Disc Three: 1967–1972

Fiercer, wilder, and more outlandish than its predecessors, “200% Proof” features soloing from both Ronnie Scott and Hayes, driven by the dual-drum attack of Spike Wells and Tony Levin against roaring brass.

Hayes remained acutely tuned to modern developments, with the influence of Joe Henderson’s straight-ahead playing clear on “Grits, Beans and Greens.” Personal touchstones also shine through: “Lady Celia” is dedicated to the consultant cardiologist who shepherded Hayes through his health struggles, while “Trenton Place” is named for the San Mateo, California location where he recuperated following surgery.

“An Unexpected Pleasure” offers a darker mood, echoing the melancholy heaviness of “Mood Indigo.” Halfway through, Pyne lifts the tempo before the gloom of the melody and the etiolated tone of Hayes’ tenor return.

Throughout the discs, stellar contributions from Ronnie Scott, Terry Shannon, Jeff Clyne, Jimmy Deuchar, Mike Pyne, Tony Levin, Ron Mathewson, Spike Wells, and Allan Ganley capture an era when jazz possessed an extraordinary vitality and, via radio, intimacy with its audience.

Jazz In Britain has used high quality tape sources in the presentation of the music.