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Artist
Tubby Hayes
12+ albums
jazzHard Bopsaxophonetubby hayesFreewheeling
about
Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30th January 1935–8th June 1973) was a British jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. Hayes was born and brought up in Raynes Park, London. His father was a BBC studio violinist, and gave him violin lessons from an early age. Hayes showed talent from the beginning; by the age of ten he was playing the piano, and while he was still eleven he started on the tenor sax. One often-repeated story about his early career, while he was still at school, was told by Ronnie Scott. Scott was playing at a club near Kingston, and was asked if he minded if a local player sat in: "This little boy came up, not much bigger than his tenor sax. Rather patronisingly I suggested a number and off he went. He scared me to death." After a period spent playing with various semi-professional bands round London, Hayes left school and started playing professionally at the age of fifteen. In 1951, when he was sixteen, Hayes joined Kenny Baker's sextet, later playing for big-band leaders such as Ambrose, Terry Brown, Tito Burns, Roy Fox, Vic Lewis, and Jack Parnell. In 1955 he formed his own octet, with which he toured the U.K. for a year and a half. Hayes took up flute and vibes, but it was a tenor-sax player that he made and retained his reputation. From 1957 to 1959 he joined Ronnie Scott to co-lead the quintet, the Jazz Couriers, after which Hayes reformed his quartet, and toure
