Simon Spillett Quartet

There is nobody more qualified to present such a tribute than Simon Spillett, himself a multi award winning tenor saxist (BBC Jazz Awards, British Jazz Awards, Jazz Journal Album Of The Year, Services To British Jazz) and a musician with a lifelong dedication to Hayes and his music, having also authored the widely praised definitive biography of the man, ‘The Long Shadow of The Little Giant’. Tonight he and the quartet reprise classic Hayes material from such albums as ‘Mexican Green’, ‘Tubbs in N.Y.’ and ‘Down In The Village’, bringing back the no holds barred excitement of the heady days of early Sixties Soho. There’ll be the stories behind the songs too, told by a leader whose sidelong wit brings to life an era when modern jazz, old school glamour and after-hours night life made London W1 the place to be. 2026 marks a milestone anniversary for tenor saxophonist and bandleader Simon Spillett; 30 years on the UK jazz scene. Since his debut in the 1990s he has risen to become one of Britain’s most prominent jazz figures. An instrumentalist with a powerful, straight-ahead style, drawing on the best of the jazz tradition and in particular the inspiration of an illustrious forebear, the late great Tubby Hayes, he is highly popular attraction playing sold out gigs at the best jazz clubs (Ronnie Scott’s) and at virtually every festival of consequence (including the EFG London Jazz Festival) with both his regular quartet and his star-studded big band. As a recording artists he had released five well-regarded albums, with his big band debut CD ‘Dear Tubby H.’ (2023) garnering a much deserved five star award in ‘Jazzwise’ magazine. He’s also picked up a clutch of awards; BBC Rising Star (2007), Album of the Year (‘Jazz Journal’ 2008), Top Tenor Saxophone (British Jazz Awards 2011) and ‘Services to British Jazz’ (2016). A charismatic performer, gifted with a dry observational wit, he’s never lost sight of the fact that jazz is entertainment as much as art and whether playing, writing or articulately holding forth on his favourite subject – UK jazz history – he’s an infectiously communicato. ""Straight-ahead, high energy jazz is his line and he does it with aplomb" " - The Guardian