Introducing Simon Spillett: Woodville Records WVCD116

Why this preamble? Well it’s because tenorist Simon Spillett, the subject of this review, is probably the world’s biggest expert on Hayes and his playing. Not only has he written reams on Hayes in articles in such publications as Jazz Journal International but also many sleeve notes for Hayes re-issues. Not only is Simon an expert on Hayes’ playing, his own playing, admitted by Simon himself, is most influenced by Hayes. Why Tubby Hayes and not Coltrane, Getz, Sims, Rollins etc.? In his own words, “I idolize Bird, Trane and Rollins, but obviously they are a lifetime away from me and to my mind you find your greatest inspiration in first-hand practical examples.”

Spillett has been on the scene since he was 21 and has played with many of the top jazz players in the country, but it is only in the last couple of years that his career has taken off, with appearances such as a sell-out gig at the Brecon Jazz Festival in 2005. The fact that most of his gigs over this more recent period have been with the last rhythm section of the late Ronnie Scott’s last Quintet have certainly helped his exposure. How many people for instance had never heard of Simon but have thought “Wow, he’s got Martin Drew, Oscar Peterson’s drummer for over 30 years with him, he should be worth seeing”?

Introducing Simon Spillett is Simon’s first album, a long time coming but it was worth the wait. As someone who has seen Simon performing live with this Quartet and other groups, I had a good idea what to expect: full-toned, driving jazz tenor saxophone playing of the first order, heavily influenced by Hayes’ sound and style but with plenty of his own to say.

The ten tunes on the album include four Spillett originals. “Gee Cross” is an up-tempo burner on “I Got Rhythm” changes; “Howdy Doody”is a reworking of the “Doxy” changes. The two other tunes, “New Beginning” and “Another Setting,” are influenced by the Tubby Hayes period of his famous Mexican Green album, arguably Hayes’s most important and influential album. There is also a reworking of the medium tempo Hayes original, “Off the Wagon,” written by Hayes in 1966.

“Make Someone Happy” by Styne/Comden and Green is the up-tempo burner that Simon usually opens up his gigs with and it is fitting that it opens up this album, too, as it is an exciting precursor for what’s to come. “Nobody Else But Me” swings mightily as Simon gobbles up the changes. “Cherokee” is played at an absurdly fast tempo but it is exciting and is closest to the way Tubby Hayes played. Tubby himself would have smiled at this performance.

If I have favorites on this album, though, it is with his ballad playing. Although Simon can eat up the changes with some blistering tenor playing at some ridiculously fast tempos, I think he comes into his own on the ballads. On this album he plays two. Simon’s playing on “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” and “But Beautiful” are exquisite. I don’t think I’ve heard a better jazz performance of “Spring” than this. Simon plays the melody pretty straight but it is undeniably a jazz performance, with a hint of vibrato that gives it added poignancy. John Critchenson on piano takes a sensitive and melodic solo here that fits in perfectly with Simon’s interpretation. The other ballad, “But Beautiful,” is exactly that, an exquisite reading of this lovely tune. I was so impressed with Simon’s ballad readings that on his next album I’d like to hear a lot more of them.

A word about the superb rhythm section—Critchenson on piano, Andy Cleyndert on bass and the great Martin Drew on drums. Their sensitive and swinging performances show why Ronnie Scott chose them for his band and why Simon is so thrilled to have them as regular members of his Quartet.

The last words are from Simon in the excellent sleeve note: “The Tubby thing can be a bit daunting at times; choosing him as a role model is a heck of a responsibility. Some people might say it is symptomatic of nostalgia, but I don’t think so. I see lots in the music of Tubby’s generation that got buried later on. He drove himself and his bands hard but the excitement they generated later was a direct result of that. All I’ve wanted to do is keep some of that alive in my playing”

All in all a stunning debut album which is for sale on Woodville Records, available at Amazon on January 29, 2007.

More information about Simon Spillett at: http://www.freewebs.com/simonspillett/index.htm