Record Reviews

TUBBY HAYES ~ FREE FLIGHT JAZZ IN BRITAIN 05 (Barcode: 5060774190012) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 Released: 2020 This is an archive album by iconic British Jazz multi-instrumentalist / composer Tubby HayesFind albums by this artist recorded live with his quartet, which included pianist Mick PyneFind albums by this artist, bassist Ron MathewsonFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony LevinFind albums by this artist. Subtitled “The Ron Mathewson Tapes Vol. 3”, it presents an informal cassette tape recording of a gig at the Ronnie ScottFind albums by this artist’s club made on 17th or 18th October 1972, just nine month prior to his Hayes’ death at the ridiculous young age of thirty-eight, kept by the bassist, who recently donated his archives to Jazz in Britain Ltd. incorporating the British Jazz Sound Archive, a new not-for-profit organization whose aim is to collect, curate, preserve, celebrate and promote the legacy of British Jazz musicians. The archive collects, curates and preserves off-air and other recordings of British Jazz performances. This CD is their fifth release. The 2CD album presents eight tracks, five lengthy ones (about fifteen minutes in duration), one shorter (eight minutes) and two incomplete tracks, obviously a result of the cassette reaching its end before the set was over. Five of the tracks are standards and three are Hayes originals. The album also includes extensive liner notes by Simon SpilllettFind albums by this artist, a Hayes specialist and author of the definitive Hayes biography “The Long Shadow of The Little Giant: The Life, Work and Legacy of Tubby Hayes”. Hayes was obviously a superb instrumentalist, recognized as a champion not only in UK, but also over the pond, where his virtuosity simply could not be ignored despite the usual condescending attitude towards European Jazz musicians by their American colleagues. Hayes was after all first and foremost deeply rooted in the American Jazz tradition and his more modernist approach, developed in the last period of his activity, was relatively limited in comparison to other British Jazz innovators, who were slaughtering Holly Cows by the herd. The music is basically pretty placid, with excellent performances by all the musicians, but nothing really out of the ordinary. The chatter and background noise add to the authenticity of the live recording and the sound quality is listenable, so this is definitely a pleasurable listening experience and a valuable document of the British Jazz scene at the time, but it does not add anything that is not available on the plethora of posthumous releases by Hayes already available on the market.

Updated: 28/06/2021Posted: 31/03/2021

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