Simon Spillett

Tubby Hayes never brought his big band any further north than Manchester (the old Club 43) so when I was asked to guest with the Swingshift Big Band at Southport Melodic Jazz Club in 2006, I wasted no time in suggesting that I bring along my pad of arrangements from Tubby's band.

It was my first time conducting and fronting a big band (one press review compared my enthusiastic direction to Mr. Bean, arguably the most accurate critical comparison ever directed at me) but such was the success of the gig that promoter Geoff Matthews, Swingshift's musical director Phil Shotton and I have twice convened to repeat the exercise, once more at SMJC and also a sweltering night at the now defunct Rhythm Station in August 2008.

On Sunday January 17th, the band and I are returning to Southport's Royal Clifton Hotel for an afternoon concert of Tubby's music. In addition to the coup of hearing some of the best remembered charts from the Hayes band (Pedro's Walk, Parisian Thorofare, Night In Tunisia and Dear Johnny B.), there's a further coup in that the repertoire will include recently discovered charts which were never recorded by Tubby, including several numbers written for the Downbeat Big Band, formed by Jimmy Deuchar and Jack Sharpe in 1956,and something of a prototype of Hayes later larger units.

There is also an another added starter in the very attractive shape of vocalist Debbie Wilson, who will be on hand to perform an arrangement written by Tubby for his one-time girlfriend Joy Marshall.

Further details can be found at www.jazzinsouthport.co.uk and www.swingshiftbigband.co.uk/

London audiences can hear Tubby's Big Band revived at Ronnie Scott's on Wednesday February 3rd, when The Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Pete Long combine to play an evening exclusively devoted to the Hayes legacy and, albeit a few days overdue, marking what would have been Tubby's 75th birthday.

See www.ronniescotts.co.uk for more details of times and ticket prices.

Finally, a series of new Hayes albums will be released this year, including newly discovered studio sessions for Blue Note(!) and a blistering live set by the Mexican Green-era quartet.