writing

"People often lament the demise of the LP sleeve note. There is a remedy - get CDs with notes by Simon Spillett...astute fluent writing, acute perception, detailed knowledge of the fifties and sixties and, above all, love for the music as a critical friend."
Jack Kenny, Jazz Views

In between gigs, Simon Spillett also indulges his passion for writing, occasionally contributing to magazines including Jazz Journal, The Jazz Rag, Jazzwise and Record Collector. He has co-authored the autobiography of the late great British Jazz star Vic Ash, I Blew It My Way (Northway Publications 2006) and is the author of the acclaimed biography of the legendary saxophonist Tubby Hayes, The Long Shadow Of The Little Giant (Equinox Publishing Ltd. 2015).

Simon has also used his in-depth knowledge of jazz history by providing sleeve notes and/or compiling albums for various independent record labels, focusing mainly on the output of British jazzmen during the 1950s to 1970s. This work includes sourcing previously unreleased tapes by Tubby Hayes and exploring and cataloguing Hayes's personal archive.

BBC Music Magazine has praised his "astuteness and expertise at marrying music and factual narrative" while Jazz Journal observed that "[his] scholarship is as exemplary as his more personal reactions."

Artists who have commissioned Simon to write notes for their albums include Stan Tracey, Alan Skidmore and Kenny Wheeler.

 

ACMCD 4368 - Jazz From London 1957 featuring Tubby Hayes

ACMCD 4373 - Dick Morrissey: On The Spot - The Complete Recordings 1961-63

ACMCD 4374 - The Very Best of Tubby Hayes

ACMCD 4375 - John Coltrane - The Complete Ray Draper Quintet Sessions 1957-58

ACMCD 4376 - Ronnie Scott - Fast and Loose: Live in 1954

ACMCD 4377 - Zoot Sims at Ronnie Scott's 1961: The Complete Recordings

ACMCD 4378 - Eddie Thompson and Dave Lee: London Piano

ACMCD 4379 - Allan Ganley: The Complete Quartet and Jazzmakers Recordings 1957-59

ACMCD 4381 - British Modern Jazz: Singles, EP Tracks and Rarities 1960-62

ACMCD 4382 - Vic Ash: The Quintet and The Jazz Five - Studio and Live Recordings 1959-61

ACMCD 4383 - Tubby Hayes: Symphony - The Lost Session 1972

ACMCD 4384 - Ronnie Scott: Not So Fast - The Complete Esquire Recordings 1951

ACMCD 4385 - Tubby Hayes and The Downbeat Big Band - Blues at The Manor 1959-60

ACMCD 4386 - Sonny Rollins featuring Milt Jackson - Newk and Bags - Studio and Live Recordings 1953-65

ACMCD 4387 - Coleman Hawkins: Intimate - Duo, Trio, Quartet and Quintet Recordings 1934-38

ACMCD 4389 - Tubby Hayes: The Long Shadow Of The Little Giant

ACMCD 4391 - Tubby Hayes Quartet: Live at The Top Alex 1973

ACMCD 4392 - Joe Harriott & Co. featuring John Dankworth and Tubby Hayes: Helter Skelter 1955-63

ACMCD 4393 - Groovin' High: Jam Session at The Hopbine 1965 (Red Price, Ray Warleigh and Chris Pyne)

ACMCD 4395 - Dick Morrissey: Live at The Bell 1972

ACMCD 4396 - The Tubby Hayes Quartet: A Little Workout - Live At The Little Theatre

ACMCD 4397 - The Ronnie Scott Trio: On A Clear Day - Live 1974

ACMCD 4398 - Stan Getz: Plays The Blues

ASRLP 2501 - Tubby Hayes Quartet: What Is This Thing Called Love: Live at The Hopbine 1969 (LP)

ACSCD 6002 - Tubby Hayes: The Complete Tempo Recordings 1955-1959

ACTRCD 9042 - Tubby Hayes: Without A Song - Rare Live Recordings 1954-73

ADDCD 3092 - Ronnie Scott: Soho Blues - The Ronnie Scott Anthology 1956-1962

ADDCD 3097 - Tubby Hayes: New Edition - Rare Radio Recordings 1958-1962

ADDCD 3105 - Jimmy Deuchar: The Complete Tempo Recordings 1955-1958

ADDCD 3148 - Miles Davis: Changes - The 1955 Sessions

ADDCD 3173 - Zoot Sims Quintet featuring Bob Brookmeyer: Buried Gold - The Complete 1956 Recordings

ADDCD 3240 - So Much, So Quickly: British Modern Jazz Pianists 1948-62 (various artists)

ADDCD 3270 - Learnin' The Blues: The Jazz Stars Play Sinatra (various artists)

ADDCD 3273 - Sonny Rollins: Plays The Blues

ACFCD 7502 - Dizzy Reece: The Complete Recordings 1954-1962

ACQCD 7076 - The Miles Davis Quintet featuring John Coltrane: All of You - The Last Tour 1960

ACQCD 7085 - The John Coltrane Quintet featuring Eric Dolphy: So Many Things - The European Tour 1961

ACQCD 7090 - Al Cohn and Zoot Sims: Two Funky People 1952-61

ACQCD 7101 - The Tempo Anthology: British Modern Jazz 1954-60 (various artists including Hayes,Reece,Deuchar)

ACQCD 7105 - John Coltrane: Trane '90

ACQCD 7121 - Booker Ervin: The Good Book - The Early Years 1960-62

ACQCD 7128 - John Coltrane: Trane Meets The Tenors

AL 1016-2 - Tubby Hayes Quartet: Commonwealth Blues

AMSCD 1044 - Stan Tracey: Three Classic Albums Plus

CAMJ 7768 - Kenny Wheeler: It Takes Two

CAMJ 7801 - Kenny Wheeler: Other People

CCS 790101-2 - Tubby Hayes: Inventivity

CCS 79103 - Ronnie Scott: Secret Love

CCD 79554 - Tubby Hayes: Tubby's New Groove

DJT 008 - The Dave Jones Quartet - KeyNotes

DJT 011 - Dave Jones - Unfinished Sentences

7756964 - Tubby Hayes - Grits, Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Session 1969 (single CD)

SFJL1969 - Tubby Hayes - Grits, Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Session 1969 (vinyl)

7756787 - Tubby Hayes - Grits, Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions 1969 (deluxe 2-CD version)

7743915 - Tubby Hayes - The Complete Fontana Recordings 1961-69 (13-CD boxed set)

7743916 - Tubby Hayes - The Complete Fontana Recordings 1961-69 (12-LP boxed set)

FSR-CD 839 - Tubby Hayes: England's Foremost Tenor Sax Meets U.S. Jazz Greats

GB 1502 - Tubby Hayes Band: Jazz for Moderns

GB 1507 - Dick Morrissey and The Michael Garrick Trio - The Girl With The Brown Hair

GB 1508 - Ronnie Scott Quintet/Phil Seamen Quintet

GB 1510 - Tippin': The Jazz Couriers - Live in Morecambe 1959

GB 1514 - The Ronnie Scott Quintet featuring Alan Skidmore

GB 1523 - The Tubby Hayes Quartet: Seven Steps To Heaven - Live at The Hopbine 1972

GB 1532 - The Tubby Hayes Quartet: The Syndicate - Live at The Hopbine 1968 Vol. 1

RSGB 1013 - The Tubby Hayes Quintet: Live at Ronnie Scott's - Modes and Blues

HRKCD 8107 - Sonny Rollins: Live in London Volume 2

HRKCD 8163 - Lee Gagnon: Jazz Canadienne

HRKLP/CD 8156 - Tubby Hayes: On The Air

HRKCD 8195 - Tubby Hayes: Live at The Hopbine

HRKCD 8198 - Tubby Hayes: Live at The Dancing Slipper

HRKCD 8204 - Sonny Rollins: Live in London Volume 3

HRKCD 8345 - John Dankworth Orchestra: Britain's Ambassador of Jazz

HRKCD 8440 - Joe Harriott and the British Jazz All Stars: Jazz Britannia

HRKCD 8561 - Tubby Hayes and Paul Gonsalves - Change of Setting

HRKCD 8567 - Al Cohn and Zoot Sims - Al and Zoot In London

HRKLP 8611 - The Electrifying Sounds of The Paul Jeffrey Quintet

HRKCD 8672 - Dudley Moore - Have Some Moore

HRKCD 8637 - Ronnie Scott and Friends

JASCD 402 - Benny Goodman: An Airmail Special from Berlin 1959

JASCD 628 - Bill Coleman: A Smooth One - Live in Manchester 1967

JASCD 629 - Eddie Lockjaw Davis: Oh Gee! - Live in Manchester 1967

JASCD 630 - Charlie Parker: The Quintets 1945-51/Collaborations

JASCD 632 - Tubby Hayes: Blue Hayes - The Tempo Anthology

JASCD 639 - Stan Tracey: Little Klunk/Showcase

JASCD 641 - The Ian Hamer Sextet: Acropolis

JASCD 688 - John Coltrane: The Classic Albums

JASCD 689 - Tubby Hayes: London Pride 1957-1960

JASCD 690 - Tubby Hayes: Boppin' and Hoppin'

JASMCD 2595 - Artie Shaw: Cool Daddy

JASMCD 2596 - Sonny Rollins: Real Crazy

JASMCD 2597 - Gerry Mulligan: Nights at The Turntable 1951-1952

JASMCD 2598 - Zoot Sims: East Of The Apple

JASMCD 2599 - Stan Getz: Melody Express 1948-1952

JASMCD 2600 - Lester Young: Kansas City Sax

JASBOX 4-4 - Various Artists: The Golden Age Of Jazz

JASBOX 8-4 - Various Artists: Lotta Sax Appeal - A Saxophone Retrospective

JIB-05-M-CD - The Tubby Hayes Quartet: Free Flight

JIB-29-M-CD/LP - Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet - Blue Beginnings

JIB-26-S-CDB - Splinters - Inclusivity

JIB-30-M-CD - Tubby Hayes Quartet - The Complete Hopbine '69

JIB-37-S-CD - Trevor Tomkins' Sextant: For Future Reference

JIB-44-M-CD - The Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet: Warm Up

JIB-53-M-CD - Tubby Hayes: No Blues - The Complete Hopbine '65

MMCD 089 - Peter King and Alan Skidmore - Forever Elvin

Properbox 117 - Tubby Hayes: The Little Giant (Winner of Re-issue of 2007 in the British Jazz Awards)

Properbox 176 - Tubby Hayes: Little Giant Steps

Properbox 181 - John Coltrane: Out of This World

Properbox 186 - Sonny Rollins: The Contemporary Leader

RM 029 - Joe Harriott: Live at Harry's 1963

RSJ 102 - Stan Tracey Big Band: Alice in Jazzland

RSJ 104 - Stan Tracey/Bobby Wellins: Play Monk

RSJ 106 - Ben Webster and The Stan Tracey Trio: Soho Nights Volume 1

RSJ 112 - Ben Webster and The Stan Tracey Trio: Soho Nights Volume 2

RSJ 114 - Stan Tracey: Wisdom in the Wings

RSJ-116 - The Stan Tracey Quartet + Kenny Wheeler - Under Milk Wood in Hamburg

RANDB 012 - Harry South - The Songbook

RANDB 018 - Dick Morrissey Quartet - Jazz For Moderns

RANDB 023 - Soho Scene '59/60 - Various Artists

RANDB 043 - Soho Scene'63 - Various Artists

RANDB 051 - Harry South - Further South: Broadcast Recordings 1960-1967

RANDB 058 - Soho Scene '64/'65 - Various Artists

RANDB 062 - Soho Scene '66/'67 - Various Artists

RANDB 063 - Ronnie Scott Quartet - BBC Jazz Club 1964-1966

RANDB 064 - Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet - BBC Jazz Club 1965-1966

RANDB 066 - Jimmy Witherspoon - Live in London 1966

RANDB 068 - The Spontaneous Music Ensemble - Question and Answer 1966

RANDB 074 - Dick Morrissey Quartet - At The BBC

RANDB 075 - Don Rendell/Ian Car Quintet - BBC Jazz Club 1965/66 II

RANDB 076 - Michael Garrick Sextet - A New Serious Music

RANDB 079 - Soho Scene '58

RANDB 080 - Tubby Hayes - Hip! The Untold Story of Tubby Hayes' 1965

RANDB 092 - Tubby Hayes - Live at the Flamingo 1958

RANDB 093 - Soho Scene '57

SS 001 - Tubby Hayes Quartet: Lament

SS 002 - Tubby Hayes Quintet: Dancing In The Dark

SS 003 - Tubby Hayes Big Band: Rumpus

SS 004 - Tubby Hayes: Split Kick - Live in Sweden 1972

TTTCDS 753 - Stan Tracey: The Return of Captain Adventure

TTTCD 759 - Tubby Hayes: Intensity - the 1965 Tapes

TTTCDS 721 - Clark Tracey Quintet - Meantime

TTT 005 - Tubby Hayes: Voodoo Session

TURBX 501 - Gordon Beck - Jubilation: Trios, Quartets and Septets in Session 1964-1984

TUR 502 - Joy Marshall with the Gordon Beck Trio - When Sunny Gets Blue

TUR 505 - Fat John Cox Sextet - Honesty

33 Jazz 158 - Sam Gambarini: Blue Groove

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