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Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes


Larry Kart

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Recently picked up a set that combines two Jazz Couriers albums, a Hayes Quartet album, and the Hayes tracks from Jimmy Deuchar's "Pub Crawling." Mostly unfamiliar with vintage Scott (I know him best from the Clarke-Boland Band) I was surprised to find him (IMO at least) to be a somewhat more interesting player than Hayes in their Jazz Couriers days. Not that Hayes was any slouch, but Scott's lines are longer and tend to have more continuity, and his phrase lengths are usefully less regular.

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Sat through quite a few performances by Ronnie with his various bands and there's no doubt that he was one of the very finest tenorists to ever come from these shores. His playing had a very strong Mobley influence, extremely lyrical with great sense of 'structure' in his solos (and minimum grand-standing). In the 'Couriers' days Tubby was still developing and very much the young gun, whereas Scott was the more established player and a UK 'touring veteran'.

Edited by sidewinder
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Sat through quite a few performances by Ronnie with his various bands and there's no doubt that he was one of the very finest tenorists to ever come from these shores. His playing had a very strong Mobley influence, extremely lyrical with great sense of 'structure' in his solos (and minimum grand-standing). In the 'Couriers' days Tubby was still developing and very much the young gun, whereas Scott was the more established player and a UK 'touring veteran'.

A very fair account, Sidewinder. I was lucky to see the Jazz Couriers live in a Manchester club in 1958.

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tippin.jpg

The Jazz Couriers - Tippin'-Live In Morecombe 1959

this recent vinyl only issue (Gearbox Records) of live date by the Jazz Couriers is pretty heated ( but it's the only JC issue I've heard. Sound is good , it's a professional recording but not up to the level of RVG on location.

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@Clunky:

Any vinyl-only releasse/reissue of interesting collectible music deserves to be supported, but would you happen to know which would be the best buying source for this?

I've seen it on Amazon UK at 27.99 GBP which is a bit ... er ... steep (but admittedly not totally unlikely for such a collectors' release).

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51Ce179u1nL._SL500_AA300_.jpg51SmGlyzjoL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Got to love the title of the one on the right! Mine has a different cover though... and I see it's been paired with another album - might be smarter to go for the 2CD version.

The other one's lengthy jams with guests - some nice stuff (there's a Tubby 2CD set that's pretty similar).

Looks like the Burning Dog CD can be found quite cheaply on Amazon.com, though the paired album is a bit pricier. Both are available on eMusic, so I'll probably go that route.

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@Clunky:

Any vinyl-only releasse/reissue of interesting collectible music deserves to be supported, but would you happen to know which would be the best buying source for this?

I've seen it on Amazon UK at 27.99 GBP which is a bit ... er ... steep (but admittedly not totally unlikely for such a collectors' release).

I got mine from Jazz House Records for £26. So slightly cheaper than amazon. Alan at JHR is also a good source of Music Matters BN issues for £45 which seems a pretty fair price. His shipping costs are very reasonable

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51Ce179u1nL._SL500_AA300_.jpg51SmGlyzjoL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Got to love the title of the one on the right! Mine has a different cover though... and I see it's been paired with another album - might be smarter to go for the 2CD version.

The other one's lengthy jams with guests - some nice stuff (there's a Tubby 2CD set that's pretty similar).

Looks like the Burning Dog CD can be found quite cheaply on Amazon.com, though the paired album is a bit pricier. Both are available on eMusic, so I'll probably go that route.

Buyer beware -- the single cd is actually a CD-R on demand!

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Sat through quite a few performances by Ronnie with his various bands and there's no doubt that he was one of the very finest tenorists to ever come from these shores. His playing had a very strong Mobley influence, extremely lyrical with great sense of 'structure' in his solos (and minimum grand-standing). In the 'Couriers' days Tubby was still developing and very much the young gun, whereas Scott was the more established player and a UK 'touring veteran'.

I seem to remember that Ronnie was also a Joe Henderson man.

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Sat through quite a few performances by Ronnie with his various bands and there's no doubt that he was one of the very finest tenorists to ever come from these shores. His playing had a very strong Mobley influence, extremely lyrical with great sense of 'structure' in his solos (and minimum grand-standing). In the 'Couriers' days Tubby was still developing and very much the young gun, whereas Scott was the more established player and a UK 'touring veteran'.

I seem to remember that Ronnie was also a Joe Henderson man.

I suspect that his prime formative model was Wardell Gray, though I know he admired Mobley.

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Live at Filmore

Live at Antibes

Live in...Morcambe?

Only ever saw Ronnie once as an opening act at the RFH (might have been for Betty Carter). Around the time of Burning Dog.

'Serious Gold' is the one I love - big Henderson influence there with electric piano on some tracks (John Taylor) and some wonderful guitar from Louis Stewart. Sounds very 70s and contemporary (for the time) whilst still sound 100% like a jazz record.

Edited by A Lark Ascending
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Sat through quite a few performances by Ronnie with his various bands and there's no doubt that he was one of the very finest tenorists to ever come from these shores. His playing had a very strong Mobley influence, extremely lyrical with great sense of 'structure' in his solos (and minimum grand-standing). In the 'Couriers' days Tubby was still developing and very much the young gun, whereas Scott was the more established player and a UK 'touring veteran'.

I seem to remember that Ronnie was also a Joe Henderson man.

Yes, that is definitely true. Several times I remember him opening a set with 'Recorda Me'.

He also used to mention Joe Henderson in his jokes (ie. 'We have Joe Henderson in the club next week....(audience gasps).... Joe 'piano' Henderson.. :D )

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Live at Filmore

Live at Antibes

Live in...Morcambe?

Only ever saw Ronnie once as an opening act at the RFH (might have been for Betty Carter). Around the time of Burning Dog.

'Serious Gold' is the one I love - big Henderson influence there with electric piano on some tracks (John Taylor) and some wonderful guitar from Louis Stewart. Sounds very 70s and contemporary (for the time) whilst still sound 100% like a jazz record.

another thumbs up for 'Serious Gold' Pye- not sure if this has seen a CD issue.

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Burning Dog is a great record though!

Hilarious title, too! Is that some british saying?

Mine's got a different cover from all the ones a google search seems to turn up. Ronnie in the middle, b/w pic, some writing and some red waves (probably flames, but since when are flames burning horizontally? so it must be waves...), all on white background.

It's JHCD 012 from 1991 - there's lots of good music on Ronnie's label that's hardly ever mentioned... aside from some Irakere and George Coleman, I don't have anything yet, got to change that!

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another thumbs up for 'Serious Gold' Pye- not sure if this has seen a CD issue.

Nope, it never has.

Yet another UK recording that deserves to be re-issued>

It is easy to find on vinyl.

The original vinyl was awful - post-oil crisis rice krispie standard! I think I took copies back twice before I just accepted what I'd got. Love to have a CD version.

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The original vinyl was awful - post-oil crisis rice krispie standard! I think I took copies back twice before I just accepted what I'd got. Love to have a CD version.

Really? No complaints at all with the sound of my LP copy, although Pye pressings could be somewhat 'iffy'.

It's JHCD 012 from 1991 - there's lots of good music on Ronnie's label that's hardly ever mentioned... aside from some Irakere and George Coleman, I don't have anything yet, got to change that!

The Louis Bellson is good - I was there on the night some of that was taped. :)

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Burning Dog is a great record though!

Hilarious title, too! Is that some british saying?

Ronnie liked to tell jokes and throw out one-liners in his club and during his own sets. I never heard him say it and I don't know if he invented it (I seeem to remember another one of his about a dog) but I have heard him throw around his favorite 'When I want your opinion I'll give it to you', also an album title as I am sure you know.

Some people used to feel that if Ronnie had been American he would have got a lot more recognition.

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Burning Dog is a great record though!

Hilarious title, too! Is that some british saying?

Ronnie liked to tell jokes and throw out one-liners in his club and during his own sets. I never heard him say it and I don't know if he invented it (I seeem to remember another one of his about a dog) but I have heard him throw around his favorite 'When I want your opinion I'll give it to you', also an album title as I am sure you know.

Some people used to feel that if Ronnie had been American he would have got a lot more recognition.

Yes, Ronnie felt he was held back by his humble origins. As he said:

"I was born in a room over a Jewish pub in the East End of London. It was called The Kosher Horses. We were very poor. My father was always unemployed - he was a shepherd. We were so poor, they had to buy my clothes from the Army and Navy Store. Imagine me going to school during the Second World War wearing a Japanese admiral's uniform!"

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