Tubby Hayes was one of England’s most prominent jazz musicians in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a great hard bop stylist, playing tenor and sometimes vibes. Hayes was a professional from the age of 15, and played in the big bands Ambrose, Vic Lewis and Jack Parnell between 1951-1955. After that, he started to double on vibes and led his own group. Hayes was a member of the Jazz Couriers (1957-1959) and made a few appearances in the U.S. during 1961-1965. He was the leader of his own large band in London and sat in on Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in 1964. He also participated in many European festivals. He died prematurely from heart disease in 1969-1971. Tubby Hayes was a session leader for Tempo (1955-1959), London Jazzland (1959), Fontana and Epic (a 1961 date with Clark Terry, Horace Parlan), Smash (1962 album that matched him with Roland Kirk and James Moody), 77, Spotlite and Mole. From www.allmusic.com
