|
| Jazz Couriers... |
|
|
The Jazz Couriers were formed in April 1957 and played their last date on August 30th, 1959 in City Hall, Cork, Eire. In the intervening two and a half years they became the most successful of all the British jazz groups drawing a big following to club and concert appearances. Inspired initially by the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers they developed their own swaggering style which coupled with a high level of musical ability made them outstanding entertainment. Tubby Hayes writing gave them their own sound and the band generated a swinging sound helped by the explosive drumming of Bill Eyden. Tubby Hayes (tenor sax and vibes), Ronnie Scott (tenor), and Terry Shannon (piano) were ever present. |
|
|
Details of broadcast dates and club appearances have been taken from Tony Middleton's Jazz Couriers discography The group made a number of recordings during their existence, happily all are available on CD, and they also appeared on a number of BBC radio and TV shows from which a number of recorded titles have also made it onto CD. Up to date details are available from the Tubby Hayes or Ronnie Scott web page link above... On April 7th, 1957, the Jazz Couriers co-led by Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott, with Terry Shannon (piano), Malcolm Cecil (bass) and Bill Eyden (drums) made their debut at the new Flamingo Club in Wardour Street, Soho. This was the opening night of the club's new premises and the Jazz Couriers shared the gig with Tony Kinsey's Quintet featuring Joe Harriott. In the following two months the Couriers played a couple of dozen dates on the London jazz club scene, mainly at the Flamingo, Florida and Downbeat Clubs. Phil Bates replaced Malcolm Cecil on bass in mid May. Early in June they made their first TV appearance... June 8th, 1957 The Jazz Couriers appeared on BBC TV 6.5 Special. This was a forty five minute pop orientated programme and the Couriers probably performed one title. Another two months of club dates followed at the Flamingo, Florida and Downbeat until the their first recording date for Tempo Records... The Jazz Couriers - August 8th & 15th, 1957 (Tempo TAP 15) Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Jimmy Deuchar(* only) (tp), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d). Through The Night Roared The Overland Express*/Royal Ascot*/ On A Misty Night(2 takes)/Cheek To Cheek/Oh My!/Plebus/Reunion/A Foggy Day/The Theme. Another month of club dates followed at the Flamingo, Florida and Downbeat until another BBC TV appearance... August 15th, 1957 A second appearance on BBC TV 6.5 Special during which the Couriers probably performed one title. Further London club dates followed with a couple of appearances in the suburbs including a concert appearance at the Wembley Town Hall before their first appearance on BBC radio... October 3rd, 1957 BBC Light programme - Jazz Club. The programme was shared with the Don Rendell Jazz Six. It was the Jazz Couriers first appearance on a genuine jazz programme. Further London gigs followed and for the first time the Couriers went north - for a week on a Rhythm with the Stars tour... November 19th, 1957 An appearance on BBC TV Jazz Session in a programme that featured Cleo Laine and the Mick Mulligan Band. On the period up to the year end the band stayed in London playing the usual Soho clubs with a few trips into the suburbs. They played an all nighter at the Flamingo Club from Xmas Eve through to Xmas Day and were back at the club again on Boxing Day. By now the Jazz Couriers had played about 130 club dates, virtually all in the London area. At this stage they were very much a London band, all the musicians were from London and their Tempo record was on sale in only two shops - both in London. This was eventually the reason that Tubby Hayes moved to the Fontana label - for more exposure - he was still comparatively unknown in the UK and completely unknown in the US... December 31st, 1957 BBC TV - Tonight. Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes were interviewed by Cliff Michelmore. January 1st, 1958 BBC TV - Twelve Five Special. This was a New Year special (00.05 to 00.45) and included other artists besides the Jazz Couriers. It took place at a restaurant overlooking the runway at London Airport (now Heathrow)... In early January 1958 the Jazz Couriers recorded for the BBC Light programme - Music in the Modern Manner that was broadcast on January 17th. Details of the titles played by the Couriers are listed below, most have been issued on CD. The Eddie Thompson Trio were also featured on the programme... The Jazz Couriers - BBC broadcast January 17th, 1958 (IAJRC50+) Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d). Theme/Stella By Starlight/Guys And Dolls/I Keep Thinking It's Thursday/Plebus/Star Eyes. The band played the London clubs until February 8th when they began a two week countrywide tour as the supporting band for the Dave Brubeck Quartet. During this tour two concerts took place at the Dominion Theatre in London. Both were recorded by the Tempo company who issued selected titles for the Jazz Couriers second LP, details listed below... The Jazz Couriers - February 16th, 1958 (Tempo TAP 22) Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d). What Is This Thing Called Love?/Some Of My Best Friends Are Blues/The Serpent/Guys And Dolls/Time Was/Speak Low/Cheek To Cheek. After the Brubeck tour the Couriers continued to play the London clubs again until their next BBC radio programme... March 27th, 1958 BBC Light programme - Jazz Club. This was a thirty five minute programme and was shared with the Dizzy Reece Quartet. The Jazz Couriers played four titles, (details below), which are available on CD. The Jazz Couriers - BBC broadcast March 27th, 1958 Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d). What Is This Thing Called Love/Love Letters/Some Of My Best Friends Are Blues/the Serpent. Before their next BBC broadcast the Jazz Couriers returned to the club circuit. The Soho located Flamingo, Florida and Downbeat Clubs still provided the vast majority of their gigs although a number of dates in the outskirts of London were now being played. In April the Couriers were the supporting band for a fourteen day countrywide tour by the US singer Sarah Vaughan. Jeff Clyne replaced Phil Bates on bass in mid June. The band also took a three week holiday, by now they had played almost 250 gigs as well as TV and radio appearances... These two recorded titles are believed to be promotional material, although for what is not known. They were issued on one side of a pliable cardboard 45 rpm extended play with Rainbow Records in the wax. The disc label had pink and black motifs on a blue background with the name Top Spot Tunes across it... The Jazz Couriers - Unknown date in 1958 or '59, probably mid 1958 (Top Spot Tunes) probably: Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Phil Bates (b), Bill Eyden (d). Monk Was Here/Last Minute Blues. August 28th, 1958 BBC Light programme - Jazz Club. This programme was shared with the Eddie Thompson Quintet. The Jazz Couriers played five titles, (details below), of which only three (below)are available on CD. The Jazz Couriers - BBC broadcast August 28th, 1958 Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Jeff Clyne (b), Bill Eyden (d). Things Ain't What They Used To Be/Oasis/Come Rain Or Come Shine. The band continued to play club dates in and around London until another BBC date... October 10th, 1958 BBC Light programme - Music in the modern manner. This was a thirty minute late afternoon programme shared with the Alan Clare Trio. Details as to what the Jazz Couriers played are not known. Another string of club dates followed, mostly at the Flamingo Club with a couple of trips out to the suburbs until the Couriers recorded their third LP, this time for Carleton. This was the first of their records to be released in the US... 
The Jazz Couriers - November, 1958 (London LTZ-L 15188)Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Terry Shannon (p), Jeff Clyne (b), Bill Eyden (d). Mirage/After Tea/Stop The World, I Want To Get Off/In Salah/Star Eyes/The Monk/My Funny Valentine/Day In Day Out. The band then played more club dates in and around London into early 1959 when they were in the BBC studios again... January 8th, 1959 BBC Light programme - Jazz Club. This was a fifty minute late evening programme. Three titles are available on CD. These are Squeeze Me, Lifeline and Blues In Trinity (with Dizzy Reece). The live recording detailed below was made at the Tivoli Restaurant, Morecombe, Lancashire in 1959 but was not released on record at the time. In March, 2012 Gearbox Records issued a limited edition 12" LP titled The Jazz Couriers Live in Morecombe 1959 Tippin'... The Jazz Couriers - March 25th, 1959 (GB1510) Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib), Terry Shannon (p), Jeff Clyne (b), Bill Eyden (d). Tippin'/For All We Know/Embers/Cherokee/The Theme. The Jazz Couriers then set out on a long string of club dates, almost a goodbye tour. Their London gigs were still mainly at the Flamingo Club but for the first time they played one off gigs in other parts of the country including Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Stratford, Nottingham, Birmingham and many outer London locations. It was like they knew their time in central London was over. They made a final TV broadcast... June 24, 1959 ATV - Disc Break. No details are available. At the time of this last recording the band had no regular bass player so Kenny Napper was drafted in. Bill Eyden had played drums from the start but was contractually bound elsewhere and missed the last two months of the Couriers existence. He was replaced by Phil Seamen. The album, titled The Last Word, contains what was probably the seven most requested arrangements during the band's final months. This record was released in the US on the Jazzland label.. 
The Jazz Couriers - June 26th & July 3rd, 1959 (Tempo TAP 26) (JM0360)Ronnie Scott (ts), Tubby Hayes (ts, vib, fl), Terry Shannon (p), Kenny Napper (b), Phil Seamen (d). If This Isn't Love/Easy To Love/Whisper Not/Autumn Leaves/ Too Close For Comfort/Yesterdays/Love Walked In. From July 26th, to August 3rd the Jazz Couriers undertook a hectic trip to Vienna, Austria before returning to the UK. Spike Heatley replaced Kenny Napper on bass for the last few weeks of the Couriers existence. They made their last broadcast... August 13th, 1959 BBC Light programme - Jazz Club. This was a fifty minute late evening programme shared with the Joe Harriott Quintet. No further details are available. | |
|
The Jazz Couriers played a handful of dates in the last few weeks including the Flamingo Club, which had been their spiritual home from the day they were formed, and a final date on August 30th, 1959 in Cork, Eire. Altogether they had played close to 400 club and concert dates, made four LPs and appeared on radio and TV. The Jazz Couriers were still popular when they decided to split up, the reasons given by the musicians were that they had gone stale and needed a change. Terry Shannon claimed "some of the enthusiasm had gone from the group", Ronnie Scott reckoned that "the British jazz scene is so restricted that we found ourselves going round the same old circle of clubs and one-nighters and a certain amount of the original impetus was lost". Tubby Hayes said "we knew each other's style so well that we were repeating ourselves at times, even though it was often subconsciously". After a great deal of thought and regret they called it a day. After the Jazz Couriers disbanded Tubby Hayes formed a quartet with Terry Shannon and Phil Seamen. Spike Heatley was their first bass player, then Jeff Clyne. for the next two and a quarter years Tubby prefered a quartet setting although he had formed his own big band that played club dates whenever possible. Then in 1962 he formed a new quintet with trumpet player Jimmy Deuchar and pianist Gordon Beck. Two months after the Jazz Couriers disbanded Ronnie Scott had opened his own club, with partner Pete King at 39 Gerrard Street in Soho. |
All of the records made by the Jazz Couriers have been re-issued on CD in a number of combinations and are still being re-issued at the time of writing (2011). Full details of these re-issues are available on the pages of the Tubby Hayes Discography... Ronnie Scott first met Tubby Hayes when Hayes was just fifteen: "...asked if he could sit in. He scared me to death. In a way Tubby never grew up, underneath it all was the basic thing that he sounded like when he was fifteen. He never had to try too hard - it was there, a natural thing. Tubby always knocked me out...always... with his technical thing and his musicianship. But...there was always a but with me with Tubby. I don't know what you'd call it. It was like you turned a switch and bang, it was always there, a bit - mechanical. I think we just fancied the idea of playing together, so we started the Jazz Couriers. We were both fairly well known, we thought we could work fairly regular, rather than just gigging around with any rhythm section that just happened along. That worked very well for as long as it lasted - about two years. We did the occasional slow tune, but Tubby could really play fast and liked to play fast. That was our big thing. It was terrific - sparked each other off, that sort of thing. Tubby never had to struggle. He started young, he started drinking young. He was aways around places where people drank a lot and he was always ready to experiment with anything. When someone offered him - whatever it was - he would try it. One of those guys that lived always on the edge, you know.Tubbs had this fantastic consistency. It didn't seem to matter what company he was in, he could just do it! I'm the complete opposite. Go to pieces, psychological, nothing I can do about it... Jazz is a bit of a hit - and - miss thing with me. I mean, I can go for weeks feeling that the last thing in the world I should be is a saxophone player. Then there will come a time, maybe just one night or a run of a few nights, when I'm in my element." Ronnie Scott |
|
|
|