Tubby Hayes is the best jazzman I have known from England. His fiery style is a unique combination of John Coltrane (tenor), Yusef Lateef and James Moody (flute), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), and many other American musicians he always admired. But he was able to mix all these different roots and influences into one huge sound, full of complex harmonies and a distinctive melodic approach. Like most of his American idols, he had a troubled life, ruined by alcohol and drugs. Finally, just before he reached the fame he truly deserved, a weak heart stopped him from blowing. Let’s go back and see where all these things got started:
