We are very excited to present this fabulous Big Band as a special Jazz Club event, to be held in the main auditorium of the Key Theatre. Hailed as “a living, breathing, positively fizzing jazz orchestra” (‘Jazz Rag’) the Simon Spillett Big Band burst onto the UK jazz scene 2021 with the purpose of revisiting the repertoire of the legendary British jazz icon, saxophonist Tubby Hayes, playing music Hayes’ bands played during the 1960s and early 1970s, much of which hadn’t been heard publicly since his death in 1973. The band is a genuinely ‘all star’ unit, comprising a line-up of stellar UK jazz soloists, many bandleaders in their own right, led with charisma and style by multi-award winning saxophonist Simon Spillett. The line-up includes trumpeter Mark Armstrong (director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra), Pete Long (leader of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra) and Alan Barnes (winner of over 30 British jazz awards) along with a powerhouse rhythm section.

Peterborough Jazz Club: Simon Spillett Big Band

Key Theatre

Our fourth concert with strings for the EFG London Jazz Festival features the music of four great British jazz talents of the 20th century.

In 1963 Tubby Hayes took popular standards such as I Feel Pretty, The Party’s Over and But Beautiful and arranged and recorded them with the intention of convincing BBC Television to commission a late-night show featuring himself centre stage on tenor saxophone and vibraphone alongside his then-girlfriend, the delightful singer Joy Marshall. Despite the arrangements being amongst Tubby’s best work, the BBC turned him down and so this music has never been performed in public until now.

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Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Acker Bilk, George Shearing with Strings

Cadogan Hall 

Directed by wise-cracking MD Pete Long, the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra's exciting brew of virtuoso ensemble playing with killer solo contributions from across all sections of the band has been delighting jazz fans across the board, from newcomers to regulars.

Mark Armstrong

Events

Upcoming events

Aug 9 - Nov 2, 2026

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra · Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

Past events

Feb 22, 2025

Peterborough Jazz Club: Simon Spillett Big Band · Key Theatre

Nov 24, 2024

Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Acker Bilk, George Shearing with Strings · Cadogan Hall

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