This is the other half of a two-night session recorded at Ronnie Scott’s Club in 1962, the balance of which was issued on “Down In The Village” on the same label. Jimmy Deuchar supports Tubby most ably in the front line, to a point where their ideas almost fuse. The only difference is that Jimmy still employs restraint where Tubbs prefers to break away into technical effusions of such lengths that he almost overwhelms the group. The opener is a typical example, but sanity returns for a tasteful work-out on “Angel Eyes”, an arrangement by drummer Allan Ganley, with Tubbs contributing neatly on vibes.
I don’t know whether the “Sausage Scraper” met the same fate as the potato peeler, but it bounces vivaciously from the opening ensemble to Ganley’s closing tag. In between there are swinging slugs of tenor, trumpet and Gordon Beck’s piano, in that order. Jimmy’s horn reminds me most of Nat Adderley, except that I think he phrases better. Beck plays with his heart in both hands, contributing his best solo on the session, and proving that this funky sort of jazz does not belong only to a closed shop of American pianists.
Tubby tacks up one of the lesser-known Gershwin themes from “Porgy” to open the second half. “My Man’s Gone” lends itself perfectly to the unison-type ensemble, with harmonised break-aways, leading into outstanding solos by all to make the best track of the album, but of course there’s meat hanging from every corner of the bone on a piece of this nature! Silver’s “Yeah” closes, restless in tempo, exacting and exciting to the performer and listener. Again the showy swinging excursions come from Tubby, with Jimmy acting as the slightly tempering influence. Both Freddy Logan on bass and Allan Ganley shine throughout, and their contribution to the success of this group must not be under-estimated.
Discography
Half A Sawbuck; Angel Eyes; The Sausage Scraper (22¼ min) – My Man’s Gone Now; Yeah (18¼ min)
Tubby Hayes (ten/vib); Jimmy Deuchar (tpt); Gordon Beck (p); Freddy Logan (bs); Allan Ganley (d). Ronnie Scott Club, London, 17-18/5/62.
(Fontana TL 5200 12inLP 33s. 1d.)
