Tubby Hayes Quartet: Grits Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions — note-tumbling invention

The peerless fluency and note-tumbling invention that marked British saxophonist Tubby Hayes’ live performances were a force of nature only intermittently captured in the studio. This recently discovered set was recorded in 1969 and features Spike Wells on drums, alongside pianist Mick Pyne and bassist Ron Mathewson, both from Mexican Green. And with Hayes bursting with energy and experimenting with new shapes and structures, the album fully measures up.

Hayes, born in 1935 and a professional musician at 15, wore his influences on his sleeve — the album title alone indicates a strong American influence. The swaggering tenor sax fluency and effortless syncopation are steeped in muscular American modernism while his airy vibrato and ballad lyricism draw on the legacy of Stan Getz. Hayes made the combination unique, making even scratchy live recordings worth a listen.

This set shows Hayes evolving as a composer/arranger and investigating ideas that still sound contemporary. Opening track “For Members Only” sets up a Latin/swing mix with an out-of-tempo flourish, the theme of the blues-based title track conjoins throw-away riffs with awkward lines; “Rumpus” contrasts the angular with the smooth. The only straightforward track, Duke Pearson’s “You Know I Care”, is a beautiful ballad. The other cover, Cy Coleman’s “Where Am I Going?”, mixes skipped beats with Latin-inflected swing.

A deluxe edition presenting alternate takes and studio chatter in the order they were recorded includes an earlier session with guitarist Louis Stewart replacing piano. The two complete takes of “Where Am I Going?” show Hayes in an even more forward-thinking light, and at least one should have been included on the vinyl release or single CD.

★★★★☆

‘Grits Beans and Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions’ is released by Fontana