Simon Spillett

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Simon Richard Spillett (born November 4, 1974 in Chesham ) is a British jazz musician ( tenor saxophone ) and jazz author.

Live and act

Spillett grew up in a family of musicians; his father is a semi-professional trombonist and has performed with Tony Coe , Jimmy Skidmore and Lol Coxhill . He was introduced to music as a child, initially playing brass instruments and singing in the school choir. At the age of 16 he switched to the alto saxophone . Mediated by his first tutor, Vic Ash , he listened carefully to other musicians very early on, both at concerts and on records. Through listening to phonograms, Spillett had many early influences, including John Coltrane , Johnny Griffin , Sonny Rollins , Ben Webster, and especially his compatriot Tubby Hayes . He has also performed with Dick Morrissey , Art Themes , Spike Robinson and Duncan Lamont .

At the age of 21, Spillett became a professional musician. He became a member of the BBC Big Band and over the next decade built a reputation for himself with musicians and audiences for his inventive and original play. Spillett formed a quartet with John Critchinson , Andy Cleyndert and Martin Drew , performing (sometimes with Spike Wells as a replacement for Drew) to an ever-growing audience, mostly in the UK, since the middle of the first decade of the new millennium . It put out several records that received good reviews.

In 2013, Spillett was part of the cooperative band Standard Miles (with Henry Lowther , John Critchinson, Dave Green and Trevor Tomkins ), which, based on the playing of the Miles Davis quintet, became an attraction at British festivals. By the end of 2017, his quartet consisted of John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth and Clark Tracey .

In addition, Spillett writes knowledgeably about jazz, especially articles about British saxophonists for Record Collector, Jazz Rag, Jazzwise and Jazz Journal , but also published a biography of Tubby Hayes in 2015, of which a second, expanded edition appeared in 2017.

Prizes and awards

In 2007 Spillet received the BBC Jazz Award as "Rising Star". His quartet album Sienna Red won the Critics' Poll of the Jazz Journal International as "best jazz album 2008/9". In 2011 he was named best tenor saxophonist at the British Jazz Awards ; In 2016 he received the British Jazz Award for his services to British jazz.

Discographic notes

  • Introducing Simon Spillett (Woodville Records 2006)
  • Sienna Red (Woodville Records 2007)
  • Square One (Gearbox Records 2013)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Val Javin: Sax player Simon's more than a rising star. Huddersfield Daily Examiner , Jan. 4, 2008
  2. ↑ Meeting (AllAboutJazz)
personal data
SURNAME Spillett, Simon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Spillett, Simon Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH 4th November 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH Chesham