Tubby Hayes – A Man In a Hurry A film by Mark Baxter and Lee Cogswell [Mono Media]

Narrated by Martin Freeman, with contributions from Simon Wells, Eddie Piller, Robert Elms as well as biographer Simon Spilletti, Sir Peter Blake and drummer Spike Wells, this overview of the short yet significant career of Tubby Hayes, is a must for anyone with interest in the early Mod scene. Opening with archive footage of Ronnie Scott this film tracks the legendary tenor saxophonist’s life. Old film of performances, snippets of film soundtracks (including The Italian Job), and images and film of Soho in the late 50s & early 60s abound. From a young Tubby at school being allowed to have a Boston haircut, through him encompassing the vibraphone and flute, as well as his sax, to making front page news after being busted in 1966, and beyond. At his peak in his early 20s, pioneering modern jazz and providing the soundtrack not only to Soho, but also for the growing underground British subculture known initially as Modernists, later as Mods. While the film rightly focuses on Tubby’s musical output, there is a lot of content that will appeal to those of a Mod leaning from any era, and 60s aficionados alike.