Spike Heatley Quartet

Spike was born in Islington North London. Whilst doing his national service in the RAF Police, he learned the basics of the bass. After he finished his service, he carried on practising his instrument, and inbetween rounds of golf, and being seen around town with some of the most ravishing young women of the day, he got better and better, untill the opprtunity came via a musician friend to go and work in Pakistan, at the Palace Hotel in Karachi. Spike took the gig and went and lived in Pakistan for a year between 1956/7 where he practised like crazy and also, very wisely, as it turned out, taught himself to sight read music very well. When Spike returned to London, it was nearing the end of the 1950's ...and London was SWINGIN"!In 1958 Spike got the call to go to New York to work with the great clarinet player VIC ASH as part of his sextet, and after returning to his roots in London, became part of the legendary JAZZ COURIERS for their last 6 months, with RONNIE SCOTT and TUBBY HAYES, and arguably the finest British jazz drummer of all time, PHIL SEAMAN. It was now 1959, the opening year of the famous RONNIE SCOTT'S JAZZ CLUB. The original Ronnies was in a basement in Gerrard Street Soho, and Spike was the resident bassist in the house band, The EDDIE THOMPSON TRIO, with STAN ROBERTS at the drums. The next year, 1960, saw Spike get the call from JOHN DANKWORTH and Spike joined The JOHN DANKWORTH ORCHESTRA a fine band which also boasted fine players such as DANNY MOSS, ART ELEFSON {both on tenor sax} and a young PETER KING on alto. Also in that band was a certain piano player by the name of DUDLEY MOORE...yes him!All through the 60's, 70's, and 80's, Spike was in demand as both a session player and live player, he was also a part of the hit childrens BBC programme Play Away with Brian Cant, Toni Arthur and Derek Griffiths...More recently Spike has been playing some great golf, enjoying semi retirement in Brittany, France, playing a few gigs and releasing music on his own renella records label... Derek Ansell, writing in Jazz Journal International, said of Spikes first release on renella records, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN... “Spike Heatley leads a sextet in a programme of modern/mainstream jazz. This is indeed a home-grown supergroup”. He concludes his review of the record by saying “this is a record that makes you feel good as soon as you start listening and the effect works through to the last bar of the last selection.Reviews: Jazz Journal International - December 2003 ... 70 year old master bassist Spike Heatley here leads a sterling sextet through a stimulating programme of modern/mainstream jazz. Time was when talk of a super group inevitably described one hundred per cent American musicians but not any more. With the inventive, gifted DANNY MOSS and ROY WILLIAMS up front and a rhythm section comprising pianist DAVID NEWTON and the leader, this is indeed a home grown super group. Even the lessor known MICK HANSON on guitar and MALCOLM MORTIMORE on drums play like veterans consistently, on this sparkling session. The music, written by the leader, and BRIAN LEMON, MICK HANSON and someone called IRA GERSHWIN, is bright and buoyant throughout with a special lift coming from the playing of Messrs Newton, Heatley and Mortimore. This is a bass player leader’s date but fails to fall into the trap so many succumb to. Spike does not solo on every track but plays driving lines in the section and when he does step into the spotlight, his bass tone is exquisite; no pumped up over amplified electronics or showy solos just for effect. Williams’s lines crackle along healthily and swing mightily; he is surely one of the best trombone players in jazz? DANNY MOSS plays with a big, rich sound and constructs telling solos; he virtually by-passes 60 years of tenor sax innovation and sticks with his first influence, COLEMAN HAWKINS and, if it works for him why not? It certainly works here for the listener. This is the sort of record that makes you feel good as soon as you start listening and the effect works through to the last bar of the last selection.
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