Rightly regarded as one of the finest sax players in the country, Simon Spillett is touring the south west this year with by the Ronnie Jones Trio to mark the 30th anniversary of his professional debut.
Bursting on to the jazz scene as an effervescent – and fully-formed – talent in his early 20s, Simon has gone on to forge a white hot, stellar career, with numerous sold out headline shows at the UK’s premier jazz clubs: Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express (Soho); plus appearances at major UK jazz festivals –including the ESG London jazz festival – winning a handful of top jazz industry awards along the way.
Simon is also a highly-regarded band leader, whose all-star Tubby Hayes Big Band released a critically-acclaimed album, and recently recorded a second, at London’s world-famous Abbey Road studios.
The tenor virtuoso is supported by three exceptional SW-based musicians; some well-known to Ashburton Arts, one a fresh new talent. Will Butterworth (piano) and Ronnie Jones (drums) have played here many times now with different groups. Cornwall-based James MacPhail (bass) completes the trio. James wowed us at our jazz jam earlier in the summer – and he is sure to become a regular addition to Devon’s vibrant jazz scene.

Simon Spillett
"Straight-ahead, high energy jazz is his line and he does it with aplomb" The Guardian

2026 marks a milestone anniversary for tenor saxophonist and bandleader Simon Spillett; 30 years on the UK jazz scene. Since his debut in the 1990s he has risen to become one of Britain’s most prominent jazz figures. An instrumentalist with a powerful, straight-ahead style, drawing on the best of the jazz tradition and in particular the inspiration of an illustrious forebear, the late great Tubby Hayes, he is highly popular attraction playing sold out gigs at the best jazz clubs (eg Ronnie Scott’s) and at virtually every festival of consequence (including the EFG London Jazz Festival) with both his regular quartet and his star-studded big band.
As a recording artist he's released five well-regarded albums, with his big band debut CD ‘Dear Tubby H.’ (2023) being given the top five star award in Jazzwise magazine. (Full review here.)
He’s also picked up a clutch of awards: BBC Rising Star (2007), Album of the Year (Jazz Journal 2008), Top Tenor Saxophone (British Jazz Awards 2011) and Services to British Jazz (2016).
A charismatic performer, gifted with a dry observational wit, he’s never lost sight of the fact that jazz is entertainment as much as art and whether playing, writing or holding forth on his favourite subject – UK jazz history – he’s an infectiously passionate communicator.
Indeed, between playing, he has found time to pen a widely-praised biography of Tubby Hayes The Long Shadow of The Little Giant, write sleeve notes to over 150 albums, contribute articles to magazines including Jazzwise and Record Collector and act as an anchor interviewee on documentaries for the BBC and Jazz FM.


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