Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Fi ...

Vic Ash Victor "Vic" Ash (9 March 1930, in East London – 24 October 2014) was an English jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. He was of Jewish ancestry. Biography Ash began playing professionally in 1951 when, with Tubby Hayes, he joined the band o ...

Alan Branscombe Alan Branscombe (4 June 1936 – 27 October 1986) was an English jazz pianist, vibraphonist, and alto saxophonist. Biography Branscombe was born in Wallasey, Cheshire (now Merseyside), in 1936. His father and grandfather were also professio ...

The Jazz Couriers The Jazz Couriers were a British jazz quintet formed in April 1957 and which disbanded in August 1959. The quintet's first line-up consisted of Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott on tenor saxophones,The Jazz Couriers at David Taylor's British jazz web site
He played briefly with the quartet

Tubby Hayes Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was an English jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his tenor saxophone playing in groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and with trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar. Early life ...

formed immediately afterwards with fellow Couriers Terry Shannon and

Phil Seamen Philip William Seamen (28 August 1926 – 13 October 1972) was an English jazz drummer. With a background in big band music, Seamen played and recorded in a wide range of musical contexts with virtually every key figure of 1950s and 1960s Bri ...

. Heatley then joined pianist Eddie Thompson's house trio for the opening year at the original Ronnie Scott's in Gerrard Street, while also playing with

John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...

. Heatley stayed with Dankworth until 1962, then joined the

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (born 29 November 1934) is an English jazz musician who plays clarinet, bass clarinet, flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on clarinet and was self- ...

Quintet, and toured with trumpeter Kenny Baker. In 1963, he was with the

Bill Le Sage William A. Le Sage (20 January 1927 – 31 October 2001) was a British pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, composer and bandleader. Early life Le Sage was born in London on 20 January 1927. His father, William (1899-1951) was a drummer and his tw ...

and

Ronnie Ross Albert Ronald Ross (2 October 1933 – 12 December 1991) was a British jazz baritone saxophonist. Life Born in Calcutta, India, to Scottish parents, Ross moved to England in 1946 and was educated at the Perse School in Cambridge. He bega ...

quartet, with

Allan Ganley Allan Anthony Ganley (11 March 1931 – 29 March 2008) was an English jazz drummer and arranger. Career Ganley was born in Tolworth, Surrey, England. A self-taught drummer, in the early 1950s Ganley played in the dance band led by Bert Ambro ...

. He then began session work in the same rhythm section as Jimmy Page and

John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra * Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter * John McLaug ...

. He was an early member of Alexis Korner's

Blues Incorporated Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, or simply Blues Incorporated, were an English blues band formed in London in 1961, led by Alexis Korner and including at various times Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Terry Cox, Davy Graham, Ginger Baker, Art W ...

. Between 1970 and 1974, he was part of the jazz-rock fusion act CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) Band, and played on recording sessions for Rod Stewart. In the 1970s, he was in the house band for the children's TV show ''

Play Away ''Play Away'' is a British television children's programme. A sister programme to the infants' series '' Play School'', it was aimed at slightly older children. It ran from 1971 until 1984, and was broadcast on Saturday afternoons on BBC 2.Alist ...

''. During the 1980s and early 90s, he was with the American all-star group the Great Guitars featuring Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd and Barney Kessel which also sometimes featured British player, Martin Taylor. He played in Kessel's trio with

Malcolm Mortimore Malcolm Paul Mortimore (born 16 June 1953 in Wimbledon, London, England) is a drummer and percussionist who has played with Arthur Brown, Ian Dury, Herbie Flowers, Gentle Giant, Spike Heatley, Tom Jones, G.T. Moore, Mick and Chris Jagger, Oli ...

, with whom he later joined Canadian pianist, Oliver Jones.

Later life and death

Heatley died in

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead o ...

, France on 10 November 2021, at the age of 88. He was survived by his wife, Stevie, as well as his son and two daughters.Obituary: Spike Heatley
/ref>

Discography

*''Presenting The Bill Le Sage - Ronnie Ross Quartet'' (April 1963) -

Bill Le Sage William A. Le Sage (20 January 1927 – 31 October 2001) was a British pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, composer and bandleader. Early life Le Sage was born in London on 20 January 1927. His father, William (1899-1951) was a drummer and his tw ...

(piano, vibes);

Ronnie Ross Albert Ronald Ross (2 October 1933 – 12 December 1991) was a British jazz baritone saxophonist. Life Born in Calcutta, India, to Scottish parents, Ross moved to England in 1946 and was educated at the Perse School in Cambridge. He bega ...

(baritone sax); Heatley (bass);

Allan Ganley Allan Anthony Ganley (11 March 1931 – 29 March 2008) was an English jazz drummer and arranger. Career Ganley was born in Tolworth, Surrey, England. A self-taught drummer, in the early 1950s Ganley played in the dance band led by Bert Ambro ...

(drums) * 2003:''The Other Side of the Coin'' (Renella Records) - Spike Heatley, (double bass); Roy Williams, (trombone);

Danny Moss Dennis Moss (16 August 1927 – 28 May 2008) was a British jazz tenor saxophonist. He performed with many figures in British jazz, including Vic Lewis, Ted Heath, John Dankworth, Alex Welsh, and Humphrey Lyttelton. Biography The son of a too ...

(tenor saxophone); Mick Hanson (guitar); Dave Newton (piano);

Malcolm Mortimore Malcolm Paul Mortimore (born 16 June 1953 in Wimbledon, London, England) is a drummer and percussionist who has played with Arthur Brown, Ian Dury, Herbie Flowers, Gentle Giant, Spike Heatley, Tom Jones, G.T. Moore, Mick and Chris Jagger, Oli ...

(drums) * ''One for Clifford and another one for Tubby'' (Renella Records) - Spike Heatley (bass); Alan Barnes (saxes);

John Horler John Douglas Horler (born 26 February 1947) is an English jazz pianist. He is the younger brother of jazz musician David Horler and the uncle of Natalie Horler, lead singer in the band Cascada. Horler was born in Lymington. He began on piano a ...

(piano); Malcolm Mortimore (drums) * ''Zurich Express'' (Renella Records) - Spike Heatley (leader/bass); Jim Lawless (vibraphone); Andy Williams (guitar); Malcolm Mortimore (drums)

References

External links

Ron Simmonds at Jazz Professional
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heatley, Spike 1933 births 2021 deaths 21st-century British male musicians 21st-century double-bassists British jazz double-bassists British male jazz musicians Male double-bassists People from Muswell Hill