Spike Hughes
Encyclopedia
Patrick "Spike" Cairns Hughes (19 October 1908 – 2 February 1987) was a British
jazz
musician
, composer
and music journalist. He was the son of Irish composer, writer and song collector Herbert Hughes
. Hughes was a multi-dimensional musician, playing the double bass
, composing opera
tic scores, arranging jazz recordings and writing books on topics ranging from gardening
to Toscanini's music.
Hughes' small recording group was one of the earliest artists signed to Decca Records
in England, spanning the period from 1930 to 1933, including over 30 sessions. Originally billed as Spike Hughes and his Decca-Dents, he reportly did not like the name and after three sessions was changed either 'his Dance Orchestra' or 'his Three Blind Mice' for smaller sessions. His recording career culminated in his visit to New York City
where he arranged three historic recording sessions involving members of Benny Carter
's and Luis Russell
's orchestras with Coleman Hawkins
and Henry "Red" Allen from Fletcher Henderson
's band. These fourteen sides were mostly Hughes' own compositions.
Though most were not released in the U.S. at the time, they have become known as classic jazz masterworks, and are still available on CD.
After the New York recordings, he was a writer and a critic for the rest of his life. His subjects included music (especially opera), food, travel, and his "The Coarse Art of..." series. The series was named as a play on Coarse fishing
; other Coarse books were written by Michael Green
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music journalist. He was the son of Irish composer, writer and song collector Herbert Hughes
Herbert Hughes (musicologist)
Herbert Hughes was an Irish composer, music critic and collector of folk songs.He was born and brought up in Belfast, Ireland, but completed his formal music education at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 1901...
. Hughes was a multi-dimensional musician, playing the double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, composing opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic scores, arranging jazz recordings and writing books on topics ranging from gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
to Toscanini's music.
Hughes' small recording group was one of the earliest artists signed to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in England, spanning the period from 1930 to 1933, including over 30 sessions. Originally billed as Spike Hughes and his Decca-Dents, he reportly did not like the name and after three sessions was changed either 'his Dance Orchestra' or 'his Three Blind Mice' for smaller sessions. His recording career culminated in his visit to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he arranged three historic recording sessions involving members of Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
's and Luis Russell
Luis Russell
Luis Russell was a jazz pianist and bandleader.Luis Carl Russell was born on Careening Cay, near Bocas del Toro, Panama, in a family of Afro-Caribbean ancestry. His father was a music teacher, and young Luis learned to play violin, guitar, trombone, and piano...
's orchestras with Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
and Henry "Red" Allen from Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
's band. These fourteen sides were mostly Hughes' own compositions.
Though most were not released in the U.S. at the time, they have become known as classic jazz masterworks, and are still available on CD.
After the New York recordings, he was a writer and a critic for the rest of his life. His subjects included music (especially opera), food, travel, and his "The Coarse Art of..." series. The series was named as a play on Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish . The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.-History:The term "coarse fishing"...
; other Coarse books were written by Michael Green
Michael Green (humorist)
Michael Green is a British journalist and author of humorous books. He is best known for The Art of Coarse Rugby, The Art of Coarse Acting and other books with similar titles.-Career:...
.
Works
- Opening Bars - Beginning an Autobiography (Pilot Press Ltd, London, 1946)
- Second Movement - Continuing the Autobiography (Museum Press, London, 1951)
- Glyndebourne, A History of the Festival Opera (Methuen, London, 1965)
- Famous Verdi Operas (Robert Hale, London, 1968) ISBN 0-7091-0205-4
- Famous Mozart Operas (Dover, New York, 2nd edn 1972) ISBN 0-486-22858-4
- Famous Puccini Operas (Dover, New York, 2nd edn 1972) ISBN 0-486-22857-6
Coarse books
- The Art of Coarse Cricket: a study of its principles, traditions and practice, (Museum Press, 1954; repr Hutchinson 1961)
- The Art of Coarse Travel, (Museum Press, 1957)
- The Art of Coarse Gardening: or the care and feeding of slugs, (Hutchinson, 1968)
- The Art of Coarse Bridge, (Hutchinson, 1970)
- The Art of Coarse Entertaining (Hutchinson, 1972)
- The Art of Coarse Language, (Hutchinson, 1974)