Home » Jazz Musicians » Ken Stubbs

Ken Stubbs

Ken Stubbs became involved with music after being ‘reborn’, after a near death experience. He was 14. It involved a Football ‘Special’ Train, hundreds of inebriated Glasgow Rangers fans, a fire hammer and axe, 2 near fatalities, him jumping from a train travelling at 70 mph, and several broken limbs.

It was then that he decided that this was the wrong game for him, and instead followed his other passion, which was the ‘Northern Soul’ music scene. Before long he was enquiring about the strangely alluring horn sounds that were prevalent within that music, the result being the start of a hot and passionate relationship with the saxophone.

Having been fortunate to experience an excellent music education, at what is now Salford University, Ken’s first professional music experience involved being fired from Pontins holiday camp for performing a loud, spontaneous, Albert Ayler impression, during a Lionel Blair-type dance troupe’s version of Barry Manilow hits – experienced by a large, confused crowd of Pontins-Punters, baying for his blood.

His second experience was equally as bizarre, involving him playing fast improvised lines over the Batman riff, for ‘Mary Chipperfield’s Skating Chimps’ (sic), …this lasted for 24 long weeks.

He knew that this was also not his path and soon followed the trail to London, where he formed his first jazz group – ‘First House’, with fellow ex music biz sufferers, Tube driver and Demon of the double bass, Mick Hutton, the marvellous, number-crunching drum genius, Martin France and the formidable composer and magician-keyboardist, Django Bates.

This volatile group of eccentrics where fortunate to record twice for ECM, with the Perfectionist-German-Sound Wizard, Manfred Eicher. Unfortunately, neither album captured the true essence and brilliance of their music making.

Ken also played and recorded with many other groups and musicians, including Loose Tubes, Chris Macgregor, Mike Gibbs, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Peter Erskine, Jason Robello, Conrad Herwig, Gary Husband, Phil Robson and fellow Salford-alumni-guitar-gentleman, Mike Walker.

During this London period, Ken’s woefully inadequate understanding of the new Thatcherite business model – implemented by many of his peers in the Yuppie Jazz Movement – compounded by his ‘Metal Ox’ (b.1961) horns, landed him in much trouble, for bad behaviour.

Moving forward, determined to pursue his love of the Art of the Improviser (thank you Ornette), he forged a path to Australia where he now lives in a paradisiacal part of sub-tropical New South Wales, with his family. Here, he enthusiastically tends to his rainforest patch, trying to improve his carbon footprint, so heavily trudged upon during his jet-gigging experiences in 30 countries.

Read more

Tags

2
Album Review

Ken Stubbs - Big Hush: I Us

Read "I Us" reviewed by Claudio Bonomi


Ken Stubbs (classe 1961) diventa musicista dopo aver visto la morte in faccia all'età di 14 anni quando salta da un treno in corsa pieno di tifosi, suoi compari, dei Glasgow Rangers. Tanta paura, diverse costole rotte e la decisione di chiudere con il calcio e di cambiare passione. Si innamora del sassofono alto e, dopo studi e gruppi amatoriali, sbarca a Londra, e forma negli anni Ottanta la sua prima jazz band con Mike Hutton, Martin France e Django ...

278
Album Review

Ken Stubbs: Ballads

Read "Ballads" reviewed by Jim Santella


Alto saxophonist Ken Stubbs combines his light, dry alto saxophone timbre with minimal accompaniment on a session for romantics. Working with guitar trio on two tracks, piano on two and the piano trio elsewhere, Stubbs weaves slowly in and around familiar standards. They’re lovely songs that recall lyrics and stories. Appropriately, Stubbs adapts his vocal-like phrasing to interpret each melody comfortably. It’s an album for sitting back, pouring yourself something useful and listening; while daydreaming about better days.

Cool and ...

Read more articles
Commenting on Ken Stubbs, Richard Williams of The Times states that,"he seems to owe no aesthetic debt to any other saxophonist.

Thom Durek reviewing the album on Allmusic.com, comments on Ken Stubbs. "As evidenced here, Ken Stubbs is, for a young man in his 20s, a brilliant composer. His works mark the majority of what is collected here. He understands dynamics, tension, texture, color, intervals, and most of all melody. His sense of these elements is complex but deeply satisfying. (Check the melody in "The Journeyers to the East.")"

Chris Lee commented on how..."London based alto-saxist Stubbs is on ravishing, intimate form in quartet settings of familiar standards, bringing an almost Websterish sensuality to highly personal, full toned interpretations

Read more

Primary Instrument

Saxophone, alto

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

jazztuition.com is the most comprehensive jazz educational site available. One to one tuition is also available with Ken Stubbs, Visit jazztuition.com for more details.

Clinic/Workshop Information

jazztuition.com is the most comprehensive jazz educational site available. Visit jazztuition.com for more details.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

I Us

Cherry K Records
2020

buy

Säd Afrika

Lost Marble
2010

buy

Dancing on Frith...

Lost Marble
2009

buy

Ballads

Cherry K Records
2001

buy

Northern Soul

From: 'Crooked Crooks Cracks'
By Ken Stubbs

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.