It is going to be something
of a shock this Thursday that we return to a Hedsor Jazz with no extra
saxophonists. We have been really spoilt over the last month with guest upon
guest saxophonist in all shapes and sizes, and what a treat it has been.
I think last week will have
topped the month. A nicely full house, a guest drummer (Mike Jeffries, playing
for us again this coming Thursday) and not one saxophonist, but THREE.
Alongside our regular
quintet we expected to have ONE additional saxophone in the hands of Vasilis
Xenopoulos, but I had no idea he would bring a friend along to augment the
sound.
Vasilis is a long time
friend of Hedsor Jazz, and these days it is a privilege to have him at Hedsor.
His fame has spread far since he first played for us at Hedsor and we are
indebted to him for turning out to Hedsor for little more than his fare home.
He did us proud, and also encouraged us to listen to a young friend of his,
Robert Goodhew. He I am sure will also go far. He has already started well on
his life as a musician, and you can read more about him from his web page www.robertgoodhew.com were you can
also sample some more of his music. I am sure that we will be able to encourage
him back to Hedsor before too long, because he was excellent.
Our little band of brothers
made a superb BIG sound. In the second set we had 3 saxophones and a trombone
(what would we do without Clive! Answers on a postcard please!) backed as usual
by our Nigel, and our Ken!! (And not forgetting “OUR Mike Jeffries”). We all
had to go home much too soon.
We were also fortunate in
being some of the first people to be able to buy Vasilis’s new CD “the Wind
Machine”, available for the first time that day. I know I led you to sample it
last week with a web link, and I know that those who did bought the full album
on the spot. You can still do that, and I do have some copies with me for sale.
It is a great album with
some great UK resident players. Please
make sure you reserve in your diary now August 7th, because that
very wind machine will be coming to Hedsor to play for us. They are, in
addition to leader/arranger Vasilis, Steve Fishwick on trumpet, Nigel Price on
guitar, Bill Mudge on Hammond organ and Peter Cater on drums. OK, its another
birthday treat for me, but also a treat for all who can get there on the day.
The music on Vasilis’s new
album will be recognisable; we know all the tunes as they are mostly associated
with big bands from the past. They have been brilliantly updated for Quintet
with and by the above lineup and you will love it.
In his sleeve note Vasilis
says he was inspired by the Stanley Turrentine album “A Chip off The Old
Block”. If you follow the link below you can get short samples of that album
too.
Various Stanley Turrentine
tracks are available for a fuller listen on Spotify.
Well, that was last week.
Why not try out the old slimline Quintet led by Clive Burton that plays
regularly for us at Hedsor. It would be good to see many of you who were there
last week with us again.
One very quick plug for
someone who has also played for me at Hedsor, Dave O’Higgings is playing with
Geoff Gascoyne in at Marlow United reformed Church (Christ Church) TONIGHT.
8.30 pm start. I think it is £10 entry, unreserved seating, (save me one), I do
have a ticket already!
TTFN
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