Morning All,

I do hope you are all enjoying the current wonderful sunshine. I have been catching up on some exterior house maintenance, and then when I feel I have been industrious enough I have been catching up on some escapist reading, you know, a book with a story line! Sadly, no matter what the weather, this afternoon I have to investigate the interior of High Wycombe Hospital!

Still until then I thought I would just mention what’s happening at Hedsor Jazz!!

Tomorrow we have another session with the Clive Burton Quintet. I do believe that it will be performing it its complete form!! So some of their arrangements of 50’s and 60’s bop and Big Band tunes will, I’m sure, be in evidence.

Next week we await with eager anticipation another visit from singer Gill Cook. She is a London based singer whom I have seen a number of times at Ealing Jazz Festivals. She has one CD out in her own name already, and she tells me there will be another one soon. SO come and hear some songs from her old album and some perhaps from her new one too. She has been with us twice before, so I’m sure we are in for a great night at the bargain price of £6 for entry.

Big bands are still around of course. We had a great session from the Remix Jazz Orchestra on May 22^nd, raising £620 for Cancer Research UK in the process. But generally there are very few full time Big Bands, mainly due to the cost of keeping them together. But when you do hear one live and in the flesh the sound can be stunning. Many schools try and encourage young musicians into playing in groups by running a big band, and they make a great fist of it usually, and of course counties often have the best young musicians form school bands, and they can be very good. This years Swanage Jazz Festival will feature the Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra on Sunday morning. I’m sure more fans than just mums and dads will be in Marquee 1 to listen.

There are still one or two Big Bands that regularly issue CD’s and still come together for certain periods of time. Recently I have raved of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and their CD “In The Spirit of DUKE” (Spartacus Records STS 017). I give that a whole hearted recommendation. They have issued a couple of other recently. One I have yet to listen to is “American Adventure” where they have added into their regular mix some very well known American musicians (e.g. Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Mike Stern and Joe Locke). That is available on Spartacus Records STS018.

Another Big Band CD waiting for me to give it a proper listen is by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw called “Scribblin’ ”.  A band made up of continental based musicians and recorded in 2012. I’ll let you know, but a listen whilst working in my garage on PC stuff has encouraged me to bring it indoors. That one is on Challege Records CR73366

But for now, tomorrow we have a Quintet. Mind you, the Remix Orchestra has asked to come again soon, they enjoyed playing in front of YOU, the Hedsor Jazz Audience. Don’t go away!!