77

Yes, it is amazing, certainly to me, that I have survived 77 years, most of them with a love of all things jazz. The last 13 years with jazz at the Hedsor Social Club almost every week.

In my middle years most of my jazz listening was done via LP, then CD’s came along. Whilst it is wonderful to be able to listen in the comfort of your own home to jazz greats from the past, and even form the inaccessible present, I have appreciated very much the difference it is to listen to live jazz, performed by people who have the ability and the art. People you can go and talk with, share a joke with, even share music you have found with. The experience of live jazz music is truly the best.

This year my major preoccupation has been and still is with the one day jazz festival coming up on September 26^th. From this seat it seems to be coming up at lightning speed! I do hope you will all come and support the public face of JAZZ, Hedsor Jazz, and Cancer Research all in one go. The musical prospect is very exciting indeed.

The musicians performing on 26th September

if you right click your mouse on this you will be able to enlarge it!

So with this preoccupation, and with a desire not to overshadow the September event I haven’t booked too many of my favourite jazz musicians to help me celebrate my survival this year.

Saxophonist Robert Goodhuw will be joining the regular Clive Burton Quintet from our usual starting time of 8.30pm. Other guests may appear, after all it is live jazz and we live with the unexpected!!

There will be a light buffet at half time, other than that I hope you will join with me in celebration.

BUT if you only want to come and listen to this weeks guest, that’s OK with me!! He has been twice before, and is a very melodic player, perhaps not so well known as some of our other guests, but a young man now making his way in a difficult musical industry.

Last weeks guest, Duncan Lamont Jnr, gave us a great night of entertainment. There was a good crowd, and some great music was generated by all. From my seat I was aware of a lot of faces, all smiling with enjoyment, both at the quality of the music, and the familiarity of the jokes! We will certainly be asking Duncan along again very soon.

Alas last week we sadly bade farewell to Kim, our barmaid at Hedsor for some years. She has always been a smiling face and a helpful person. I don’t know how much she knew about jazz before she became Hedsor’s barmaid, but she is now a firm fan, and we will see her in our audience from time to time in the future. She already has a ticket for September 26^th!!

So come and get your tickets for September 26^th from me at Hedsor. You will have a very enjoyable day, and help raise funds for Cancer Research UK. If you are in a position to do some advertising for it let me know.

See you Thursday