A SHORT JAZZ BLOG THIS WEEK

And unusually a Monday Blog, because there are 3 advance announcements to make, and one of those is TOMORROW.

At the Bourne End Community Centre tomorrow, Tuesday 7^th August, Mike Jeffreys is fronting (from a drum chair!) a band with a few familiar Hedsor faces in it, including Mike Wills, who will be transported to Bourne End by guitarist Jezz Cook. So those of you who have missed Mike at Hedsor these past few weeks can catch up tomorrow. I think its an 8pm start. Sadly I am otherwise pre booked!

Then on Thursday 9^th August we have a Gala (pie?) night at The Hedsor Social Club. Again with an 8pm start, you can come and hear our regular band of Nigel Fox keys, Steve Riddle bass, Martin Hart drums, and Lester Brown trumpet but with guests for the evening : Roy Williams trombone, Duncan Lamont jr tenor sax, Gill Cook vocals.

Roy Williams

Duncan Lamont jr with his dad at a previous Hedsor Jazz Event

Gill Cook at an Ealing Jazz Festival Perfomance

£10 entry. Music from 8pm, buffet from 9pm. It should be a really grand evening so do brave whatever the weather throws at us and come along.

Finally advance news of another gala evening. On September 20^th Hedsor Jazz is being sponsored to host the famous BBO Big Band. All profit from this evening will be going to the sponsors nominated charity (it is in support of Thames Valley Adventure Playground for Handicapped young people). Put the date in your diary now. It will be an 8pm start and a buffet evening, so put your money behind the clock on your mantelpiece NOW!!

Finally a retrospective. Last week we had one of those special and memorable sessions at Hedsor. One that is difficult to analyse, or indeed to predict beforehand, but the amalgam of Lester Brown, Simon Spillett, Stuart Baker, Nigel Fox and Martin Hart was what, for me, jazz is all about. Musicians who are all well in control of their instruments, all comfortable with the few rules that jazz demands and who then go on to produce the gold that alchemists strove for.

Hedsor Jazz pans for it every Thursday. Sometimes, we find it!

Below are a couple of Geoff Swaffield’s photos of the experiment!