Hedsor and all that JAZZ

Last weeks session with Al Nicholls and Alan Grahame (Geoff S’s pictures below) was as exciting in practice as it had been in anticipation.

Alan is just amazing. Forget his age, his vibes playing (dare I say) is as “vibrant” as a 20 year old. Al Nicholls playing is as vibrant as any saxophonist I have ever heard and the fact that Alan G had never played with Al N before was only reflected in the time taken over the choice of tunes!

This was a real “off the cuff” session that shows the strengths (and sometimes, especially when choosing and endings) the weaknesses of live jazz. A wonderful session.

Al Nicholls hadn’t been at Hedsor for about 4 years, a regular London Thursday night gig preventing him. As I mentioned in last weeks blog, he used to be a regular guest, especially in Hedsor Jazz’s formulative years. Sadly for him that regular work has now ceased, so we hope to see him with us more often in the future.

What we didn’t know last week when observing the energy he put in to his performance was that he had to be on an aeroplane at 5am next day. I hope he slept well on the plane!

The prospects for this week (Thursday September 6^th) are just as exciting. We have our own Lester Brown on trumpet and flugel horn coming to play alongside saxophonist Robert Goodhew. Two young players making a name for themselves and maturing almost before our eyes. It has been a real privilege to have seen them both develop over the last few years. So with them together, and with our regular rhythm section, a great evening is in prospect.

Robert Goodhew

Lester Brown

 Don’t forget that tickets are still available for our special Big Band charity night on September 20^th, priced at £10 including a light finger buffet. The BBO Big Band will need the stage that week to all perform in front of you (there are 17 of them), but it is all in a great cause. All moneys raised from the evening will go to The Thames Valley Adventure Playground for disabled children and young adults. It will be an 8pm start.

Now the weather is becoming more British (do I mean cool and changeable?) we may be in the right frame of mind for us to choose our favourite jazz musicians. The nominations for the British Jazz Awards 2018 have been announced, and you can vote for them online at

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sIFM_wWlA-l9HLxQAvwbEtZB6JgfnucqZpQft1Usv7s/viewform?edit_requested=true

Finally thinking of going online (you are already if reading this), then why not see how our student from Brunel University (Rory Windass) is doing promoting Hedsor Jazz on facebook? Go to

www.facebook.com/hedsorjazz/

But from me this week, that’s it. See you all on Thursday.