Tuesday again, and signs that Autumn is approaching. We also have signs of Hedsor Jazz’s run up until Christmas, so do keep eye on this blog for news of who and when, and perhaps even IF!

Coming this Thursday, September 11^th, we have a pairing that worked very well last month, so we have invited them back. Al Nicholls will be booting up his tenor sax, and he will be swung along by “our” trumpet man, Lester Brown. Not only that (them?) but we have a return of one of our one time regulars in the shape of Nigel Fox on keyboard. Add to the fray on drums a rare visitor to Hedsor Jazz, Elliot Toms.  Come along and cheer them on.

It just shows you that when the school holidays are over, our musicians take there places at holiday resorts up and down the country!

Photos below from the last time Al and Lester were with us.

 

You will observe that last time we were “experimenting” with setting up the band at the bar end of the room. We did this for a number of weeks, but it is thought for more than one reason better to revert to having the band at the entry door end of the room. Musically the sound is better (there are 3 reflective surfaces to surround the band) and less noise interference from the bar.

 

Last week’s session with Stuart Henderson and Alam Nathoo was again a master class in jazz improvisation, both melodic and chordal. Both musicians well know (to us) technical mastery was pushed along by our guest drummer for the evening, Dennis Smith and that well worn set of braces Peter Hughes. They were of course all kept in tune by our regular pianist Ken McCarthy.

Using less elegant language, it was a bril evening!

My photos from last week:-

One musician who has entertained us at least 3 times this summer has been singer Nanci Zhang.

Sadly for us she has now returned to New Orleans but hopes to return before this year ends. She holds Hedsor Jazz in high esteem (as we do her), she called it a special place, and we hope to see her again soon before too long.

 

I have a large collection of recorded music here at Cronin Towers, and usually don’t get to play a 10^th of it in any given year, but I was nudged (I was searching for the lyrics of “I Want A Little Girl”) into digging out a CD recorded in 1971. Tune titles back in the days when the tune was written ( little own when it was performed in 1971), we less thought of as being means of leading one astray!)

 

Those of you who lived in the area around that year will perhaps remember Tuesday evenings of jazz at “The Bell” in Maidenhead. Top rate players played there, just as they do for us a Hedsor now, with The Lennie Best Quartet as the backing. One guest band came regularly, The Alex Welsh Band! All of them were stars, and this week I pulled out a 1971 recording. It is a live recording of the band in full cry performing in Dresden. They were all great musicians, and generated a great sense of fun as well. Bridging traditional jazz tunes like “Dippermouh Blues” to swing titles like “9.20 Special”. But they also included what you can only really refer to as vaudeville tunes. On this recording they can be heard performing (in the local language) “If I Had a Taking Picture of You”.

One member of that band DID perform for us at Hedsor. Trombonist Roy Williams came to us I think 3 times, before a stroke curtailed his performing career.

I will say though that playing that CD again brought back the fun and the joy of those long gone years right into my front room.

Details below:-