A Late in the day blog

But one in a week that does have LIVE JAZZ at The Hedsor Bar THIS THURSDAY.

The reason for the late bit is over the past weekend we travelled to Stratford on Avon for my Great Granddaughters christening! And being as she is a great granddaughter, there was a greater family to mix with, so we stayed over in “The Swan’s Nest Hotel”, right on the waterside. We also had a late Sunday Roast in “The Garrick”, all of which can be highly recommended.

Today we met up with some friends we made first in 1963, so it has been a long lunch!

This Thursday at Hedsor Jazz we have that great saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr playing in front of “our” rhythm section of Ken McCarthy, Al Pirrie and Mike Jeffries. BUT he is also going to play alongside a gifted musician who hasn’t been to Hedsor before, singer/trumpeter Karl Charity. 

So we expect you all to come! After all with a £12 cash entry and free car parking there is nothing stopping you!

For our last Hedsor Jazz session we had the privilege of that Master of Music Vasilis Xenopoulos play for us. A superb session that was further enhanced by having Alam Nathoo join Vasilis on saxophone for 3 tunes in the second set.

Two tenors for your £12! What an exchange rate! That session just enhanced the reputation of Hedsor Jazz as being a first class jazz music venue.

Pictures below. For the music, you just have to be part of the audience!

 

For those of you reading this who haven’t actually listened to Alam yet, let me copy a bit from 2009’s London Jazz News.

Trinity College of Music describe the Isabelle Bond Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Performance 2009 as the “pinnacle of the College’s competition calendar”. The competition was held at St John’s, Smith Square on September 16th. And it was won by jazz saxophonist Alam Nathoo, a postgrad at Trinity, previously at Guildhall, and a member of Tomorrows Warriors Jazz Orchestra. He has Tanzanian roots. Hongera!

Here’s the interesting bit:

-none of the jurors was a jazz specialist
-both Simon Purcell (Head of jazz at Trinity) and the college’s press officer whom I spoke to were convinced this is the first time this top prize has gone to a jazz musician.
-Simon Purcell told me “He’s a very fine saxophone player, what more can I say. And he won this prize against other artists of international reputation.”

Since then he has taken on the business of business, being managing director of his late fathers company. For us at Hedsor Jazz it means we get this prize winner whenever he fancies walking to us from his home in Bourne End!

He will be with us again on July 9th when he will play alongside trumpeter Steve Waterman.

Vasilis had asked to play alongside Alam. They had never met before, but they WILL meet (at Hedsor Jazz) AGAIN! WATCH THIS SPACE.

But for now let me say....

Goodnight!

PS look up the highlighted words and you will see the lyrics of a Jamie Cullum song!