This week at The Hedsor Bar WE HAVE JAZZ!

Yes Thursday 27^th August is one of our live jazz nights for Hedsor Jazz.

Coming are two of our long time supporters. Saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr, and trumpet man Lester Brown. They will be supported by our resident trio led by pianist Ken McCarthy. If you have been to Hedsor Jazz before you may have seen either of these two musicians before, and you will therefore know that we will get some well known tunes, and maybe the stories behind those tunes as well.

And by Thursday we may or may not need The Hedsor Bar’s excellent air conditioning, which has supported our summer jazz Thursdays very comfortably indeed.

Duncan Lamont

Lester Brown

Autumn now seems to be slowly coming towards us, the excessive heat of this summer is receding, and longer nights are beginning.

Our first session of September has an exciting first time look about it.

Saxophonist Alam Nathoo is being joined by guitarist Mark Ridout.

Both are exciting players. Both have left us with dropped jaws at their ability to play and excite on previous visits. BUT they have never met before!

IF YOU have never been to Hedsor Jazz before, have never experienced the undoubted magic that sometime happens at Hedsor Jazz, this is one for you not to miss. September 10^th 8pm start £12 entry by cash money!

Alam Nathoo, with Al Pirrie on bass

Mark Ridout

Our last Hedsor Jazz session on August 13^th had saxophonist Alan Barnes with us in great form. It was a lovely evening, with a good friendly crowd and some old faces to reacquaint ourselves with. Alan played wonderfully well, and I have to pinch myself to realise how long ago it was that I first heard him. It was definitely in the 20^th century!

But he was joined at our last session by someone who I only met about a year ago. Singer Nanci Zhang hails from the U.S.A but does now sometimes come to England. AND when she does she comes to sing for us at Hedsor. And for our Alan Barnes night she “sat in” for 2 or 3 tunes. It just added to the splendour of our evening. We very much hope that she will be back before Christmas to join us again. In the meantime safe journeying Nanci.

Some photos from August 13^th are below.

Alan Barnes

Alan Barnes and Nanci

Nanci Zhang

Thinking back on how long I have listened to Alan Barnes for reminds me that this week I have sorted through some of the recordings that various people have copied for me over the years.

In doing that I had to refer back to a blog I had written in 2007. There I found my comment about a CD I have actually listened to again this week.

Back in the day I tried to find some recordings by a band I had only heard about called “Juggernaut”. Eventually I discovered it was led by drummer Frank Capp, and that it was a big band that recorded in Hollywood. This was back in 1994.

I eventually had a copy donated to me in the end and I played it again this week It is titled “In A Hefti Bag”. All the tunes are written by and arranged by Neil Hefti so the overall feeling is one of The Count Basie’s Orchestra.

Having played it again so recently it is still something I would recommend you seek out; it is an excellent recording with some wonderful players. Just look at who is on it.

I’ll leave you with a copy of the cover, as I had it initially, in black and white! Together with the track listing and personnel.

 

Its on the Concord Jazz CCD-4655

See you Thursday,

Geoff