What you can do with a broken building

Alan BArnes and Dave Newton
Anita Wardell

Susan Valliant Spear
Bruce Adams

Carol Sudhalter and Greg Abate
Our Very Own Mike Wills!

Andy Coopers Top Eight
A Rather Dejected Looking Carol Sudhalter

The Budapest Ragtime Band
Colin Oxley and Lennart Anderson

Zoe Schwarz
The Parade

The 2007 Swanage Jazz Festival

I intend to write 2 blog bits about the Swanage Jazz Festival, but this first one is really there to get the pictures up. I will write my appreciation of the music at a later time. But for now (as Lynn Garner will sing), I hope you enjoy the photos. Due to some quirk of the blog software, although they are nearly in time order, the oldest ones are at the bottom!!

TTFN

Geoff C

Who must add to this initial revue my congratulations to Simon Spillet, who over the weekend gained the 2007 BBC Jazz Awards Rising Star award. Well done! At least the BBC got that right!

I have taken the unusual step of attaching a document of all the gigs run by Clive Burton for Hedsor and Fifield for all of July and most of August, together with potted (or even potty) thumbnails of the guest musicians involved.

I have done this for 2 reasons. The first is that you may like to print it off and pin it up to visibly remind you of the events so you can encourage yourselves to turn out! We do need your support! (If you would like to be sent a pdf file of the document for better/larger printing, contact me by email......geoff.jazzsuspect@tiscali.co.uk).

The Second reason is that you might like to print it off and show it to some of your friends. It will help you to prove to them that we are putting on class acts at these gigs, and you could persuad THEM to turn out! Hedsor is in fact a bit of a phenomena, it is one of the smallest clubs in the UK, but with a fan base of Musicians who want to come and play there.

Especially exciting is the fact that we have persuaded Vasilis Xenopoulos to become one of them! Anyone who heard him on my first Monday guitar jazz night will need no second prompting to come on August 23rd, and you will be encouraged to know that he will also be turning out again on Monday September 17th with James Fenn, and a band that might well now be called after their CD "The Bureau of Missing Persons".

So, I wont rabbit on anymore this week. I'll see you at a gig near me soon!

TTFN

Geoff C

Hi everybody,

I've just recieved the email, reproduced below, from Simon Spillett. I just thought we all might like to know of his good news.

And of course its good news for us, because this star will be appearing for us again very soon.

TTFN

Geoff C

Hi Geoff,

I will be the guest at HSC on July 5th and Fifield on July 8th.

Further news:

The BBC Jazz Awards concert will take place at the Mermaid Theatre in London on Thursday July 12th.

I will be playing an arrangement (from the repertoire of the Tubby Hayes big band) with the BBC Big Band.

The concert will be broadcast in its entirety on BBC Radio 2 on Monday July 16th.


I have a busy July coming up, with the Wigan Jazz Festival, the Birmingham International Jazz Festival and the Woodville Records Festival at the Pizza Express in Dean Street, Soho.

I will also be working with one of my heroes, Danny Moss, on Danny's forthcoming UK tour.

My CD ("Introducing Simon Spillett") has now sold out! We're planning a limited run repress and I am recording a new album shortly featuring previously unrecorded music by Tubby Hayes.

Finally, I have some autumn concerts with my new band, featuring Vic Ash, Tommy Whittle and/or Bobby Wellins.

Cheers

Simon

P.S. I've just finished two nights at Ronnie Scott's too!

Hi Fans,

Not a lot I can say about who's playing this week, as I haven't caught up with Maestro Clive to find out who he has booked for our delectation on either this coming Thursday at Hedsor, or this coming Sunday at Fifield. You will see that I have included an attachment giving details of local jazz events that are regular venues, and if you find yourself in dire need of the lovely live music, just scan the page and choose where and when to go out. ALL of the music verges on the great, non is dross, so do yourselves a favour, and get some live jazz in your ears whilst you may.

Reading

Yes, it may surprise you, but I do occasionally find time to read a BOOK. And this week I have been reading John Chilterns latest book, "Hot Jazz, Warm Feet", which was published in April this year. Eminently readable, it charts his own history through the world of jazz, from before Melly to After! It is a very good read, informative and amusing and somewhat nostalgic for me, as he was born in London, evacuated during the war, returned to London during the war, and went to many of the London Jazz venues at about the same time as I did!

CD Listen

This week has a distinct link to the aforesaid book, in as much as John Chiltern played trumpet with Wally Fawkes both before and after his long years with George Melly and the Feetwarmers. "The Wally Fawkes Collection" is an excellent compilation of 3 of Wally's albums recorded in the 1980's on the Stomp Off label, and now gloriously reissued on the Lake label onto 2 CD's.

It has Wally as all who heard him in the Humph band of the 50's will remember him. Richly reedy! And I had forgotten how good a clarinet player Ian Christie was as well (he appears on some of the tracks). Ian also played with Humph in the early 50's, and from these 1980 recordings you would never think he had given up professional clarinting for film reviewing (for the Daily Express). Wally and Ian hadn't played together for 25 years when these recordings were made, and they come up fresher than paint. Also on the collection are some sides made with trumpeter Ben Cohen, and I hadn't heard him since some very early Chris Barber recordings. His tone and style surprised me, and I had to look up who he was. Excellent stuff. So to update your recollections of British Jazz of the 1950's (and 80's if you heard these tracks first time around) you must go out and buy the double album. Lake LACD 207

That's it from me folks, don't forget you can always get the CD (and in this case the book) artwork from the blog!

TTFN

Geoff C

http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Our evening of guitar jazz yesterday was a wonderful example of the variety, the different aspects, of the jazz guitar that I was aiming at presenting. Chris Flegg is a great entertainer. His jokes with and links to a too thin audience were just right, and he played a number of different guitar styles from Wes Montgomery to Django, via the blues and a bit of Les Paul thrown in. He also sang very well, including "Buddy Can You Spare a Dime" and "Route 66". He also enjoyed it enough to want to come back.

We also had a keen "sitter in" during the interval, another Ken, who was also very entertaining.

We have the venue. We have quality musicians who love to play there, BUT WE DO NEED MORE AUDIENCE! Live jazz is in your hands, don't let it fall. That goes for Thursdays at Hedsor just as much as my new Monday venture. This Thursday the guest will be saxophonist Pete Cook, who was one of Vasilis Xenopoulos's tutors!

One final guitar note!

Do read the attachment, don't skip it, and do try and support the event.

OK, so it was another nag after all!!


Geoff C

http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com

tell your friends.

A JPEG image of the PDF file refered to below

The Wes Montgomery Album refered to in "CD"

Some Jazz Reminders from Geoff!

I've rather been out of the running this last 3 weeks, so I really don't know who our guests will be on either Thursday at The Hedsor Social Club OR Sunday at The Fifield Inn, but the quality is always high, and the value great.

Next Monday at The Hedsor Social Club we have another super evening of guitar led jazz, this time its from guitarist Chris Flegg, who will be accompanied by Ken Rankine on Bass, and Terry Parsons on Drums. This is chamber jazz at its very best, do come along and enjoy it, for the VERY reasonable sum of £5. All of the money collected at the door goes to the musicians, and they wont get rich from it, but you will enjoy a really rich musical experience. Monday 18th June, 8.30 pm.

ADVANCE NOTICE

On Monday September 17th we are having a return visit by guitarist James Fenn, and again he will be accompanied by Vasilis Xenopoulos on sax, Lisa Amato on bass guitar and Chris Nicholls on drums.Those who came last time were truly knocked out by the music. I have never seen so many Cheshire Cat smiles on punters faces as that night.So, if you WERE there, you know you wont want to miss it, and if you weren't there, you really don't want to miss it again. I've attached a poster about this gig (in .PDF format), so if you can put it up somewhere where others can see it, please print it off and pin it up.

CD

Whilst on guitarists, my memorable CD listen this week has been the reissue of Wes Montgomery's album "Full House". It's been reissued and remastered in 24 bit stereo by the original producer Orin Keepnews. Its on Riverside 0888072301290 (yes, I know it looks like a Microsoft encryption key), and Riverside are part of the Concord Music Group. Recorded and issued originally in 1962, it still sounds fresh and hasn't dated in any way. With Wes were Johnny Griffin on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly piano, Paul Chambers bass and Jimmy Cobb on Drums. Some of the tracks have alternative takes that haven't been issued before, and it was all recorded live (as the saying goes, but otherwise it would be a very quiet CD) at a coffee house called Tsubo in Berkeley, California, (which incidentally is where Vasilis Xenopoulos gained his MMus). Its about 80 minutes of superb guitar led bop, and should be in everyone's collection, so there!

Well, its so there from me for a bit, I hope to be at Hedsor this week to catch up with the live stuff, so I hopefully will see you there!!

TTFN

This time, not a jazz nag extra, but a jazz nag reduction!!

Sorry to say chaps, but guitarist Peter O'Brian is really too busy to come and see us on Thursday.

I'm sure our lucky dip selection will still be a prize-winner!

Geoff C

NOT the house I was staying in!

Guitarist Peter O'Brian "in concert"

All that Jazz from Geoff, back again after a week in tropical Gloucestershire (well the rain was tropical!).

And briefly to remind you of two Jazz gigs, connected by a guitar.

Firstly comes our regular weekly meeting at The Hedsor Social Club, and this weeks guest alongside trombone maestro Clive Burton, is a wonderful guitarist whom we haven't had the privilege of hearing for some time. Peter O'Brian earns his living from the world of rock guitar, but he is a supreme exponent of jazz guitar as well, and we featured him as our guest at a concert some 3 years ago. He has been very busy, and we are really lucky to get him back to play for us this week. Don't miss it, he really is very, very, good. A year or so ago, at Hedsor he played alongside Simon Spillett. Neither had come across the other before, and I remember Simon saying that he had "played with many guitarists who thought they were Eric Clapton, well, this man really could be!!" So, that's THIS THURSDAY 7th June (D DAY plus One) at 8.30 pm. Usual restrictions apply, pay at the door to get in (£3) buy a raffle ticket to get out.

The other guitarist we are looking forward to listening to at Hedsor is Chris Flegg. He hasn't been seen at Hedsor before, but will be there as part of my little series on the different aspects of the jazz guitar. Chris himself can play a number of those aspects all by himself. I was most impressed with him alongside some of the Gypsy Jazz fraternity from Club Django at the Cookham Festival's jazz concert, and he will be with us on June 18th from 8.30pm. With him will be the familiar face of Ken Rankine. Ken, as we all know, plays an upright bass, but in the past he has played the electric sort, and in a boy pop band too. Ask him about it. He was often on the "Radio" when it was called that! Entry fee for this extravaganza is £5, with all of the take going to the musicians, so do come along and give them your support. Its an intimate room, the bar at Hedsor, and ideal for this small group, almost chamber, form of jazz.

Sunday this week I shall probably be back in Glouctershire, but back at Fifield will be saxophonist John Rolls. Free entry, but please buy some raffle tickets.

Coming back to us at Hedsor on September 17th as part of my guitar jazz adventure, will be James Fenn, with the same group of musicians who thrilled all who came to see them on my first jazz guitar night. These are Vasilis Xenopoulis on saxophones, a really outstanding young player with a MMus from Berklee College of Music in California, Chris Nickolls on drums, and Lisa Amato on bass guitar. Don't miss it, they were jaw droppingly good last time, and they hadn't played together before!! This will be the second time, do come and persuade them that they need to make it a regular band.

Whilst on all things Hedsor, Jeff, the barman does sometimes prepare some filled bread rolls for consumption. If you think you could use one or more on any given jazz night, it might be a good idea to let him know in advance (tel:01628 521921).

I haven't listened to any new commercial recordings this past week, but I have heard 2 that James Fenn has been involved in. First was the one he sold on his first guitar night gig with us, doing some of the music he performed with Vasilis X. Its called "The Bureau of Missing Persons", and includes Lisa on bass, and David O'Higgins in place of said Xenopoulis. Do come and ask him for a copy in September.

The other CD, was definitely a non commercial venture. Recorded before an audience, therefore live!! in May 2006, its a kind of updated trad ramble, that the leader of the ensemble, saxophonist and singer Johhny Boston, called an Evening Odyssey. The cast does include Alan Barnes, so it isn't too traditional, but it is fun, and if you plead with James, he may copy one for you. It will of course come in a plain brown envelope to protect the innocent.

That is it from me for now. I have rambled, and I've gambled, but I'm sure it will be the whiskey that cuts me down!

Geoff C

http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

I just thought I would take this opportunity of reminding you all, as I will be absent with leave for a few days, of all the things I will miss during my awayness!

TONIGHT at The Hedsor Social Club, with Clive Burton and his sober men, saxophonist Pete Davis.

Sunday at Fifield the guest will be guitarist Max Britain

Thursday 31st May at Hedsor, the guest is saxophonist John Rolls.

On Sunday 3rd June, the guest at Fifield will be trumpet star Pete Towndrow.

I shall be returning to listen with you to guitarist Peter O'Brian, at Hedsor with the quartet on Thursday June 7th. Someone I'm particularly glad not to be missing. He now has more work than ever before, and if you haven't heard him at one of our gigs (or at a concert a couple of years ago) then turn out, or live with your regret!! He is VERY good.

I have actually had time to listen to a couple of CD's this week.

On Columbia Jazz, "Benny Goodman 1939 - 1951" is a compilation of very good tracks that span the different musicians he has had around him. The original quartet, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Gene Kroupa, to the recreated group of the 50's, which had Mel Powel on piano, Red Norvo on vibes, and Dave Tough on Drums. It includes tracks from the early big band of 1939, and also a later band (that the sleeve notes say is unknown), from 1951. All in all a good compilation if you want to have a small comparative selection, and not a boxed set!! Columbia SMM5096232

Another enjoyable (but more modern) album is "Heartplay" by just Charlie Haden on bass and Antonio Forcione on guitar. Stunningly recorded, it just show what two superb musicians can do on their own. That's right, it is just the two of them.Naim CD098

Lastly, and not strictly jazz, a friend has given me a copy of "A Decade of Steely Dan". a modern "soft rock" "group" that I always enjoyed. The highlight for me is a vocal less track lasting 2 minutes 50 seconds. They do a stunning version of Duke Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-oo"

As usual, the artwork will be on the blog, but for now, goodbye.

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Good Monday friends,

Just a little reminder that you can come out and enjoy a little light jazz tonight, May 21st, at The Hedsor Social Club.

Tonight we have the Third in my series of Guitar Jazz presentations, and from 8.30 pm onwards, for the one off payment of £5 (there will be no raffle, that's an absolute promise) you can investigate and enjoy "Gypsy Jazz" led by guitarist Monty Greenhalgh. This band takes as its inspiration the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Its a light, bouncy, style of music, which, to me, always sounds full of joy.

ALL the money taken at the door will be handed over to the musicians, so DO come along and give it a try. The bar has club pricing, and fresh rolls can be obtained from the bar for around £1 each.

Geoff C

The Lain Barnes Allstars Album with Mike Wills

The Winard Harper Album

A reminder, first of all, that if you consult the list I produced last week you will see that at HEDSOR TONIGHT, we have that very accomplished guitarist, John Coverdale. A very self effacing musician, you may already know him if your child goes to Eton, as he teaches guitar to the Collage students there. If you don't, then come and hear his very polished playing tonight at Hedsor, from 8.30 pm, £3 to get in, and a raffle ticket to get out. He will, of course, be playing with The Clive Burton Quartet.

I'm still getting very positive feedback about last Fridays concert. The Clive Burton Quintet, plus John Slater on trumpet, played a masterful Dixieland session, which showed their versatility off brilliantly. Its a pity more didn't turn out to hear them.

Sunday at Fifield, the guest will be saxophonist Pete Davis.

MONDAY 21st (yes, next week, after Saturdays cup final, just when you thought life was no longer worth living!) I have my next Guitar Jazz night at The Hedsor Social Club. This will feature Gypsy Jazz led by guitarist Monty Greenhalgh. Do come along to this extremely foot tapping evening, £5 on the door, NO RAFFLE, you can feel free to leave at any time! But I'm sure you will want to stay till the very end.8.30 pm start.

For your future diary entries, I am gong to use the third Monday of the month for my guitar jazz evenings, as it leaves a little more space between the last Monday (as they were going to be) and the first Tuesday, where Mo runs the Bourne End Community Centre Jazz evening. We must leave ample time in a week for you all to wash your hair!!

Whilst mentioning Hedsor Social Club, jazz is gently being extended there. Watch out for another band taking another Monday soon! ALSO in response to the many starving fans who in the past have only been able to gorge themselves on Crisps and Chocolate bars from the bar menu, you will now be able to look forward to fresh filled bread rolls. Prepared by Jeff, the bar man, himself, they will be on sale to interested parties for around £1 each.

For those of you who don't know any of the musicians by name, and they would like to find out more about them, and also to find some more jazz in the Chiltern Area, an excellent web site to go to is http://www.jazzeddie.f2s.com/ I will try to add in some more detail of the musicians playing for us each week, but sometimes, time is of the essence, and I don't always have time to put it all down. Many of you I know, do know all about all of our guests, but equally, many don't. Always try Eddie's site, it is a mine of information.

One of the features of Thursdays at Hedsor is the raffle. It has been known for me to provide cd's for this that have not been snapped up by interested and knowledgeable jazz fans (or perhaps they have been deliberately left there by interested and knowledgeable jazz fans, I'm not sure), anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I won back in the raffle a cd so donated by myself! "By Yourself" by Winard Harper, is one of those CD's with a cover that is almost impossible to understand. Get inside, and the sleeve notes were especially written for microdot transfer. And so, as most people had never hear of said Harper, it was left unsold. However, as mine, I just had to find out the truth about this CD. Mr Harper is a young drummer, and the music isn't unintelligible dribble, but very clean modern bop. He also has some interesting partners on it. Don Braden on Tenor Sax, and Eddie Henderson on trumpet for two. Add in some tracks with David "Fathead" Newman on tenor as well, and you have a cracking album. When will record producers learn that its no good putting modern art on the cover with absolutely no idea of who is playing what.If any record shop can read the numbers off the cover, it is on epicure 478197 2, marketed through Sony Music.

Another CD I will mention features a live set by saxophonist Mike Wills. It was a great pleasure to have him playing with the band on Friday, and he appears on "Laughing at Life" with the Lains Barn Allstars. This is an album that will delight our more traditional jazz loving friends, and was recorded at Lains Barn in Wantage Oxfordshire on March 16th 2006. Its a great "territory" band, with Mike and Tony Blincowe on reeds, Ben Cummings trumpet, Kevin Grenfell trombone, Roger Heely piano, Dave Moorwood guitar, Roger Davis bass and Tony Augarde on drums. Its on p.e.k sound PKCD 304

As usual, the artwork for both CD's will be on the blog.

Thats it for now folks,

Geoff C

From Dixieland to Swing The Front Line

Hi everyone.

This is just a short report on how Fridays concert went.

First of all,there are many to thank for helping to make the evening such a pleasant musical event, not least the band. It was really great to have Mike Wills back playing for us again, and the combination of Mike and Clive, with the addition of John Slater on trumpet was just right for the music being played (mostly Chicago style Dixieland). They were incisive, their harmonies were (for impromptu arrangement) magical, and the rhythm section of John Money, Zane Cronje and Martin Hart, kept the whole event swinging too.

I heard one or two comments from the audience. One lady was heard to say that "Zanes hands could excite her"! and after Martin's Gene Kruppa style drum solo near the end of the show one jazz regular was heard to say it "has put him in a new light". Martin's solo really was show stopping, well, the audience stopped talking anyway!! Joking aside, it did really cause a few jaws to drop!!

And the finale? I personally have never heard Clive sing, but with John Slater also singing, they made a terrific job of "Hit That Jive Jack". I know that our regular Hedsor gig is more for the boppers of this world, but I for one, would love to reassemble Fridays cast and do it all again at Hedsor. Musically the concert was just great.

The room was also great to look at, warm and friendly, and I must thank Helen and Michael Weinblatt (together with some family associates!) for taking charge of laying it all out and in helping to clear it all away again. Thanks team.

What wasn't so cheering was the size of the audience. It was nice enough to show the band that they had one, but not nearly large enough to give Cancer Research the sort of sum we have been able to give them in the past. Some final monies are still to be received, but at the moment I am in a position to give £260 to Cancer Research UK. This is well down on previous years.

We have now run 5 events for CRUK, 4 being at Bourne End Community Centre, and I really will have to think hard about running another in this same format again.

A good time however was had by all, and I am grateful to all who turned out, either to play, help or simply be an audience.

As I keep saying, in jazz, the audience is as important as the musicians. Without an audience we cannot keep live jazz alive.

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Hi Everyone,

This is a busy week, this one (aren't they all?). So I will only mention things briefly this time, and elaborate on them perhaps later.

A list of forthcoming gigs:-

Thursday, 10th May at Hedsor, with the Clive Burton Quartet, Simon Spillett sax.

Friday, 11th May at The Bourne End Community Centre, "From Dixieland to Swing", our annual concert for Cancer Research, 8pm tickets £10

Sunday 13th May at Fifield Inn, with Century Jazz, Pete Davis sax

Thursday 17th May at Hedsor, John Coverdale guitar

Sunday 20th May at Fifield, Pete Davis sax

Monday 21st May at Hedsor, Gypsy Jazz (part of my Guitar Jazz series)

Thursday 24th May at Hedsor, Pete Davis sax

Sunday 27th at Fifield, Max Britain guitar

Thursday 31st May at Hedsor, John Rolls sax

Sunday 3rd June at Fifield, Pete Towndrow trumpet

Thursday 7th June at Hedsor, Peter O'Brian guitar

Sunday 10th June at Fifield, John Rolls, sax

Thursday gigs start at 8.30 pm, and will cost you £3 to get in, plus a raffle to get out.

Sunday gigs start at 8 pm, are free, but it is very advisable to buy a raffle ticket from the landlord in order to get out!

Alternatively on Alternate Sundays (!), starting at 6.30 pm at The Red Lion at Bradenham Bobby Orr (drums) leads a mainstream jazz session that finishes at 9 pm. ring 01494 562212 for details.

I will let you know before each gig more about the event, and hopefully I will have time to start telling you that I have listened to some recorded jazz, but for now, very like that other Geoffrey,

Goodbye,

Geoff C

Ok, back from five days away, its again back to the jazz fray, and TOMORROW night, Monday 30th April we have the second in my series on the jazz guitar, held at The Hedsor Social Club. With this series, I'm trying to demonstrate different aspects, and use, of the guitar in jazz, and tomorrow we have London Based guitarist Tim Saunders, who, with local guitarist Max Britain, will be showing us his interpretation, which is slightly more ethereal than the fusion sound we had last month from guitarist James Fenn and his team (wasn't it a wonderful start to the series?). As before, my chosen musician chooses the people he wants to play with him, and we hand the evening over to them to entertain and educate.It starts at 8.30pm, it will cost you £5 to get in, and you will be totally free to leave after that! No raffle!! The musicians get paid what you pay at the door, so the more of you that come, the more they get!!

An advance notice about the May guitar jazz evening. It will be on Monday 21st, and will feature Monty Greenhalgh and the sounds of Club Django. For more info on them see their web site http://www.clubdjango.co.uk/pages/pv.asp?p=ls3

Tuesday May 1st at The Bourne End Community Centre Bar, Mo is puttin on the Katya Kaplinski Five. 8.30 pm start, £4 entry, which includes a raffle ticket, and you get a supper break thrown in too.

Just to also remind you that at Hedsor on Thursday 3rd we have Sax star Pete Cook, and on Sunday 6th at Fifield we have another sax star Simon Spillett.

Concerts are popping onto the near horizon (can you have a near horizon? Yes, certainly if you are an organiser!!). Saturday 5th May for the Shirtlifter organiser Charles Benson is a near one!! The Cookham Festival's Jazz evening involves that locally based trad fun band in a concert at Cookhams Pinder Hall. 8 pm start £8 entry, cafe style seating, bar etc.

And for me, my near horizon is Friday May 11th at The Bourne End Community Centre. The (now) annual Jazz Concert to raise money for Cancer Research UK starts at 8pm, and tickets are available at £10 each from Crocks and Crystals in Bourne End, or Delizioso in Cookham. Again, this is a Cafe style Concert, bring your own food, and buy your drinks at the club bar. This year the title of the concert is "From Dixieland to Swing", and I'm sure it will get all of your feet tapping.

More on jazz later in the week, but for now

Goodbye.


Geoff C

After last weeks mammoth posting of all things jazz, only a little reminder that TOMORROW Thursday, at The Hedsor social Club, we have alongside the Clive Burton Quartet, that wonderful sax player Simon Spillett. Do come along, pay your £3 into the Red Box to get in, listen to some wonderful music, and buy your raffle ticket to enable you to get out!

Also, on SUNDAY at The Fifield Inn, a great combination of Pete Davis on saxophones, and guitar ace Max Britain, backed by Century Jazz. 8 pm start.free entry

Max Britain is also playing at Hedsor on Monday April 30th, alongside Hammersmith guitarist Tim Saunders as part of my "Guitar Jazz" series of mini concerts. £5 entrance for these Monday events

Looking and Booking ahead for this, on May 21st my Monday Date will be guitarist Monty Greenhalgh, who will be demonstrating the influence that Django Reinhardt had on guitar jazz and he will be bringing others with him to help get that distinctive gypsy sound. Tell your friends, and please note, there are 2 bank holiday Mondays in May, but this isn't one of them!

Also a little reminder to get your tickets for the May 11th Cancer Research Concert "From Dixieland to Swing". £10 each. This will be a Cafe style concert in the Bourne End Community Centre from 8 pm.

That's it for now folks. Reviews later, but don't forget to look out for further bargain packs of second hand, part used, almost new CD's at most of my gigs!!

Geoff C

http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com

Geoff's sporadic reminder

Or Nag, about JAZZ!

First, I hope you all had a happy Easter break, and that the stress and strain of getting to all the gigs we put on has been repaired by the sunshine!!

And just to test your resolve, below is the list of some of the gigs in the next few weeks that I hope you can now support!

TOMORROW night April 11th, at The Players Theatre Thame, Martin Hart will be leading a rhythm section behind Elvin Roy on clarinet,and a host of guitarist in "Guitar Summit".

This Thursday April 12th at The Hedsor Social Club.
Clive is taking a short break to investigate Suffolk, and this week we will have a quartet led by John Rolls on tenor saxophone. Its £3 to get in and a raffle to get out! Start 8.30 pm. And in case you have forgotten, The Hedsor Bar is now a smoke free zone.

Sunday 15th at The Fifield Inn, with Century Jazz we have lovely swinging tenor from Al Nichols. 8 pm start, hot food available, free entry, raffle funded.

Thursday 19th at Hedsor, the guest will be Simon Spillett on tenor saxophone.

Sunday 22nd at Fifield, an almost unmissable evening with Pete Davis on saxophones, and Max Britain on guitar, plus of course, Century Jazz.

Thursday 26th Hedsor welcomes back Al Nichols

Saturday 28th at The Woodley Theatre, Martin Hart will be propelling (if needed!), Simon Spillett

Sunday 29th at Fifiled the guest will be reedman Clem Adleman.

Monday 30th at The Hedsor Social Club, the second in my series of Guitar Jazz sessions we have Tim Saunders and Max Britain. 8.30 start, £5 to get in, no raffle, just enjoy the jazz.

A couple of May evenings to get you all excited about:

Thursday 3rd at Hedsor, we have Pete Cook on saxophones.

Saturday 5th in Cookhams Pinder Hall The Fabulous Shirtlifters and friends will be taking part in the Cookham Festival 8 pm start, £8 to get in, and it will be cafe style.

Sunday 6th at Fifield it will be Simon Spillett

But most important of all Friday May 11th is another of my annual Jazz Concerts to raise money for Cancer Research UK. This year its entitled "From Dixieland to Swing", and we will be delighted to take £10 from you for a ticket. I've attached to the email version of this nag a PDF file of the advert. If you can print and display it I would be most obliged. You will have seen most of the players before, but a special welcome is reserved for Mike Wills, whom we are looking forward to greeting following on from his recovery from the serious heart attack he had just before Christmas. Another cardiac recoverer appearing that night will be trumpet and keyboard ace John Slater. Yes, he like me has had heart surgery!

Well enough for now. Do put at least some of these dates in your diary. We try hard to keep jazz music alive in this area, but it will only stay alive if you come out to listen!!

TTFN

Geoff C

Gigs this week

TONIGHT April 1st
You still have time to get to see Simon Spillett at The Fifield Inn with Century Jazz from 8 pm, raffle funded, hot food available.

TUESDAY
The Al Nicholls Quartet, featuring Max Britain, Rex Bennett and Bob Haddrell are at The Bourne End Community Centre for Mo's Monthly Jazz event. £4 entry gets you in, but also gets you half time refreshments. Its should be a great evening, after all, look who's playing!

WEDNESDAY
There is another spectacular at the Harrow (up the Hughenden Valley) 8.30 pm - courtesy of hosts Paul and Elaine.. i.e its totally free and a Sort of pre-Easter blow.This of course will feature the usual suspects of Lynn Garner, Brad Lang and Ken McCarthy - so anything can happen. (and Ken said that!).

THURSDAY
Back to The Hedsor Social Club for a very pre Easter blow, from Clive Burton and the boys in the band, with a "very special guest", who may even have been booked by now!

The Cancer Research Jazz Concert Fundraiser
This year is on May 11th, is called "From Dixieland to Swing", and tickets are available at £10 each from me, Crocks and Crystals in Bourne End, or Delizioso in Cookham. The great news about this event is that Mike Wills will be part of the band. Yes, he is well enough now to start playing again. He cannot drive himself yet, but by careful use of energy, he is back playing).

Don't forget that all profit from this concert goes to Cancer Research UK.

CD Review
Those wonderful people at Lake Records have just released a double album that fills in the gaps in their previous releases of Humphrey Lyttelton recordings. It covers that great transitional period from Bechet style revivalist to mainstream. Here is the bit in the middle. From 1955 - 56, including all the tracks from 2 10" LP's and a number of EP's. Its that band that had Stan Greig on Drums (he couldn't get a job as a pianist!), but saw him replaced by Eddie Taylor. Its that band with Bruce Turner and Walley Fawlkes, Its the band with John Picard on trombone. Its that band that played "Bad Penny Blues", and its follow up "Echoing The Blues". This is a double album, and it ends with "Christopher Columbus" and "Swing Out" which he surely went on to do.

This album should be in every British jazz lovers collection, and although all of the previously issued vinyl tracks have been in my collection for decades, it surely going to be kept in my CD racks from now on. Go and buy it, or you will miss out, not swing out!
LACD238, 2 cd's for the price of one and yet its called "Bad Penny Blues"!

That's about it for now, but do go and see some of the live jazz that's near to you, after all, we try to keep it available!!

Have a great Easter, but don't eat too much chocolate!

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Last night was the first in my new series of jazz "recitals" at Hedsor highlighting the guitar, and what a pleasure it all was.

When starting a new venture like this, one is full of doubts, and obviously anxious about its reception. How good has the publicity been? Will you be grossly out of pocket? Will the idea work anyway?

I now have an answer to some of it. Yes, next month (Monday April 30th) I shall be just as worried about getting an audience in for the event, but I do now know that it works!

James Fenn used to play for me (with Lisa Amato, and Zane Cronje and James Davis) at The Old Bell, until an unpleasantness with the landlord put a stop to our music there. We did have one night there with Dave O'Higgins, in the original "Bureau of Missing Persons", but last nights re-manifestation of that band was a more enjoyable event.

James is now better know, is playing for real money with a wonderful set of musicians (including Johnny Boston) and it shows. Musically more inventive, and a great, on the spot, leader. Lisa not only continues to add beauty to the beasts, but is becoming more confident on electric bass to the extent of even soloing now and again. The other half of the ensemble were new to me, and a real musical find.

For those not at last nights gig, on tenor saxophone we had Vasilis Xenopoulos.A young musician, who gained his MMus at Berklee College of Music, and gives a really positive answer to everyone who says that young people don't like and cant play true jazz. He was inventive, melodic, rhythmic, able to think on his feet, to improvise and interplay with James, and for me was a real joy to listen to. He brought with him his regular drummer, Chris Nicholls. Playing a very small kit, he didn't over hit, was alive to the melody, was beat stable, and very inventive.

In one word, the band were terrific. Amplified Guitar was wonderfully demonstrated. Post bop modern jazz is alive and doing well. Thanks again chaps for finding your way to Hedsor.

Now for some other, yet to be missed, gigs!

Thursday, again at Hedsor (is this Bucks answer to Ronnie Scotts? At least you don't pay £4 a drink here) this week, Clive Burton's guest is a lovely trumpet player Pete Towndrow. He really is a man not to be missed. Probably twice the age of last nights musicians, but his music is fresh, melodic and punchy in turns, and 2 brass blowers at Hedsor should be well worth your £3 entry fee. Don't forget to purchase your exit pass as well though! This event is partially raffle funded.8.30 pm start.

Sunday this week we have another young man making a big name for himself on the UK Jazz stage. At Fifield, the guest will be Simon Spillett, who according to Humph is "Awesome". Well, Humph is right! Its free to get out, but the landlord would like you to purchase a few raffle tickets before he lets you out!
its an 8 pm start at this venue.

Next Tuesday, and The Bourne End Community Centre, it will be the turn of Al Nicholls and his Quartet. 8.30 pm start £4 to get in, and this includes interval refreshments.

Well, that's it for now folks. CD revues next week, but the blog will have "The Bureau" CD artwork on it.

TTFN

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Don't forget folks, have no regrets folks, because TONIGHT, Sunday March 25th you have a dilemma of choice.

Do you go to see ex Alex Welsh and Humph saxophonist John Barnes with Century Jazz at the Fifield Inn form 8 pm?

OR

Do you go and see Oregon Sax man Frank Griffith at The Red Lion, Bradenham from 6.30 pm?

Those of you with fast cars could fit in both! Bradenham gig ends at 9 pm, Fifield 10.30 pm!!

BUT

MONDAY, March 26th no dilemma, because its the first guitar jazz night at The Hedsor Social Club, and from 8.30 pm tomorrow night you will be able to hear James Fenn, Lisa Amato, together with friends which include Vassilis Xenopoulos (at least I think that's how it's spelled) who was a top saxophone student at Berklee and now making a big noise on the London jazz scene.

Don't miss out, turn out!!

See you very soon!

Geoff C

I thought I would update you on Peter Cook, the guest for this Thursdays Hedsor Social Club gig.

Peter Cook, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet Active on the London jazz scene since 1992, Peter plays saxophone in a variety of ensembles including his own Peter Cook Septet. He completed the post-graduate course in jazz studies at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 1994 and obtained an LGSM in jazz studies. Since then he has performed at many jazz festivals in the UK, mainland Europe and Scandinavia as a member of Ray Gelato’s Giants and Blue Harlem. A respected composer and arranger, Peter has written for The Guildhall Jazz Band, Ray Gelato Giants, his own Septet, Blue Harlem, Seymour's Jump, and for vocalists Louise Cookman and Joan Viskant. From 1995 he lectured in performance at Brunel University until his appointment as Head of Jazz at the London College of Music and Media at Thames Valley University in 2003. He is Saxophone Tutor at Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire.

Information kindly supplied by Eddie Fowler.

I hope this entices even more of you than those already commited!!

Geoff C

Good Morning Jazz Fans,

This bit is not quite a nag, more a bleat!

We are one week away from my first Guitar Jazz night at The Hedsor Social Club, and being of a nervous disposition, I thought I would remind you!!

I hate being amongst a load of great musicians all by myself. I would be delighted if some of you joined me, paying the entry fee of just £5 (just £5!). All of this entry fee will go towards paying the musicians, and keeping me out of the bankruptcy court!!

The 2 stringed guitar players present on Monday 26th March are James Fenn, currently touring the continent with Jonny Boston, and well know multi talented local (and very pretty) musician Lisa Amato on bass guitar.They have promised to bring other friends along to make it a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Some of you will have heard them when part of "The Usual Suspects", and will know the shear expertise they bring to amplified guitar music.

I'm really thrilled that they are coming to open what I hope will be a very enjoyable series of mini concerts at the Hedsor Social Club. In the next few months, the last Monday of the month will become guitar jazz night at The Hedsor Club, all starting at 8.30 pm.

I have included artwork for a poster which I hope you will be able to put on display this week somewhere people will see it.

Please make this new local jazz event know to as many as possible, and just go on proving to government that live music is a cultured activity, enjoyed by very nice people!!

Now a more Nagging bit!

The guest artist for this Thursday at The Hedsor Social Club will be alto player Peter Cook. Usual rules apply. £3 to get in, raffle tickets to get out!! 8.30 start. Come and enjoy the unique experience of Jazz at Hedsor. Like all good things, it wont always be there!!

Don't forget that this coming Sunday, Fifield has as its guest that wonderful British reed player John Barnes. Now following an independent path, he was with the legendary Alex Welsh band in the 1960's and 70's, and then with Humph's Band. Wonderful player and humorist, do ask him for a souvenir reed. He sells his old ones off in many different flavours...stale tobacco, cheese and onion, best bitter etc.

Al Nichols and Blue Harlem

Last Fridays concert at Maidenheads Norden Farm was a very enjoyable event. The singer did remarkably well considering she had been drafted in at very short notice. The band (a six piece manifestation) were very tight and swinging, and the arrangements wonderful. It really was only a six piece, but sounded much larger. The only criticism I would have is that more links to the audience, with more info on the music, would have made us all feel more of a part of the occasion. Al hadn't played Norden Farm since the Memorial Concert to Keith Vitty 4 years ago. That event (for Cancer Research UK) was recorded, and some Cd's of the complete concert are still available, do make contact if you want one.

It was lovely to have at Norden Farm for Al's concert, both Dave Vitty, Keith's brother, and Julie Evans, wife of Ernie, who had promoted both the concert and its recording, and who sadly passed away 2 years ago.

I did wondered in my mailing last week how Maidenhead would cope with a jump and jive band like Blue Harlem, and now we know. The 2 people brave enough to try and dance were asked to leave!! And "they" want to make us more fit!! I suppose it was on health and safety grounds that the dancing was stopped!!

Well, at least our souls were gladdened by the sounds, even if we weren't allowed to "Slap Norden Farm with The Souls of our Shoes" (with apologies to Duke Ellington).

See you at another secret meeting of us jazz fans, at a place near you!!

Geoff C
http;//jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com

Geoff’s Jazz Nag

Monday, 12 March 2007


Hi Folks,

Just a little reminder today of some of the jazzy items you can look forward to in the coming week. I’m away from home at the moment, and therefore using “strange” equipment to get this important message to you, so please bear with it, and I will enlarge on some of these items when I get back.

Thursdays guest at The Hedsor Social Club is that warm sounding tenor player John Rolls. Someone who not only plays in an older jazz style , but actually has lived through the musical period himself!! Our usual excellent resident quartet will be with us, led by trombone maestro Clive Burton. Entry is as usual, £3 into our red box, exit permits come with numbers on and can be purchased at half time!! Start time is 8.30 pm.

Friday, yes Friday, Norden Farm will be presenting Blue Harlem. Why do I mention this? Because said band is led and organised by our great friend and tenor sax star Al Nichols. We are privileged to see and hear him fairly often at both Hedsor and Fifield, as part of a quintet, but on Friday, for a small sum that is significantly bigger than our small sum, you can see and hear his entire orchestra, Blue Harlem. They play 1940’s, early fifties style swing, a bit like Count Basie’s band. And they are fronted by a gorgeous singer. OK, it’s now a different gorgeous singer than for the last 5 years, but gorgeous non the less. This is what Blue Harlem’s website (http://www.blueharlem.co.uk/) has to say about this :-

First the bad news: after singing with Blue Harlem for more than 5 years Imelda May has decided to move on to pastures new. She is all set to launch a solo career, in which endeavour we wish her every success.
Now for the good news: following extensive research, interviews and auditions Blue Harlem have a terrific replacement in Carla Viegas, an established performer in her native Portugal, and Brazil, whose experience belies her relatively tender age.
Carla Viegas has been involved with performing arts since the age of 7, and has since then been involved in theatre, musical theatre, cinema, dance and music. She was an established singer in Portugal with a career spanning nearly a decade, and has released several albums.
Carla has sung professionally both covers and originals, has been involved in solo and band projects, composition and production, and has considerable experience of studio, stage, live tours, TV, radio, theatre, cinema, musicals and choreography.






Al gave me a copy of his latest CD (Talk to Me) last visit, and it’s a knockout (no, not that mildly royal silly game). 9 Guys and one girl, (not named Mo, but the music is similar) I’m very intrigued to see how Norden Farm copes!! They usually fill places like the Pigalle Club or 100 club, and Maidenhead doesn’t know yet the excitement they are going to generate. Norden Farm is Maidenheads Centre for the Arts. As I am away I haven’t got their details to hand, but they have got a website, so do look them up, and if there are tickets left, buy one.

The CD, if you cant make Friday, is a worthy purchase by itself. It joyous music, that at one time when English was allowed to be correctly used, would have been called Gay. “Hallelujah I Love Him So”, “That’s How I Feel About You”, “I Just Want To Make Love To You” (true!!), will all have you cutting a rug, as they used to say in America!!

Well, that lot should get you through to Sunday when you can get another fix at The Fifield Inn from 8 pm. Century Jazz are totally raffle funded, and any landlord who is prepared these days to put on live music should be congratulated. Do please support such a worthy man, and band!!

Don’t forget folks, that watching a big screen football match in a public place is perfectly legal without a licence, as is poll dancing, but live music isn’t. Any promoter trying to do put on any sort of live music can go to prison, and/or be find £20,000.

And they thought Van Gough was mad!!

I will write more jazz naggings soon, until then

Write to your MP!!

TTFN

Geoff C

Darkest Ipswich

Hi Folks,

Or as Gilly Potter used to say, “Hello England”.

And this weeks Nag will be almost full of things to go out to in the evenings! And in England!!

Tonight is a First Tuesday. On First Tuesdays Mo runs Jazz at The Bourne End Community Centre bar. And this being no exception, for a small fee (£4 still I think, I may be wrong) you can hear from 8.30 onwards Davey Jones Trad Band, AND pick up a light supper at half time and even possibly win a raffle prize with your entry ticket!!

So, having swallowed that, you may like to know the future bookings for this event? Well

April 3rd it will be Al Nicholls and his quartet.

May 1st they will have Danish Singer Katya Kaplinski and her trio.

Whilst still in The Bourne End Community Centre area, on April 14th at 7.30, Mo is running her annual jazz supper, which is a 2 COURSE MEAL, WITH The Northside Jazzband (a traditional group) all for a £14 ticket

On May 11th (a Friday) I am promoting another concert at Bourne End to raise money for Cancer Research UK. This year it is entitled “From Dixeland to Swing”. It will be Café style seating, so that you can bring your own picnic, and tickets for that will be £10 each. The musical ensemble will be led by Clive Burton, a trusted player for all of the jazz styles that we will represent that night.

Wednesday Nights

Al Nichols has written :

"Hi Geoff,
Have got my dates for the King & Castle in March:
14th & 28th both with Rex Bennett on drums & Bob Haddrell on electric piano (& bass pedals!)
Jeff Williams trio are doing the other Wednesdays.

Cheers, Al"

That’s in Windsor from 6.30 to 9pm.

On Friday 16th March you can see Al with his entire band (Blue Harlem) at Maidenheads Norden Farm, tickets for which are still available.

Thursdays at The Hedsor Social Club we have the following line up of guests with The Clive Burton Quintet:

This week (8th March) quixotic reedman Clem Adelman

March 15th Tenor man John Rolls

We still need to confirm the 22nd, but for March 29th it will be wonderful trumpet player Pete Towndrow.

Hedsor Thursdays start at 8.30 pm, will cost you £3 to get in and a raffle ticket or 15 to get out!!

Sundays

At the Fifield Inn, from 7.30 pm, Century Jazz have as their guests:-

March 11th Pete Davis AND Clem Adleman

March 18th John Coverdale, a very accomplished guitar player

March 25th The Amazing saxophonist John Barnes! Yep, that’s right, ex Alex Welsh, ex Humph, ex cellent! Don’t miss out!

April 1st, nobodies fool Simon Spillett, of whose new CD “Introducing Simon Spillett” Humph said last night it was “formidable”. But we’ve know that for ages haven’t we!! Simon told me of a fan who purchased Simons new cd, and told him that he always listened to his jazz cd’s on his exercise bike. Some time after the purchase, he saw Simon again, and told him it had given him the hardest workout of his life!!

Sundays are going to be come a battle for many peoples consciences, because recently started at The Red Lion in Bradenham Village, on the A4010 out of West Wycombe, Bobby Orr is leading a jazz night from 6.30 pm ‘till 9pm.

Its raffle funded and next Sunday the line up is Bobby on Drums, Paul Morgan on bass, Don Innes piano and KELVIN CHRISTIANE on sax. It runs every other Sunday.

Mondays

Starting on Monday 26th March, and then hopefully every last Monday of the month, at The Hedsor social Club, I am starting a new venture to illustrate the place of the guitar in jazz. As a start we have James Fenn leading an ensemble of his choice, which includes bass guitarist Lisa Amato, with probable additional drums and sax as yet unspecified. £5 entry, no raffle and absolutely all money raised will go the musicians, so come along in your droves please.

The last Monday of April the guest guitarists will be Tim Saunders and MAX BRITAIN.

IF I can persuade you to come out in sufficient numbers, we will try to make this a regular event.

Well, I think that’s enough for now. Next week, hopefully some CD revues, including the Al Nicholls Blue Harlem album, just in time for his Norden Farm Concert!!

Tat Tar For VERY Na

Geoff C http://www.jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

CORRECTION

The Next date for jazz at The Red Lion is March 11th, not 4th. It's an error from me!!

So, March 11th, Red Lion, Bradenham.

Geoff

Hi all,

Just thought I'd report on the event at Bradenham last night. Those who got my late breakinge news flash will be aware that a new Sunday night jazz venue has just started up in Bradenham's Red Lion pub.

The landlord (a face, even if not a name, know to me from the past at Hedsor) has recently taken over this pub, and this was his second night running jazz. He intends to do this every alternate Sunday evening, running between 6.30 pm and 9 pm. This way, he manages to fit in a session without alienating his evening drinkers!!

And the evening itself was tremendous!!

Willie Garnet is probably known to most of you as a Texas sounding tenor sax player, a large man with a large sound, who runs a big band. Add in behind him a drummer like Bobby Orr (it WAS Bobby Orr!), a bass player (unknown to me I think called Morgan), who played very inventive solo's and kept a nice filling sound going at all times, and John Critchenson on piano, and you have a recipe for the very best kind of British modern jazz. John C played some wonderful chromatic solos, Bobby drove the ensemble along with real verve, and the whole of the first set was an absolute delight. THEN, add on Alex Garnet (a younger and slimmer version of his dad) and the sound really gets interesting. THEN add to that mix none other than Simon Spillett and you have an absolutely roaring success. Even the raffle prizes were worth winning too!

The audience (I counted them all in, even if not back), was in excess of 50, which is pretty good for a new venture.

So do please bear it in mind for another Sunday. It wont always be the same pianist, but certainly it will all be put together by Bobby Orr, so it will be quality.

And due to the timing, I even got home in time to watch some TV!! So you could do it all on Sundays. Except eat. The pub doesn't do food on a Sunday night!!

The pub itself (The Red Lion) is situated on the A4010 going from West Wycombe to Princes Risborough, on the right hand side, and the car park is behind the pub.The next gig is on 4th March.

Well done landlord, the man in the cravat

Above is the artwork for one of Frank Griffith's Albums

OK, the Nag. is a bit late, and it will be short, as 2 of my grandchildren have been on half term!!

TONIGHT

At The Hedsor Social Club (perhaps we should now call it "The Famous Hedsor Social Club"!) with Clive Burton and the quartet we have that wonderful and swinging tenor saxophonist Al Nicholls.
£3 to get in, raffle to get out! Gig starts at 8.30pm

I will point out at this juncture, that the bar the music is played in is now a NO SMOKING area. At the moment, smoking is still allowed in the other bar.

Sunday, at The Fifield, a tenor player I personally don't know, Brian Thompson. Its a free gig, funded by a raffle, starts at 8pm, and good quality food is available.

At Hedsor next Thursday, March 1st American saxophonist, currently living in the UK, Frank Griffith will be our guest. Check out the website http://www.jazzorg.com/ for more info about him and the work he has done, BUT don't miss out on a live set by staying away!

Sunday 4th March at Fifield will be that lovely trumpet player Pete Towndrow.

LISTENING AT HOME

this week has been slightly truncated, but I have spent some time remastering some old reel to reel tapes of 1960's BBC Jazz Club Broadcasts. It has proved to me (again), that we did have some wonderful talent around, much underrated by ourselves. This is still a truism!! Do go out and listen to the live stuff, because it will be the stuff nostalgia is made of!!

TTFN, See you tonight,

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

I just thought I would put everyone's mind at rest, and say that 4th time was lucky, and I did have a very pleasant visit with Mike Wills on Tuesday. Attached is a photo taken Tuesday, showing Mike active in the role of tea maker!!

Also I am pleased to report that last Sunday, he managed 5 tunes on the bandstand at a lunchtime session in Oxford before Sam dragged him off. He said he felt fine, and that it was great to get back on the bandstand. He plans to come and see us all at Hedsor one Thursday very soon (purely as a punter you understand!).

No further surgery is being proposed for him, he just has to keep taking the tablets!! He will also be joining a cardiac rehab gym next week to get some of his former fitness back.

AND, if you look closely at your Swanage Jazz Festival program, you will see that he will be appearing there, and, in a different band, so will Clive Burton! We obviously have True greatness in our midst!

See you tonight at Hedsor for SIMON SPILLETT (and for those who don't know, he plays a saxophone!).

Geoff C

Another week, another missed visit (by me) to Mike Wills, well I did warn people. I said comet, but in fact it was snow!! Never mind, I hope to see him, and pass on all the good will messages to him TODAY, but, well, you never know!

Local gigs:-

Hedsor, on Thursday, our guest will be SIMON SPILLETT, so do make sure you turn out, you are bound to enjoy it, and make friends, and perhaps make someone happy! (even yourself).

As we are privileged to know from Simons regular visits to us, he is a rising star of the British Jazz Scene, and in my view, still an improving player. Yes, I know he has amazing technical command of the tenor sax, but he is now hearing, and playing with, other great British jazz musicians, and you can hear it in his playing. Its an 8.30 start at Hedsor, £3 to get in, but we do expect you to buy a raffle ticket for one of the amazing prizes on offer every week.

Whilst still at Hedsor, advance notice that I have been asked to organise a few extra gigs at the Hedsor club. So, on the last Monday of March (26th) I shall be starting an evening series involving the Jazz Guitar, featuring different players month by month. The first one will feature James Fenn, with Lisa Amato on bass, and, to quote her own words

"Hello Mr JazzSuspect,Thanks for the poster - very eye-catching and colourful. I'll have to change the wording though, as it now transpires that O'Hig can't make it. Why he wants to earn a fortune on the session scene is beyond me, but he now owes me a favour, so I'm sure we'll be able to drag him down at some point. However, the infinitely less famous bass holder shall be there and we have drafted in another bebop hotshot, so should be good."

O'Hig referred to was Dave O'Higgins, who had initially offered his support for the opening night.
I shall be charging £5 to get in, NO RAFFLE, so do come along. All the money processed on the door will pay the band, the more that come, the more they get!!

At Fifield on Sunday, almost in competition, we have guitarist Max Britain, 8pm start, free entry, raffle funded.

My April Monday guitar gig by the way will be led by London based Tim Saunders "with friends."

For those of you who like to mark their diaries up in advance, Thursday 22nd at Hedsor the guest will be saxophonist Al Nicholls.

Recorded Jazz

Continuing really with my guitar theme, I've listened to a very soothing CD by the virtuoso guitarist Antonio Forcione. Its a very simple album, only 2 players, and when I tell you that the other one is bassist Charlie Haden, you will realise that its a quality album, and great for late night Hi Fi listening. Its on the NAIM label, and some of you will know that name(!) from some very classy Hi Fi products. The recording quality is superb! To quote from the PR blurb "Heartplay (the name of the album) is a (!) unprocessed analogue recording, in which the sound of the instruments is allowed to shine without any hindrance from the procedure". I will say that yes, that is true, but also say as well that it's great music that is shining through .Its NAIM CD098.

My other recommendation this week is from another lady singer. Yes, I know some of you don't like them, but some of us don't like flutes, and its hard to say that they don't get played a lot in our music too. Anyway, this young lady singer IS young. All of 15! So with someone so young, and, perforce, inexperienced in both life and music, how can it be any good. Read on McB..

She comes from Scotland does Daisy Chute, and has been singing for over a year with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland. Her voice is clear and clean, and she conveys the emotion of each song appropriately for its content. She seems to be pitch perfect too. She is accompanied by David Patrick on piano, Adam Sorenson drums, and Andy Sharkey on bass. Its not just that she sings one of my favourites (Lazy Afternoon), but a lot of other songs that you will recognise, but that haven't been over sung!! I am absolutely sure that she is a great British talent in the ascendancy. Her album "Daisy Chute Simply Jazz" is on the Twisted Lips label TLCD001. Try http://www.twiddi.co.uk/ for a copy.

Well that's it for now folks, see the CD covers on my blog page

TTFN

This one is partly a retrospective, and partly a forward advert for things to look forward to, so please bear with the text!!

Currently I'm suffering on of those sciatic back problems that always come at you out of the blue (there's a band in that somewhere), and always make you think that you'll never walk again, but there you go, all I expect from you all is SYMPATHY! It happened yesterday, after I volunteered to organise our evening meal!!

Yesterday I had planned to visit Mike Wills in darkest (blue) Oxford, but yet again, it has had to be postponed. Mike suffered an "episode" whilst crossing the road on Wednesday, and decided to site down on the island in the middle, as he felt dizzy. A kind passing stranger had, however, already dialled 999, and within 1 minute a Para medic was with him, by which time Mike was recovering anyway. BUT, to be safe, they whisked him away to the John Radcliff, kept him there 9 hours, checked him thoroughly, and sent him home (at 10pm) with Sam!! All down to a change in medication, and that he had taken it in the morning, not at bed time!! The only reading matter he had about him for this 9 hour assessment was next weeks Radio Times, so if you need to know anything about next weeks media, give him a ring as he knows it by heart!! He is now back in his own home, and laughing about it all!

So, watch out for stray comets, or a plague of frogs next Thursday, because for the 4th attempt I will be travelling to Oxford for a visit (perhaps). That's if my back improves!!

In retrospection still, I, (and a number of other Hedsor fans) enjoyed the fabulous Shirtlifters evening of Winter Ineluctability last Saturday, and very fine fun it was too. Well done all. Even John Brooks, cutting a fine figure in his leopard pants, remembered (or with improved glasses, was able to read) all the words!! Well done chaps, it was the best so far, and left me without a heart attack! It was exactly 5 years ago to the gig that I suffered my third, and so far, last, heart attack!! so some apprehension in me was apparent!

I've had an email from Al Nicholls, who says:-

Here is the line up for the King & Castle, Windsor for February (6.30 - 9.30pm - commuter jazz!)
7th Al Nicholls Trio
14th Neil Casey Trio (featuring Dave Priseman, I think?)
21st Jeff Williams Trio
28th Jeff Williams Trio

I am also at Fifield this Sunday (4th)

Cheers, Al Nicholls

So, lets carry on on that theme with news of the next few gigs, and some a little further away.

Sunday, Fifield, see above, it will be Al Nicholls.

Tuesday it will be Jazz at The Bourne End Community Centre, 8.30 pm onwards. I don't know the band, but its always good fun, and even includes a finger buffet ay half time.

Thursday, The Clive Burton Quintet will be at The Hedsor Social Club, with a guest, but I don't know who yet (does Clive I wonder?).

At Hedsor I'm hoping to start a new venture! Once a month, on a Monday night, starting on March 26th, I'm going to be running a series of presentations by different jazz guitarists. It will cost £5 to get in, and all the money will go to paying the players!! I'm hoping that James Fenn will be our first guest.
It's all a bit of a toe in the water job, but I have missed my gigs at The Old Bell (I was thrown out exactly a year ago), and the Hedsor Club has offered me Monday nights. So do look out for more info on this series, and please support it if you can.

On May 11th (a Friday) I will be running another Jazz Concert for Cancer Research. This year it is called "From Dixieland to Swing". As always it will be Cafe Style, with tickets at £10 a head, and a raffle as well.Please add it to your "must go" list.

Recorded Jazz

Two albums again that have tickled my fancy this week. The first is on the Timeless Label ( from Holland) features live concert recordings of The Dutch Swing Collage. Still going after 60 odd years, the personnel changes of course, but they are a very slick band playing in a traditional style. All the old, and maybe slightly too familiar tunes are there, with one or two gems (Doghouse Blues, On Revival Day) added in to make it less predictable.It swings, and they are all great instrumentalists. On the whole, perhaps a bit too predictable, but fun anyway. It was recorded in 2003 whilst on tour in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.Timeless CDTTD652

The other album is by Ruby Braff and his Buddies, who include Scott Hamilton. Its one of his best, recorded in the Regattabar in Cambridge, MA in 1993. Beautiful relaxed, unorganised ensemble and solo playing that is a true joy to listen to. 9 tunes, and in addition to SH, solos are contributed by Dave McKenna on piano, Gary Sargent on guitar, Marshall Wood bass, and Chuck Riggs on drums. The music really was unrehearst, and it was directed on the spot a la Condon by Ruby himself. A definite for any lover of cornet playing, and although he was already suffering from emphysema, you would never know. Go for it. Arbours Records ARCD 19311.

Well, more than enough for me,

TTFN

Geoff C

PS

Yet more interesting stuff from Al Nicholls. Blue Harlem are also at Norden Farm, Maidenhead's Arts Centre, on Friday 16th March.

Geoff C
----- Original Message -----
From: Al Nicholls
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 3:01 PM
Subject: 3rd February
Hi All,

Blue Harlem are appearing at the Pigalle Club (just off Piccadilly Circus), tomorrow, 3rd February
It's free to get in before 10pm - Smart dress code - ie no jeans, trainers, etc.

Come check out our fabulous new singer Carla Viegas - if you haven't already done so.
Also see the revamped web site: http://www.blueharlem.co.uk/

Cheers, Al Nicholls