It’s about time I did bit more of the little light blogging! After all, I don’t want to make avid readers livid readers do I?

Thursday 21^st at Hedsor Jazz we have, at least as far as I know, the regular Clive Burton Quintet.

Just in a passing comment, wasn’t last weeks “special” with Stuart Henderson and Mike Wills together with our regular rhythm section an absolutely superb offering. Please let “Sister Sadie” and all her friends come again! Well done Mike and Martin for the arrangements, I just wish I had brought my mini disk recorder along. Three of the five might have played those arrangements before, but two others were instantly sight reading to perfection.

I’m off very soon for some light training before the Swanage Jazz Festival, so information of value might be in short supply after July 2^nd, but I believe that Thursday June 28^th will also be by the Clive Burton Quintet at Hedsor Jazz.

Also note worthy is a Marlow Jazz Club gig on Tuesday July 10^th. Anthony Kerr, a really good vibraphone player, will be with them, and can be herd by you for all of £7. 8.30 pm start, British Legion Hall, Marlow will be the place.

The Race for Life.

Many of you I know supported my family's fund raising run on June 10th. My son Stuart died of cancer 10 years ago, so this year all of his female relatives ran 5K as a team.

I am delighted to tell you that as a team SACC Race (Stuart Alan Clifford Cronin) has raised over £2000 for Cancer Research UK.

CD Round!

I have played some CD’s during the last week or so, one in particular I enjoyed very much indeed.

How often do we take our modern jazz pianists for granted? They are just part of the rhythm section aren’t they? It’s the guys at the front blowing that attract all the attention and all the plaudits (or boos!).

But let’s just ponder that a moment. Think of some of those great jazz pianists, and the identifiable sound each has brought to our music. Our own Hedsor Jazz has the benefit of 2 superb pianists in Nigel Fox and Ken McCarthy. We all remember, of course, our lovely Zane. Then there are those we sometimes get to see and hear. Stan Tracey, Leon Greening (at Cookham last year), Dave Newton and many many others that we can still hear live. What about those committed to record? Ellington, Basie, Andre Previn, (yes, listen to the albums he made with just bass, or bass and guitar, in the late 1990’s), Gene Harris and many many more too numerous to mention. You would think that there would be no one else who could add anything to the cannon of jazz pianists.

Then along comes a CD (fished out by me from the “rejected” stock bin) of an American I had never heard of (it is probably me who is ignorant) playing with some very talented guys whom I have also never heard of either, on a label I don’t know, but on a recording that is acoustically superb.

Keith Brown’s CD “Sweet & Lovely” is on Space Time Records (BG1132), a French label. You just go out and buy it, your not having my copy! There are 12 tracks on it in all. On some it is just a trio, with Essiet Okon Essiet on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums accompanying Keith B. On the others he has either Stephan Belmondo on trumpet, on others Baptiste Herbin on alto or soprano saxophone. On one track, they all play.

They play a lot of strong tunes, “The Very Thought of You”, Sophisticated Lady”, What is This Thing Called love”, “All of You” and 8 others, but the pianist adds insights into all of these tunes, enhancing at least my understanding of those tunes. Waking me up to new possibilities in them. The two blowers are good competent players, not outstanding, but very good and the whole is very much greater than the sum of the parts.

Now tell me you have known of Keith Brown for years!

Swanage? If you haven’t booked yet, you may be too late, but do try. Accomodation will probably by now be out of town, but for a wonderful jazz experience, even in the rain, it is the best. http://www.swanagejazz.org/ is the place to start!

  TTFN

A brief Bank Holiday reminder that our first week at Hedsor Jazz at the new admittance charge of £6 will have Britain's Top tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett, together with Clive Burton on trombone, Nigel Fox on keyboard, Martin Hart on drums and Steve Pickings on bass.

Still pretty good value for an evening out! Usual small room start time of 8.30 pm.

Coming up soon on TUESDAY June 19th. at The Old Bell at Wooburn, another evening of dinner jazz (you don't have to dine!) with Clive Burton, Peter Cook on saxophones various, Mike Jeffries on drums, and I believe keyboard and bass as well, but I’m not sure who is booked for this at the moment.

Both gigs will be indoors, out of the rain!

Bank Holiday fun, in the rain!

I am being reminded that we still need you all to "like" the page on Facebook that tells you all about local jazz events :-

https://www.facebook.com/HighWycombeSouthBucksMaidenheadJazzI

TTFN

Geoff

I have returned from Deep Dorset (Worth Maltravers is quite high up really), and have some news to pass on, and some retrospectives.

I missed last Thursdays presentation with Mike Wills and John Coverdale, which is a shame. I understand that most of you missed it as well!! Another shame.

But many of you did turn out for our Big Band concert the week before, with a special appearance of Simon Spillett as well.

I personally thought the whole evening magical. Clive had told me a number of times how good the Remix Jazz Orchestra were, and he wasn’t wrong. They were all terrific. Sorry to say I didn’t take my camera with me, but I did do some recording, which I have yet to process from mini disk to CD. Those of you who had not heard a big band live before would have had your socks blown off. Now perhaps you can understand why the swing era swung!

The two sets with Simon Spillett playing with Clive Burton and the Quintet were worth turning out for on their own, and the two different forms of jazz put back to back or side by side (look up your Duke Ellington LP’s!) was pretty exciting to listen to.

Simon has asked for some time for us to invite to Hedsor not just him, but his quartet too. So we have! October 4^th is the day, a regular Thursday, but another Big Room event. He is bringing to Hedsor pianist John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth on bass and Clark Tracey on drums. This is going to be a must come evening, put the date in your diary NOW, and I will issue some annoying bits of paper about it soon. If you cannot wait to here Simon and his quartet, they are appearing this year at The Swanage Jazz Festival in July.

This coming Thursday we do have both Clive Burton on trombone and Mike Wills on Saxophones. In the rhythm section we have on keyboard Geoff Barwell, (who turned out at very short notice some weeks ago when Nigel had his little trauma with his bicycle), on bass John Monney and on drums Martin Hart.

Martin, by the way, played a lovely set on Saturday at Woodley with saxophonist Karen Sharp, someone else we will have to tempt to Hedsor. She has a lovely big brassy tone, and is obviously a very accomplished player. Best tune of the evening in my view was Fat’s Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz”, which was very well extemporised by all. I asked Ken McCarthy how long he had know he was going to play it and he said “about 1 minute”! He did a great job of it.

Hedsor Jazz has been promoting first class jazz at The Hedsor Social Club for 10 years now. Initially it was financed by the raffle ticket sales, except that it wasn’t, and we formed “Jazz Angels” to underwrite the costs, mainly at Hedsor, but for other local jazz events as well. We then put on an admission charge of £3 and also sold raffle tickets. Then 3 years ago we raised the entry fee to £5 and included the raffle ticket. Next we had to put the hat round to try and cover our room rent (we had previously been given the bar for free). Hedsor Club is finding life financially difficult, and we have been asked to contribute more money to our rent there. We have tried to help increase their finances by asking you all to become Hedsor Social Club Members, and many of you have done so. 

Recently all the angels held a meeting (I’m still not in the band!), and with great reluctance we are going to have to raise our entry fee by £1 to £6 as from June 7^th. I know we are all living in very trying financial times, but this is the smallest amount we think we can try, being aware that many of you are couples, and it raises your entry from £10 to £12. Some angels wanted to ask for more, and we felt we would see what happens with this small increase. We don’t want to loose you!

Hedsor Social Club has assured us that we are safe in our venue for “the foreseeable future”. Not being clairvoyant I don’t know how long that can be. In the meantime we would like to do our best to help our hosts of the last 10 years stay in business. We are planning more big room big nights (see Simon Spillett above) and the band and the angels have agreed that 3 or 4 big room events per year, with star guests, will be our aim. This will help our finances if we can make a profit on them and help Hedsor Club if you buy more than one shandy from the bar. Don’t forget, that you can also sponsor a guest musician. Liaise with Clive, and we will put in a suitable guest of your choice at your expense.

During my recent stay in Dorset I visited a very local pub, which had sponsored local jazz musicians for the last year, and they were celebrating one whole year of jazz. It happens every Sunday afternoon between 2 and 4pm. We at Hedsor have been running jazz every Thursday evening for 10 years. We hope we can make it into the future. Ten years is something to celebrate, not many local jazz venues have stayed around so long and been able to lay on jazz of such high quality for all of that time.

Hedsor Jazz is unique in the UK, ask Simon next time you see him! Don’t let it fail.

Two Views of Dorset!

Geoff

I’m writing today to nag you all about a few forthcoming live jazz events. 

As you know, without an audience “live” jazz will die, and all we will have left will be impressions from the past, some of which many of us have collected over the years!

Forefront in my mind at the moment is Hedsor Jazz’s presentation this Thursday May 17^th of The Remix Jazz Orchestra, led by trumpeter Stuart Henderson. This is a full size Big Band, which is something you don’t see very often these days. It is the first time Hedsor has hosted such a large ensemble, and I really do hope that you all turn out to experience the thrilling sound that they all make. If you have never heard a big band live before, you will never forget the experience. You can get a very small idea of what they are capable of by going to http://www.remixjazzorchestra.co.uk/home/audio-samples/  and having a listen, but it will be a small shadow of the live experience!

To add to Thursdays excitement, we have our regular Clive Burton Quintet. However, it will have a super guest, non other than the UK’s top tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett. We are charging £10 to get you in, it starts at 8pm, and once we have passed the 120 in audience numbers, we wont let you in! You can avoid this possibility by buying your ticket now from Cookham’s Stationery Depot in Station Parade, tel:-01628531178

But all of the above is just about this coming Thursday. If, for some obscure reason, you cannot make it, then the following Thursday you can come for half the price and listen to the Quartet with guitarist John Coverdale alongside Mike Wills.

Coming soon to a different place, on Tuesday 22^nd May you can listen to singer Zoe Swartz with guitarist Rob Koral at Marlow’s British Legion Hall. This is one of Michael Eagleton’s many jazz presentations that have kept us all rich in live jazz for many decades. Whilst mentioning Michael, let me thank him again for allowing me on to his Jazz Show yesterday (on Marlow FM ) to plug this coming Thursday. It was great fun to do, and I will take him up on his extended offer of a further visit.

Jazz is a musical art form, but it is also entertainment. In the UK it seems to be treated like some third world religious movement. We are forced to use small venues, and we have little or no prestige to our chosen art form. In France it is regarded in a much higher light. In the UK there is small representation on any broadcast national medium. Perhaps we are too polite?

Another event, in a small local art centre, happens on Saturday 26^th May, when the Woodley Theatre presents Karen Sharp with Martin Hart’s trio. If you can still drive in the dark, why not make for it. See artwork for details. She is another young up and coming (well, she has really arrived!) saxophonist, who was featured in the late Humphrey Lyttleton’s Band

OK, earlier in this blog I referred to impressions of the past that we could listen to. Well, nowadays they don’t all have to be on CD, or LP or tape or 78 even. You can download much of people’s musical activity and have it with you for future reference.

I have 2 CD’s that have come to me recently. One is very much from the past. For many 1960 is history. That is true for me, but I just happened to live through that decade as well! So it is memory as well as history. It was in the 60’s that I first heard Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster. Being truly patriotic in those days I did think Bruce Turner was better than Ben Webster! I was wrong, but not too wrong. Hodges however was a revelation. I played a track featuring him last night on Marlow FM (97.5 FM if within your range, or on line through http://player.marlowfm.co.uk/) but I have in front of me a reissue from 1960 of both Webster and Hodges playing together, with Lou Levy piano, Herb Ellis guitar, Wilfred Middlebrooks bass and Gus Johnson drums. Called (imaginatively!) “Ben Webster Johnny Hodges, The Complete 1960 Sextet Jazz Cellar Session” It is a worthwhile addition to anyone whishing to catch up on old releases. It’s on the Solar Record label number 4569895. It is delightful, relaxed swinging music by two giants of the saxophone. Well worth a listen, try www.discovery-records.com  for more details.

The other CD is by three young jazz musicians just starting out and  trying to make their mark. Two of them played for us a couple of weeks ago at Hedsor when we had Vasilis and Peter Cook with us as well. Justin Swadling is a saxophonist, Emily Francis is a keyboard player, and they have Liam Waugh on drums. Their CD promoting their band “Modus” is well played, very well recorded and thoroughly professional. It’s a little rock/pop edgy, and maybe doesn’t have enough variation in musical structure to keep a jazz fan amused at the CD player for too long, but I’m sure they would be very entertaining to listen to in a club. (I believe young people dance!!). You can listen, see (and sample) some of the sounds at www.justinswadlingsmodus.com . It is such young people that will take jazz forward after the time that we can, and they should have every encouragement to play live jazz to an audience of jazz lovers! I hope we can have them visit us at Hedsor again before too long.

Well, that’s it for now folks, play the cartoon tune!! See you at Hedsor.

Today, Thursday, May May 10th, Clive Burtons regular quintet are playing for us at Hedsor. 

On Thursday May 24th at Hedsor, Clive is relinquishing his chair to guitarist John Coverdale, who will play alongside our regular saxophonist Mike Wills. Both these nights will have our usual entry fee of £5.

BUT don't forget to get you ticket for our Big Band night, May 17th, when we have Stuart Henderson leading The Remix Jazz Orchestra in Hedsor’s “big room”. The Clive Burton Quintet will again be in attendance, with a very special guest, UK’s top tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett. Tickets for this event are now available at £10 each, which will also get you free car parking and a light bite to eat!! They can be purchased from The Stationery Depot in Cookham 01628 521921 or from Dee on Thursday.

As a plug for this event I have been invited to talk about it and to play a couple of jazz “records” on Marlow FM this coming Sunday, May 13th on Mike Eagleton’s jazz program between 9 pm an 11 pm. Tune it if you can to 97.5 FM

Postscript

Yesterday the funeral took place of Len Goodyer, one of our long term attendee's. Although a very sad occasion, it was a very moving service, simple jazz and simple words combining to make a very fitting tribute to Len.

IMPORTANT ERROR CORRECTION

With reference to Len Goodyer's funeral arrangements, my last blog had the correct date and time, but the wrong DAY. It will take place at Amersham Crematorium at 1.45 pm on WEDNESDAY May 9th.

Sorry for the confusion.

Geoff

Geoff’s Jazz News

For a small club, Hedsor Jazz now has a huge reputation for excellence. And slowly slowly, we are building on it.

Our usual Clive Burton Quintet are playing for us this Thursday (May 3^rd). What isn’t “usual” is that our regular reed section, Mike Wills, is away for this week, and as a dep we have trumpet star Stuart Henderson. And if you think he isn’t a star, come and listen on Thursday and tell me I’m wrong!

We also have another dep as well this week. Our regular drummer,Martin Hart, is having an awayday, and in his place is Mike Jeffries. Now he is a regular dep!

So, another special evening in prospect at Hedsor Jazz, and all for £5 a head. Usual small room start time of 8.30 pm.

You may have noticed if you go passed it on your way to Hedsor, that The Old Bell at Wooburn has changed hands. The Old Bell used to be a regular jazz venue, and I’m pleased to say that it looks like being so again. On Tuesday May 8^th there will be “Dinner Jazz” with a band organised by drummer Mike Jeffries. This ensemble will have some familiar faces, including trombonist Clive Burton. Contact Mike, Clive or The Old Bell (01628 520406) http://www.oldbell.co.uk/ for more details.

As many of you will know we sadly lost one of our long established regulars, Len Goodyer, last month. Margaret has thanked us for our cards, and our messages of sympathy and support and has informed me that his funeral will take place on Thursday May 9^th at Amersham Crematorium at 1.45 pm.

There will be a tea afterwards, to which all from Hedsor Jazz are invited. If you could let me know by this Thursday if you intend to come to the tea, I will let Margaret know in order to get the catering right. I will confirm on Thursday where the tea will be.

Our next Big Night at Hedsor will be on May 17^th from 8 pm, when we will have The Remix Jazz Orchestra, led that trumpet star mentioned above, Stuart Henderson. But the night will also “contain” another of our star supporters. Simon Spillett, voted top UK tenor saxophonist this year, will be “depping” for Mike Wills!

So, a Big Band, and a session with Simon, all on the same bill. Entry will be £10, and tickets are available NOW form Dee on Thursdays, or from The Stationery Depot in Cookham (tel 01628 531178).

Jazz Info for Our Area

If you are a FaceBook fan, then you will be pleased to know that you can now find out what is happening jazzwise in our locality by looking at :-

https://www.facebook.com/HighWycombeSouthBucksMaidenheadJazzI

This will cover Hedsor Jazz, Marlow Jazz, and other gigs in and around High Wycombe and the postal codes of HP and SL. OK, so I will have to learn how to drive it!

One Final note. I would like to thank Mark the steward at Hedsor Social Club, who left their employ last week, for all the help he has given us over the last year or so. May his future burn bright.

I believe in future we will be saying “Hello” to a Sarah from this Thursday.

OK, so this weeks blog is late again. There are events to publicise, and encouragements to make, but this week has been a sad one.

One of my friends had to have a funeral. She was not a regular at Hedsor, but she did love traditional jazz. And she loved dance. Sadly, for the past 2 years she could barely walk, let alone dance, and she died suddenly after an operation that removed one of her legs. 

So before I continue with my exhortations to come out and play, let me share with you all a poem she wrote, and that was on the funeral order of service.

Freedom to me is Dance

Expression of body, mind and soul,

In everchanging

Combinations of movements

Flowing unceasingly.

Earthbound in time and space

I seek through line and curve

Communication.

Inner thoughts unfurl,

Released

In visible motion.

Restricted, yet free

I dance

Within the sphere of eternity.

Celia Johnson 1938-2012

Tonight at Hedsor we have the Clive Burton Quintet, with one variation! On bass tonight we have Steve Pickings in place of our regular Ken (Rankine).

Coming soon on May 17^th we have a very special event indeed. In the big room, on 17 chairs, we have the Remix Jazz Orchestra, led by trumpeter Stuart Henderson. Not only that, which should be enough to draw you out for an 8pm start anyway, but guesting with the orchestra will be the UK’s top tenor man Simon Spillett. And it may well be that he will bring with him two arrangements for the Tubby Hayes Big Band that he will perform with the Remix Orchestra on the night.

Rumour has it that in addition to this we will have Simon playing for part of the evening with our regular Clive Burton Quintet. A light supper (OK a very light supper, if I am lucky twiglets!) will also be provided to sustain you to the 11 pm end. And all of this for just £10, yes just Ten Pounds!

Tickets will be available from tonight at Hedsor via Dee, our lovely lady of the till, and from next week from our usual box office, The Stationery Depot in Cookham (01628 531178). Bring your friends.

Another piece of news. For all of you who hold a degree in Facebook, we have a new collaboration for you to be involved in.

The full Facebook page name is Jazz In Wycombe, Maidenhead and South Bucks. and you can use this link:

https://www.facebook.com/HighWycombeSouthBucksMaidenheadJazzI

to go straight to it. Tell your friends, and together we can increase the fan base at many local jazz events.

That’s about it for now folks. Those of you who get nagged as well as blogged will also have a poster about May 17^th to help us publicise this event.

TTFN

Geoff C

Time for a Blog

And a fair amount to write about today.

First up, tonight’s session at The Hedsor Social Club will be with the Clive Burton Quintet, again this week with Ken McCarthy on keyboard. 

I must say that for the last couple of weeks we have been spoilt by wonderful jazz brought to us by some very special guests. But it would be wrong to think that our regular band isn’t special in itself. When we do get them all together, we are treated to some wonderful, arranged, harmonies, and often within tunes that are not your usual run of the mill jazz club fodder. So, just because tonight isn’t a STAR night, don’t forget that we still need you!

Looking back, first to the night with Tracey Mendham, hands up all those who noticed a drop in her usual vigour. What no one? Well, she was just getting over a bout of flu, but you would never have noticed. She was worried that she hadn’t put in enough practice, but hey, that enormous tone on her tenor made it sound twice the size it was. And her laugh!! Infection, but not perhaps flu! It was a great night, with great music and a great audience. And everyone went home with a smiling face.

Last week of course was our night for Vasilis and his one time tutor Peter Cook to come and play for us. I was worried that we would be unable to get all of the audience into the bar, but we did, just. They had specifically requested to play in the bar, as they had done once before in 2009. 

This time they were joined by our regular band leader Clive on trombone, and the sound was wonderful. I was asked on the night, “when had they practiced together for tonight”. They hadn’t, not all together as a band! They are just such good musicians that they can read each others musical minds, and the jazz flowed. Wonderful stuff. But it didn’t stop with Clive, Vasilis , and Peter. After the interval up stepped two more musicians, this time from a younger generation. Justine Swadling sat in on alto sax, and Emily Frances took over Ken McCarthy’s keyboard for a couple of tunes.

With a four piece front line, the sound in the bar was enormous, what a privilege to have that all for just £5. If we had paid double that to get in, we would not have been robbed. I did use my trusty mini disk recorder, and may have some samples available soon. All money raised from the sale of such material goes to Cancer Research UK. You may be interested to know that I have raised around £100 for them by selling you Hedsor Jazz on Record.

Do take time out to take a look at Justine’s web site by the way. I’m sure we will see him at Hedsor again. http://www.justinswadling.com

Hedsor Jazz has been going now for about ten years, and it is because of the solid support from the Clive Burton Quintet, and from the faithful regular audience, that we can now attract top jazz musicians to come and play. We often don’t have to ask them to come, they ask us if they can!! I will say this however, don’t let it go. You may think it’s always going to be there for you when you want it, but we though that of Woolworth’s didn’t we? If you don’t use it, it will disappear.

But not yet!!

We do have another very special evening lined up for you in May. On Thursday May 17^th we have our first presentation at Hedsor of a Big Band. Led by Stuart Henderson we will be having a performance by the Remix Jazz Orchestra. This is a 17 piece band in the swing style. They also have a web site which is well worth a look,  http://www.remixjazzorchestra.co.uk/ . The evening will be in the big room at Hedsor, and it will cost you £10 to get in, and a light buffet will also be provided for the entry fee. The evening will kick off at 8 pm. Tell your friends, and if you can bring them along, why not.

Promotion

As you know, I write blog and nag, and other organisers and myself are talking of having one FaceBook page to promote local jazz around Marlow and High Wycombe. I will let you know more when it is available.

Jazz at Home

Well, you do play your jazz CD’s at home don’t you? Two I have enjoyed a lot this week are:

“Jazz Goes to Church” by the Matt Wates Trio. You may remember that I reviewed a previous recording by them, and you may have purchased one yourself from Nigel Price when he was with us. This is another in the same style with the same personnel. Mate Wates alto, Nigel Price guitar and Julian Bury on bass. The title of the album reflects the content, all of the tunes are Hymn tunes! Initiated to raise money for a church in Bristol, Matt has transformed some well know hymn tunes into works of jazz art. Matt himself writes “I could take all sorts of liberties with the harmonies, but I had to leave the melodies more or less intact”! If you enjoyed the previous album you will enjoy this (no one sings!), and you will be raising money for a good cause if you buy it (from Nigel if no where else). HittCD04.

The other album to raise a smile to my face this week is less art, more outright fun! “The James P Johnson Songbook” by Marty Grosz and The Hot Winds is toe tapping smile music. Marty is well know from his many performances with Chicago style players, performing on banjo, guitar and vocals, (he used to be the guitarist with Soprano Summit) and is a wonderfully professional musician. With him (I nearly wrote hymn!), are James Dapogny keyboard, Dan Block clarinet, Jon-Erik Kelso on trumpet, Scott Robinson on soprano, C-Melody and baritone saxes, Vince Giordano bass various, Arnie Kinsella drums, with an addition from guitarist Jim Gicking on one track. The tunes  used are all little known tunes associated with stride pianist James P Johnson. It’s on Arbours Jazz ARCD 19427. It is well worth a punt, unless, that is, you really are only interested in avant-garde jazz!

Well, roll the credits.

Blog by Geoff, jazz music by all those mentioned above!

Hedsor Jazz Update

Good Morning Jazz Fans,

It has been a week or so since I last blogged, time and computer problems are my only excuse!

Today there are a number of things to blog about, first being tonight’s Hedsor Jazz concert, with Clive Burton, the trio, (this week with Ken McCarthy on keyboard) plus Vasilis Xenopoulos with his one time tutor, Peter Cook on saxophones various. It should be a terrific event. They asked specifically to play in our small room at Hedsor (for teetotallers, that means the bar!), and I think it will be pretty full, so come early, pay your £5, sit back and enjoy the music.

 The Last Time was 2009

Secondly, for me I know it only seems like yesterday, but on April 15^th it will be the first anniversary of Zane Cronje’s passing. For many of us this will be a sad period of time and perhaps a time for a little recollection of the man and his talent.

As some of you have been aware, we have been wondering of late how long our residence at The Hedsor Social Club will last. A number of Hedsor Jazz representatives met with the club treasurer/secretary and another committee member last night, and they reassured us that Thursdays at Hedsor is ours for the foreseeable future. It has been suggested that our Thursday regulars might like to actually join the club (Hedsor Social Club), which will give the club the benefit of your membership fee, and us, as a jazz organisation, a little more weight in our presence at the club. To this effect, membership forms will be available on a Thursday from tonight. The fee is modest, retired members paying around £9 per year.

We will be looking into other means of trying to support Hedsor Social Club in the future, as it is very apparent, that they are in an economic hard place.

It is still my intention to add to the blog in the not too distant future, with a couple of CD reviews, but my usual computer, with all of it’s reference material and programs, sadly died of unknown causes this past week. So, my promises will have to be fulfilled at a later time.

In the meantime keep supporting live jazz. Not just for the jazz’s sake, but also for the threatened venues that have supported it in the past. The best way to do this of course, its to turn out, not necessarily your pockets, but with your presence! We can then help you with the dust in your pockets!

TTFN

Geoff

This Blog is about The Adverts!!

Coming up in the next few weeks we have some wonderful gigs lines up for you at the Hedsor Social Club.

Hedsor Jazz has a regular rhythm section, and usually a regular front line, all called “The Clive Burton Quintet”. However, THIS WEEK ONLY on Thursday 29^th March behind our regular front line of Clive Burton and Mike Wills we have an alternative rhythm section!

On Keyboard Mr. Ken McCarthy

On Bass Mr. Steve Pickings

On Drums Mr. Mike Jeffries

And you can hear all of them this Thursday at Hedsor for JUST £5!!

BUT (notice it is a big but) on Thursday 5^th April we have a super “stellar” star guest.

We welcome back, on a day VERY near her birthday, that lady saxophonist Tracey Mendham, backed by our usual, regular, Boys in the Band!

Not, as those who have been Traceyed before know, that anything on this night will be usual or regular. Last time she came, some of our regular customers were saying at the end of a brilliant evening that they would have paid £20 for an evening like that at Ronnie’s. We will charge you just £5! Come early, last time it was standing room only, and some of that was done in the other bar!

But Hedsor Jazz does not rest easily on its laurels (have you ever tried?). The following week we have not one guest but two. Saxophonists both, Vasilis Xenopoulos and Peter Cook. Most of you will know the names. Vasilis is a Master of Music from Berklee, but at one time Peter Cook was one of his tutors.

I know we could fill the big room at Hedsor for this gig, but they want to do the gig in the bar, where both have played before, and where once before they played together. They are now both big star names (go on line and look them up) and they want to play for us just as they did some years ago. Come and listen, come early, and we will still only charge you £5, yes, not a typo, just £5 for this evening. Put it firmly in your diary now.

But Hedsor jazz haven’t stopped here. We have ANOTHER date for your diary. This time for a Thursday in the Big Room at Hedsor, because we cannot get the entire band in the bar!!

On Thursday May17th we are having a visit from the 17 piece big band "The Remix Jazz Orchestra" led by trumpeter Stuart Henderson. This will cost you a bit more, £10, but we will tempt you with a little light supper, and an earlier start of 8pm. Do take a look at their website   http://www.remixjazzorchestra.co.uk/  and but put the date in that diary NOW.

A London Palladium Event

Someone from my past has asked me to remind you of a special event:-

Hi Geoff,

Any chance of a further plug for the Buddy Rich concert please, and a reminder that there is a coach going from Cookham – £60, including ticket (in the Stalls). Every Big Band fan should be there!

Thanks.

Toby

That is on Monday 2^nd April. Contact Toby Cruse via toby@tobycruse.co.uk

Those of you on my nag list will get a poster too!!

Well, after telling you so much good news, I need to find my laurel rest!!

TTFN  Geoff

Jazz at Hedsor

First, some dates for your diary.

We still have to finalise a date for Vasilis to come with Peter Cook, but we do have 2 confirmed dates for star events.

Thursday April 5^th has a return visit by Tracey Mendham. Yes, that is the day before Good Friday, and it is also the day before her birthday, but Tracey will be with us in the bar at Hedsor that night. She said that she couldn’t think of a nicer place to be the night before her birthday. Usual start time, usual £5 entry that night, but come early, she packed the bar out last time she was with us.

A little further ahead we now can confirm that The Remix Jazz Orchestra http://www.remixjazzorchestra.co.uk/ under the direction of Stuart Henderson will be with us on Thursday May 17^th. This will be a big room event (already booked AND confirmed!), 8pm start, £10 entry, a little light supper, and a lot of big band. 17 of them, check out the link above and hear what they sound like. This will be a ticketed event, and tickets will be available shortly. But put that date in your diary NOW.

This coming Thursday we will have the regular Clive Burton Quintet with us again for the second time in 2 weeks. The week after that, the fans of bass player Steve Pickings are in for a treat, as he will be with us that night in place of Ken Rankine. I have refrained from asking for Steve on April 5^th! A clash of personalities in the Hedsor bar may be too much for its structure!

Recent CD Listen.

As is well known, I sell at Hedsor some previously listened to CD’s at bargain prices. One CD that I dug out from the “rescued from the floor collection” and played this past week is the second album by a band that started out in Manchester, “The Magic Hat Ensemble”. The CD is called “Made in Gorton”.

It is young modern jazz and has a terrific vibrancy. Well known tunes are used, but given a definitive twist, which I found incredibly exciting. The 4 core titles of the CD “You and the Night and the Music”, Seven Steps to Heaven”, “Just Friends” and “Blues March” must be played at one sitting (there are 2 other titles, plus a 13 sec fanfare intro!). Seven Steps segues in to Just Friends anyway and once you have heard how they play those you will not want to miss Blues March. Wonderfully inventive arrangements, pretty good solo’s for everyone and a sound that makes you listen very hard! Blues March starts out as a march, complete with snare drums, gets into a crawl, and ends with a gallop, but the tune is always recognisable. Their playing is immaculate, and I haven’t enjoyed a post bop modern jazz album so much in a long time. Even the cover brings a smile to ones face, after all, we all remember 45’s don’t we? It’s on the Jellymould label and was recorded in 2011. Do try some of the complete tracks from their web site http://themagichatensemble1.bandcamp.com/ but don’t stop there, buy it! Full details on heir web site.

Recap

I think we were all sorry to learn that Paul Eshelby was indisposed and therefore unable to come to Hedsor Jazz last night, and we wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to a future appearance.

However, at incredibly short notice (about 2 hours!) singer Harriet Coleman stepped in to take her place on the front line alongside Clive and his trombone. She then gave a thoroughly polished performance and a very entertaining evening was had by all. I think we must all thank her for turning out and helping to make the evening so entertaining.

We did have a couple of new faces in the audience, which is always gratifying. At the end of the evening I asked if they had enjoyed the it and they said yes, and that they would come again. One of them said it was just like being at Ronnie Scott’s, and it was “just her kind of music”. Proof, if ever it was needed, of the quality we put on at Hedsor.

We were a bit thin on the ground last night, and we have been a couple of times this last month. One of our regulars, who was absent a couple of weeks ago, got is dad to write us an erudite sick note which I have included in this message. He has set us a good example, but we should point out that attendance is purely voluntary, and at the moment, not a mandatory requirement of the government!

Next week, the full Monty! Well, at least the full Clive Burton Quintet. Tell your friends, come yourself!

Good Morning England

Or perhaps you don’t remember that as a catch phrase, perhaps more as a film! I must admit to not remembering who it was, but I seem to remember a radio comedian during WW2 used it as his opening phrase!

But as usual, I digress. The important thing is that you now find out who is on at Hedsor Jazz tomorrow night, March the 8^th!!

As our special guest we have BBC Big Band star Paul Eshelby. Paul has been to us a couple of times before, and his melodic trumpet and flugel horn playing is well remembered by those who have heard him before. He will be accompanied by Clive Burton on trombone, and our usual rhythm section.

We are still planning ahead for some more special events at Hedsor, so do keep an eye on THIS space. 3 events are in the planing stages. We hope we can capture the Stuart Henderson Big Band for a night in the big room in May, and before then a small room event with Vasilis and Peter Cook is under discussion. In October I would still like to run a Saturday of jazz at Hedsor. A date is still not fixed, but I have already had an offer of attendance from Nigel Price’s Organ Trio.

For the next 2 or 3 Thursdays we should have the Regular Clive Burton Quintet with us. That is always subject to better-paid gigs coming some of their way.

Don’t forget to put April 5^th in your diary. It is Tracey Mendham’s next visit to us, and it is one day short of a) her birthday, b) Easter!

That’s it for the moment. I have some CD’s to listen to, and I will report back shortly on those.

So, tell you friends, every Thursday from 8.30 pm, Jazz at Hedsor Social Club, all for just £5!

This week at Hedsor

This week at Hedsor we have our regular Clive Burton Quintet. I do hope you will feel encouraged to come along, as last weeks excellent session with the formidable talent of Simon Spillett combined with Clive Burton, Steve Pickings (on bass) and Mike Jeffries (on drums) was only enjoyed by a very few people.

I was shocked to see so few turn out. I know the road works make it slightly more difficult to get to the Hedsor Social Club, and Mr. Burton was in swearing mode because of the detour, but it isn’t that far a go round! All the bridges were working, there was no need for a ferry, and we hadn’t raised our price to get you in, but we honestly didn’t have enough of you there, so do feel told off!!

Looking further ahead than 1 week, Tracy Mendham has asked if she can come and celebrate her birthday one day early with us on April 5^th. Actually what she wrote was “Would love to come back (on) April 5th the day before my birthday. Can’t think of a nicer place to be.” We have said yes!

We have also had a request from Vasilis, who is asking for the opportunity to come with Pete Cook and have the Hedsor Experience again. We are trying to sort out a suitable date, but it goes to show yet again what a fine reputation Hedsor Jazz is gaining when first-rate jazz musicians want to come to it and play!

We are also in negotiation with Stuart Henderson’s Big Band to come and play for us on a Thursday evening. Considering there are 17 of them, this will have to be in the big bar. I’ll let you know about both events when the dates are confirmed.

One final point. Last year we offered a concession for people coming for the first time to have the Hedsor Experience on us, for free. We now feel that we have run the offer for long enough, it it is henceforth withdrawn. Sorry, but we do need the money that even first times can bring in. We still hope that you will encourage your friends to become regular members of the Hedsor Audience. it's just a thought, that members can soon become embers!!

Jazz in Black and White

I know it has suddenly become Oscarly fashionable to watch a new film with no speech and in Black and White. There is another film, shown at last years London Jazz Festival, which is also treated in the same way.

“Louis, A Silent Film” is loosely based on the early life of Louis Armstrong. It’s great fun, in a kind of vintage slapstick way, but with an excellent soundtrack written, and performed in part, by Wynton Marsalis. I have been fortunate enough to have been lent a promo DVD copy, and can thoroughly recommend it. Have a look at the trailer at www.louisthemovie.com to see what YOU think!!

Well, as they used to say on Saturday Mornings “That’s it for now folks”

A time for a little look back on last Thursdays session at Hedsor. The Clive Burton Quintet, plus one Tracey Mendham on tenor sax, voice and laugh!!

I think the first thing to take note of is her incredible tone on both tenor and baritone. A really large and rich sound.

The next thing to notice is she is really a very good player, although perhaps sometimes this is obscured by her exuberance!

And finally what a singer when she puts her mind to it. The finale to end all Hedsor Jazz nights left many of our regulars saying it would have been worth an entry fee of £20!! Not that anyone gave us the money you understand.  Louis Prima’s- “Buona Sera Signorina” with a spontaneous encore of it all again.

Another nice thing about last Thursday’s Hedsor Jazz was that the bar was FULL. If only we could do that EVERY WEEK!!

                                                                     Simon Spillett

But you do have another opportunity to fill the Hedsor bar this week. On Thursday Feb 23rd Our star guest will be Simon Spillett. Another saxophone player but one with a very different approach.

He is a recognised star on the British jazz scene and it is really a tribute to our Hedsor Jazz audience, and to the quality of our regular Quintet that Simon comes back to us on such a regular basis. He appears all over the UK, often with players of rich renown (John Critchinson for one) yet we are able to treat him as a friend. Try doing that to some of the stars at The Brit Awards!

It must not be forgotten that Hedsor Jazz is a unique jazz venue in the UK. There is not another venue like it. The band of fans (called Jazz Angels) who regularly underwrite our losses are to be greatly thanked. So far, Hedsor Jazz has been a ten-year work of art. Literally art, because jazz is an art form. It is also entertainment, and in Hedsor’s case, the art and the artists are accessible. The cost has been kept at £5 for 3 years now mainly due to our angelic supporters club. We still need an audience, jazz needs and audience, which means you coming out through thick (last week over 30 of you) and thin (the week before it was more like 15). Every musician plays better when there is an appreciative audience. Yet at Hedsor they will still play, even when less than 9 turn up as an audience. It has never been called off because of lack of support.

                                                                Barbara Thompson

TV

There has been another boost to jazz this last week, not that the BBC made any great noise about it. But BBC4 produced 2 nights of jazz content, last Friday about Sonny Rollins, and on Sunday a mixture of programs, but mainly highlighting the music, and battle against illness, of Barbara Thompson. Lets hope that due to these showings some more people have become aware of the wonderful music that you and I strive to keep alive, and maybe they will ask for more. The BBC MIGHT even be prodded into producing some new Jazz programs for TV, like the old Jazz 625 of the black and white days of the 1960’s

Finale

So, don’t be shy, we are very friendly at Hedsor, and if you haven’t been before we will make you very welcome. Why not try us this Thursday, and see and hear, and even talk with Simon Spillett, tenor saxophonist of the year. All for just £5. Be there before 8.30 pm when the music starts! Simon will wear a suit, but you don’t have to!

Late Revision.

One of the drawbacks of the impecunious way we run jazz at Hedsor is that when named artists call in late to say they have received an offer of musical employment that they cant refuse, we have to let hem go. So tonight we still have Stuart Henderson coming to play trumpet and flugel horn for us, but with him in place of his saxophonist colleague “Tolly” we have a guitarist equally well known to us, John Coverdale.

I’m sure the attraction of the music and mayhem of Hedsor Jazz will still draw you out, (and in from the cold), so I look forward to seeing you all supporting live jazz from 8.30 pm tonight. And all still for only £5!

Geoff C

Good Morning Jazz Fans,

Jazz at Hedsor this week is one of our “different” weeks. No doubt there will be three regular members of our rhythm section towards the rear, but up front I am delighted to say that we have a re appearance of two of our new favourites, trumpet and flugel horn player Stuart Henderson, and his Ukrainian colleague “Tolly” on tenor sax. If you missed there appearance at our Christmas concert, or when they played together in December in The Hedsor Social Club Bar, which I called “The Hedsor Pick Up Band” as only Nigel Fox was a regular Hedsor performer, then you will not want to miss this Thursday. They are truly something wonderful from the town of Reading! Improvised jazz at it’s very best, and all for just £5! The Jazz at Hedsor starts at 8.30 pm. They may even play “Bossa” again!!

Just to ensure that you march with determination from Thursday to Thursday, in addition to our regular Clive Burton Quintet, on Thursday Feb 16^th we have saxophonist, singer, and bombshell, Tracey Mendham coming to play for us again. Place this in your diary now, you really don’t want to miss this one.

CD’s Listened to

A few weeks ago, I mentioned my listen to a CD on the label JLP with a band called “One For All”. The album was called “Incorrigible”, and was a very enjoyable listen, very well played and beautifully recorded. I have now made an effort to trace more of the labels products and have found one by another young player who was previously unknown to me. “Grace” by Michael Dease I think will appeal to all who like the kind of jazz we put on at Hedsor. It has plenty of melody, wonderful recording and tremendous playing. Michael plays trombone, and soprano and tenor sax. Alongside him are Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Gene Jackson on drums. A very talented bunch of American musicians. They have a number of guests with them including Roy Hargrove on trumpet and Eric Alexander on tenor sax. Tunes from a wide range of composer/performers have been included (Jobim to Beiderbecke via Cotrane!), which makes the listen an interesting one. So, for me, Jazz Legacy Productions have done it again! JLP 1001009 is the number.

Another CD comes in mono, not as well recorded, but what a treasure. Recorded by an enthusiastic amateur in The Dancing Slipper Ballroom in Nottingham in 1966 Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band with Buck Clayton is a real joy for all of those who, like me, listened to Humph and his band live in those years. The additional joy of having Buck Clayton on board means for me it was a “must buy”. But it also has a 19 year old Tony Coe on tenor sax and clarinet, Eddie Harvey on piano, Dave Green on bass and Tony Taylor on drums. We do tend to forget how good a band Humph always led and he himself was no slouch on trumpet either. You try and tell who is playing the trumpet at any one time, it’s almost like double tracking!

It’s jazz, it’s largely British, and it is best! OK the recording has limitations, but it doesn’t detract from the music. It’s released on Humphs own label “Calligraph Records” CLG CD 048 AND it’s a double album!!

TTFN

Geoff