A slightly delayed blog issue this week about HEDSOR JAZZ

A number of time consuming delays including a credit card that needs to be un-jammed, and it seems that even a Nationwide branch cant do it!! And this morning lots of response by phone and email to a fake email that didn’t come from me!!

It is a real shame that the great idea for communication by computer has been made so much more difficult to use because of scammers. I have been using computers and the internet since the tail end of the last century, and the wonder and joy of it has now been almost totally replaced by the constant need to safeguard ones identity and the documentation you are sharing from the ever growing skill of the scammers. A jpeg of the fake blog you may have thought came from me is below.

 

But that isn’t what the blog is supposed to be about! What we are about is Spreading Joy (isn’t that a Sidney  Bechet tune?). Joy in listening to and sharing in live jazz music. Hedsor Jazz is having some great sessions and this year could be a vintage year. For 2 weeks running we have had trumpet players who are new to us and  who are REALLY good.  Last week, with Duncan Lamont Jr, we had one who is also really young!! Mathew Hill is old enough to drink beer, but only just, and what a super player he is. It was a lovely session and thank you to all our audience who turned out in some really inclement weather to listen to him.

My pictures are below.

 

Coming to us this week (Thursday January 25^th ) we have a change to our program. Alan Graham is at the other end of the age range to Mathew, and sadly is no longer well enough to come and play for us. He would love to, but his Medical advisor has advised him not to do so. Get well soon Alan.

As a replacement and to keep saxophonist Mike Wills company is guitarist Jezz Cook. Jezz is a great player, often involved in the Gypsy Jazz music style, but he has also been known to play some Benny Goodman style jazz with Mike on Clarinet. This Thursday we may get both plus, you will have to come to find out.

Mike Wills

Jezz Cook

 

The Jazz Angels team have had a planning meeting this week, and we have lots of things in the pipeline planed for Hedsor Jazz. Some need a bit of polish before we can let you know what they are, but one I can mention now so that you can put it in your dairy. Please don’t miss this one, because on April 25^th we are going to celebrate “Absent Angels”, where we will celebrate some who are no longer with us, and the celebrations will be led by Vasilis Xenopoulos.

Anyway, more news later, and it is all exciting, but as yet we can only keep you in suspense!

PS, if you want to know more about who and what “Jazz Angels” are, have a chat with John Dutton, he would love to tell you!

PPS Recent gales have brought down a tree in Westwood Green. You might like to view its final demise!

https://youtu.be/4R1JTc3MN4I?si=PS_xEOSlq4NPtqhP

Geoff C 

So, what does Hedsor Jazz have for us THIS THURSDAY?

We have already reached January 18^th. All the mince pies and all the chocolates have been eaten, and the reality of WINTER is now around us. But we do have something to raise our happiness levels. Hedsor Jazz has that very melodic and informative saxophonist coming to us this Thursday in the shape and sound of Duncan Lamont Jr. He will be on saxophone and possibly flute and he will be accompanied by a trumpet player of his choice, Mathew Hill. Mathew is unknown to us, so it will be fun to get to know him.

 

Joining them on bass is a player who hasn’t been to us for some years, Stuart Barker. I last saw Stuart at Marlow Jazz Club in the Autumn and re-established contact with him. Our back row will be completed by our regular keyboard player Ken McCarthy, (who is always a delight to listen to every week), and on drums by Martin Hart. Martin has been leading jazz events both here at Hedsor and elsewhere for over 30 years, and one of his long standing bookings is sadly coming to an end this Saturday. 

Jazz at The Oakwood Theatre in Woodley has been running almost every quarter for over 20 years, but this Saturday will be the last. With Martin will be that lovely lady saxophonist Sue Greenway. Some tickets are still available if you contact their box office.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/woodleytheatre/jazz-concert-martin-hart-trio-featuring-sue-greenway/e-dqkvqx

Last weeks Jazz at Hedsor was one of the most exciting we have had in recently, with trumpeter Ben Cummings providing, not only cutting edge trumpet, but very good singing as well. So good in fact that towards the end of the evening in performing Clark Terry’s “My Gal” everyone was clapping along with him in true blues club style!  

It was a gig that I had looked forward to, as we have become to appreciate the ability of saxophonist Frank Walden from his past visits to Hedsor. Ben had been recommended to us by our Hon. Press. Vasilis Xenopoulos, and it should have had a bigger audience, and here’s the rub. Not everyone who likes modern jazz knows the names of the current exponents of the art. And although we are doing more advertising than ever, our audience isn’t growing. We really need some new blood in our regular audience (not by transfusion, even though 20 years ago I did have 8 pints of someone else’s!)  but for some more folk to come regularly.

No we are not insolvent, and we do plan to keep going every week in 2024, but it is only fair to the musicians that they see more people in the audience in front of them. The players often travel many miles to play for us. Last week 2 of the band came from Oxford and beyond. So please do encourage others to at least give modern jazz a try. We are a friendly audience, and would be happy to welcome anyone who would like to experience live jazz in the flesh (and blood!).

My pictures of last week are below. 

Lastly, our program for February is below. Please copy and let others know.

 

Hedsor Jazz

 This week Jan 11^th Hedsor Jazz has Frank Walden reeds with Ben Cummings tpt and Al Pirrie bass together with Ken McCarthy keyboard and Martin Hart drums.

Ben has not played with us at Hedsor before, but Frank has, so we know the quality!! Why not make it your New Year resolution to come to Hedsor Jazz EVERY Thursday?

Frank Walden with us in 2023

Last week, wind and rain not deterring, we had an excellent start to Hedsor Jazz 2024 with a pretty good attendance coming out to listen to Mark Aston and Nick Mills, who played some great jazz for us. Pictures below.

Sadly upon our return to Hedsor Jazz we learnt of the death of one of our long term audience stalwarts, Gill Jones, who passed away on December 24^th. Gill was a great fan, and had come to Hedsor Jazz over many years and throughout the many changes he sustained in his long life. Sponsoring, videoing, and sometimes bringing in friends old and new. He had in recent years occasionally gone out of his way to go from Taplow to Reading to pick up Jan Burton to bring her to Hedsor, and to take her home again after our jazz evening because she was no longer able to get to Hedsor by herself. That’s about 100 miles before he could get himself home! Gill will be sadly missed.

Hedsor Jazz has now booked and paid for the room at The Hedsor Bar for all of the Thursday evenings of 2024, and we are working on the program for each of those nights. We aim to keep our entry fee at just £10 per session per person. We are open to offers of further financial donation and sponsorship; please see our treasurer (John Dutton) for more information on your options for this.

Don’t forget that you can also become a member of Hedsor Bar itself if you are not already. If you are over a certain age, a years membership is just £10, and membership will give you a discount on some of your bar costs!

Over recent months I have been cursing the fact that Cookham Bridge has been closed, turning my easy 10 minute ride to Hedsor Jazz into something like a wet and wandering half hour journey. NOW I am considering that to have been the easy option. As I write this, Cookham is now cut off by flood water, and yesterday Cookham Moor looked like one big lake, with one adventurer water boarding around on it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHN5DepNSF8

My pictures taken yesterday are below:-

Rumour has it that it was a BMW!

No, not Cookham Bridge but the bridge over Widbrook!

The causeway footpath looking towards Cookham Village

 

BUT I hope to see you there on Thursday!! Canoe anyone?

 

A WHOLE NEW YEAR FOR HEDSOR JAZZ

 

Starting THIS YEAR each Thursday from 8pm. 

We commence on JANUARY 4^th 2024

 The program for the month is below.

 

 

More blog writing next week, but in the meantime make sure your friends hear about HEDSOR JAZZ

A brief blog this week, 

highlighting the last Hedsor Jazz event of the year.

 

Thursday, December 21^st, is our last concert of the year, and is our Christmas Special

Coming to celebrate with us will be trumpeter Stuart Henderson, saxophonist Sue Greenway, singer Gill Cook, and rumour has it that Alan Graham will be with us as well. 

ALL these will be supported by Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums. 

Seasonal food will be there for you at half time, and don’t forget that time starts at 8pm these days.

Sue Greenway

Stuart Henderson

Alan Graham

Gill Cook

 

Our first concert of 2024 will be on THURSDAY JANUARY 4^th at 8pm, with Mark Aston on reeds and Nick Mills on trombone. That will be something to blow away the Christmas cobwebs.

Thinking of becoming a member of Hedsor Social Club? Now would be a good time to join as membership goes from January to January. Ask at the bar, it could be worth your while.

And Last Week, Ollie was!! Not just Wilby, he was! and Ollie Wilby and Ian Smith blew straight and true, and I think a good time was had by all!

My pictures are below.

 

 This blog message is all about Fridays planned jazz event in 

Maidenhead's United Reformed Church. 

Sadly, due to the illness of two key musicians, this event has had to be 

CANCELLED.

So please do not travel for it.

A Jazz Event in Maidenhead URC will take place in the New Year.

Geoff C 

 Hedsor Jazz and Geoff’s Blog

 

We all know that Christmas is now approaching, seemingly at the speed of an express train, BUT somehow it has caught us all unawares. So I thought I would try and beat the game by starting my blog a day early.

So at 9am this MONDAY morning, I did, and at 9.05, we had a power outage! NOW at 11am, I start again! 

Why did I want to blog a day earlier than usual? Well, 2 reasons. I still have my collection of Christmas cards to do for family and friends, although I do keep trying to transfer more to electronic means, but ...

And that all takes time!

Secondly, I know you have probably read already what Hedsor Jazz is doing up until Christmas, and that we are doing that from 8pm each week from here on in, (and I will tell you again before this blog is over!) but what I haven’t mentioned before is that I have been invited to run a Christmas Jazz Concert in Maidenheads United Reformed Church. And that is THIS FRIDAY December 15^th. 

You may remember that at the commencement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Hedsor Jazz ran a fundraiser for Ukraine, and the money raised was donated via Maidenheads United Reformed Church. We gave a cheque presentation to their minister, The Rev David Downing. Well, he has asked us to run a Christmas Jazz event in his Maidenhead church, and that will be from 8pm on Friday 15^th December. Entry £10, and all funds raised will go to support their help for Ukraine. 

The church has done a tremendous amount already for Ukraine, and are active every month in shipping necessities out via Poland. Believe it or not, pot noodles are used in their shipments, as all someone hungry needs for a hot meal is a Pot Noodle and some hot water. This may be why Maidenhead is running short of Pot Noodles!

Playing for us at Maidenhead on Friday is a group of jazz musicians that you will have seen at Hedsor Jazz. On Saxophone and possibly trombone, Mark Aston. On Vocals Gill Cook (who will be with as at Hedsor for our Christmas Party). On keyboard Nigel Fox, on bass Peter Hughes, and on drums, Martin Hart. I might add in the odd word, thankfully for you, those word will not be sung!

So please come along and support not only Ukraine, but live jazz. Maidenhead URC can be found in West Street, Maidenhead SL6 1RL. Entry is £10 per head.

 

If you look closely you will see that the church already has a drum kit and a grand piano!

Coming to Hedsor Jazz THIS THURSDAY is that fine trumpeter and raconteur, Ian Smith. Rumour has it that saxophonist Ollie Wilby will be with him. It would be good to see and hear him again. I think Martin is having a night off, and that our drummer will be Mike Jeffries. As usual, the bass player will surprise me! And I will be surprised as well, because our keyboard player will be Ken McCarthy. Yes, he is with us most weeks, but his playing is always surprising(ly good!). 

That leaves just one more week to go before our Christmas Party, December 21^st for fun and food and great jazz for Christmas. Come and share in it all from 8pm.

Below are my pictures from last week.

Talking of surprises, Duncan Lamont Jr brought a great singer with him. Sarah Jane Eveleigh. I know some don’t enjoy singers as much as I do, and from previous experience I have sometimes been disappointed by who does sing at Hedsor Jazz, but Sarah Jane is a star. Her entire performance was without fault and I haven’t enjoyed a singer so much in years. You would not be able to better it for an evening’s entertainment no matter where you go or who you see. AND you would pay much more for the privilege anywhere else.

That’s it for now this MONDAY morning. This MAY be the last blog before Christmas events take over, so I will end by wishing you all a great Festive Time. Enjoy the food and drink and family associated with Christmas.

Perhaps in a quite moment give a thought to those in our society who are not in a position to celebrate and enjoy this time of year in the way that we can.

 As Dickens Tiny Tim said “God bless us every one”.

First Off, we are now in

DECEMBER, and ALL OF OUR GIGS AT HEDSOR JAZZ WILL NOW BE STARTING AT 8pm

Yes, after 23 years of Hedsor Jazz gigs staring at 8.30pm, from now on we will be starting ALL of our gigs at 8pm. This is in response to our audience’s requests, and by a majority paper vote, (honest).

So from now on it will be 8pm to 10.30pm. No change in entry fee, it will still only be £10.

You will also be please to know that we will be resident at The Hedsor Bar for another year, with it’s club bar prices and free parking. If you become a member of The Hedsor Bar (for a nominal annual fee) you will also get a discount on your bar prices. Membership runs from January to January, so do think about becoming a member.

Our January program is below

Our first concert of December (Thursday December 7^th) at our new start time will be with Duncan Lamont Jr on tenor sax and flute, and he is bringing with him a lady singer we haven’t had at Hedsor before, Sarah Jane Eveleigh.

 

 

Following the link will give you more information, and you will see that she has performed with a number of people who have played for us at Hedsor and with others known to us nearby.

https://www.sarahjaneeveleigh.com/

You may notice that this singer is not the one on our gig list. Jenny Howe has had to fly home to Ireland to be with her sick mother, and we wish her well in this difficult time.

Last weeks concert was performed by one of the people you will see on Sarah Jane’s publicity, Lester Brown. He kept Mike Wills company at the front whilst Mike Jeffries drummed away with Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Al Pirrie on bass.

We had an interesting selection of tunes, and although we were a bit down in numbers (it was a cold night), a great time was had by all. One of those little played tunes was “Dat Dere”. Sadly this wasn’t sung, I don’t think many people know the words, but it is all about an inquisitive child wanting “that big elephant over there”!

“Hey mama, what's a square?

Hey, where do we get air?
Hey, mama can I have that big elephant over there?”

Another tune that I hadn’t heard for a long time was “Night Train”. Well that was how it was introduced, but Jimmy Forrest nicked it from Duke Ellington. See the Wikipedia cull below:

"Night Train" is a twelve-bar blues instrumental standard first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951.

"Night Train" has a long and complicated history. The piece's opening riff was first recorded in 1940 by a small group led by Duke Ellington sideman Johnny Hodges, under the title "That's the Blues, Old Man".

Ellington used the same riff as the opening and closing theme of a longer-form composition, "Happy-Go-Lucky Local", that was itself one of four parts of his Deep South Suite. Forrest was part of Ellington's band when it performed this composition, which has a long tenor saxophone break in the middle. After leaving Ellington, Forrest recorded "Night Train" on United Records and had a major rhythm & blues hit. While "Night Train" employs the same riff as the earlier recordings, it is used in a much earthier R&B setting. Forrest inserted his own solo over a stop-time rhythm not used in the Ellington composition. He put his own stamp on the tune, but its relation to the earlier composition is obvious.

By the way, I’m sure you all from time to time refer to Wikipedia. Please be aware that they are trying to stay as an independent organisation, and would value a contribution from it users. It is still free to use.

Below are my pictures from last weeks session.

 

Coming on December 14^th we have another change to our advertised program, and trumpeter Ian Smith will be with us, maybe even with saxophonist Ollie Wilby. We could make an obvious pun about that as we have advertised Ollie Wilby before. May be he will be with us this time!

Dont forget to put December 21^st in your diary. Our Christmas special will be just that, SPECIAL.

That’s about it for this week from me. Don’t forget, if you want live jazz, you have to be a live audience!