I suppose this week I am still looking back!

And if you look on the last blog you will see that we are also looking forward, as this Thursday (HALLOWEEN!!) we have that wonderful lady saxophonist with the Big Personality TRACEY MENDHAM. 8.30 pm start so you do have time to go out and trick or treat!

She will be performing alongside Clive (he will have the strength!) and the regular rhythm section.

I thought I would mention something of the origins of the Clive Burton Quintet as we do still have a considerable stocks of a double album recorded by them in 2003.

Back in 2003 we put on a concert at Maidenheads Norden Farm as a tribute to the drummer Keith Vitty, who had recently died of bowel cancer. Keith was the drummer and founder of "Century Jazz" a band that had Clive Burton on trombone and announcements! In the concert was a drummer who we see most weeks, Martin Hart, and a saxophonist who we also see most weeks, Mike Wills. In the rhythm section were two more originals from "Century Jazz", bassist John Monney and pianist Roger Munns. The concert was recorded in full, and we issued it as a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK just after my own son also died of cancer.

We had guests in the form (lovely might I say) of Lynn Garner, and the equally talented (but less pretty)
Al Nicholson tenor sax. The recording is excellent, and all of the music and chat were issued on the double album. You will know much of the repertoire, as "our" Clive Burton Quintet inherited the band arrangements. So "Westwood Walk", "Cookham Bridge", "The Goof and I" and many others you will know can be heard on the CD's.

It would be good to sell some more of our stock, and the money so raised will go to CRUK. I'll bring some this week.

Another more commercial retrospective can be had from another CD I have been listening to this week "Blonde" was a mini TV series based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Yes, the CD artwork does have some eye candy! But I have always been really impressed by the Big Band sound on this album. Sometimes with strings, (but they are never intrusive), with wonderful arrangements for soloist like Roy Hargrove, Scott Hamilton, Bill Watrous and Snooky Young. All the tunes and arrangements are by Patrick Williams. It was issued as "The First" Playboy Magazine Jazz CD ever, but actually its on a Concord Jazz label. Playboy Jazz PBD-7500-2. It can still be seen on American Ebay for around $5 It is well worth seeking out, even without the artwork!

Well, that's enough for now, see you all (in abundance please), on Thursday 31st October.

From here, I can see both ways!

All very cryptic! But I want to look forward from today to Thursday. This week we have the Clive Burton Quintet in its entirety! Everyone is back from their various forms of community service, and we should have some of the "good old good ones" as Louis used to say. So come along and join in the fun. Usual rules apply (no handwritten book of the rules for us to display, but we dont charge the same money as for a football game)! £6 to get in 8.30 start.

On to October 31st. And arriving from darkest Essex (perhaps on a broomstick?) to complete our Halloween experience we have Tracey Mendham. A wonderful saxophonist (if you haven't got her album you must ask her for it, it is excellent), and a wonderfully larger than life character, just right to complete October 31st! £6 is still the entry fee.

Looking now in the rear view mirror, wasn't last weeks session with Simon Spillett great? His playing is maturing all the time, and the rapport he has with Clive is wonderful to hear. Simon appeared to be more relaxed with us than at sometimes in the past, which is a great compliment to Hedsor Jazz and to "our" group of musicians.

I read a review in Jazz Journal not so long ago that summed up his playing. I reproduce it below:-

You will notice that it was a review of a concert in Reading!! And I agree with all the remarks about his playing. 

Still looking back, I was asked 2 weeks ago if I could replace the Cox Green School Jazz Orchestra at a charity concert in Maidenhead, which took place last Sunday. Well, I couldn't, but I knew men who could, and they did remarkably well, considering the only time they played together before their spot on the program was the sound check 1/2 hour before the audience came in. For this effort, Hedsor Jazz got a great plug in the program:-

The"talented bass player" was John Monney. "Our" quartet represented our jazz music to perfection.

The Noteworthy Singers are also well worth looking out for, and clips of their music can be found on their web site.

CD Listened to This Week

Its not new, to me or the CD world, but Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in Chicago, recorded in 1956, is still something to be savoured and marvelled at. No, nothing ground breaking just wonderful music, full of good humour that just makes you want to hear more. Its a double album, on Columbia Records COL 471870 2

So for now, that's it from me folks.

Geoff C

Your favourite read of the week!! Blog time from Geoff. It does seem to come around very quickly, but tomorrow is another Thursday. And that means some more exquisite jazz at The Hedsor Social Club!

Tomorrow will be special. Our guest saxophonist is a staunch and active supporter of Hedsor jazz, and a famous player in his own right.

Simon Spillett 

is coming tomorrow to stand alongside Clive. They will both be in front of Martin Hart on drums, back from his American tour, Ken Rankine on bass, back from his tour of Malta, and Nigel Fox, back from wherever he was last week!

Grass routes, seat of the pants jazz will be played with skill, excitement and swing. And YOU get all of this for just £6! As usual, the music starts at 8.30 pm.

And on Halloween night (October 31st) we have a young lady saxophonist extraordinaire! 

Tracey Mendham is coming to play for us again. 

A wonderful musician with a great big tone and a big personality to match. I do hope you are all planing on coming out to see her! 

So two great gigs with superb musicians and both can be heard for only £6 each and we don't charge extra for the car park! But as Vic Oliver (OK if you are that young Google the name) once said, "we have locked the doors so you have to pay to get out" 

Seriously though I know times are hard, but we have suffered a fall in attendance recently,(in line with many other places I know), but we could really do with your bum on our seats. Jazz at Hedsor is kept alive by the generosity of the members of Jazz Angels, who pay money into our bank account on a regular basis just to ensure live jazz remains available locally and in top quality. More people coming more often will ease the burden on that fund. To encourage people who may not have heard of Hedsor Jazz, some leaflets have been prepared, and some have already been put round local houses to advertise our club more widely. If you would like to do the same, some more leaflets will be available tomorrow, as will a poster for Tracey's gig if you have somewhere to place it.

One final plug is for a show taking place this coming Sunday evening October 20th in Maidenhead Town Hall's Desborough Suite. All for charity 4 singers and a choir will be "Steppin' Out" and so will some recognisable renegades from Hedsor Jazz. If you would like to be entertained in an early evening event this is the place to be from 6 pm until approx 8.30 pm.

Next week I hope to tell you of some CD's I've listened to recently, but in the meantime:-

TTFN (which is ITMA slang: OK resort to Google)!!

Geoff

My writings for this week are a bit rushed. My candle, which of course for maximum effect is lit at both ends, is rapidly coming to a frantic flair. 

There are things I MUST tell you about though, and yet again attempt to encourage you to come and experience jazz at Hedsor Jazz for yourselves. 

Tonight for instance is not quite how it was anticipated to be. We have a rhythm section consisting of Mike Jeffries on drums, John Monney on bass (as for the last two weeks), but for this week only (!) Malcolm Cliff will be on keyboard. Malcolm is renowned for his ability to "quote" a variety of tunes whilst playing another, so it will be a bit of a challenge to see if you can recognise them all!! Bring your own pen and paper!

We had anticipated Ken McCarthy on keyboard this week, but Ken is unable to get back from a prior (unpaid) engagement in London in time for tonight's gig. We will just have to wait another month for his next turn.

In front of the rhythm section this week as usual is Clive Burton on trombone and Mike Wills on reed instruments.

BUT

We have two great gigs coming up in the next couple of weeks. Thursday October 17th see's the return of our regular rhythm, but in front of them will be Simon Spillett as well as Clive.

Then on Thursday October 31st we have as a special treat for Halloween that character full lady saxophonist Tracey Mendham! And for all this wonderful music and mayhem we will still only ask £6 to let you in! Marvellous isnt it? Well jazz nights at The Hedsor Social Club are less fattening than chocolate, and soon will be cheaper than are bar of the stuff, as coco prices are set to double!

Look out for a poster for you to display for Tracey. We will also have some handbills for general Hedsor Jazz promotion for you to hand out to your friends and neighbours.

That's it for this morning, lets see what a little moonlight will do!

What's on at Hedsor Jazz this week.

Our first evening of smooth swinging jazz for October (the 3rd) will have a band that you will recognise, but that isn't quite our regular guys!!

It will be Clive Burton on the trombone and jokes, Mike Wills on the multiple reeds, which he plays one at a time, unlike some! Nigel Fox on keyboard.So far all fairly predictable. But our bass player this week will be John Monney and our drummer (you saw him last week, if you were one of our very small audience) will be Mike Jeffreys.

It was a small audience last week and I do hope it might grow a bit (NO a LOT) this week. 
OK the weather forecast is for rain, a lot of rain! But the Hedsor Social Club Roof doesn't leak, inside you will be warm, and dry. You will be met with nice people, nice music and nice beer. All we need from you is a nice£6 for entry. In exchange, you will get a raffle ticket, and a chance to win one of our carefully selected raffle prizes!!

Also with me again this week will be the late Charles Benson's CD collection, which we are selling at his request for Jazz Angels Funds. We sold a number last week, but we still have a lot of very interesting items left. A suggested price of £4 each but no top limit except your generosity!

For those who don't know, Jazz Angels is the fund that underwrites the financing of Hedsor Jazz. 

Tracey Mendham

Into the future and I can now reveal that for October 31st we will have Tracey Mendham with us. Big Toned, Big Personality and soon to be in our Big Room!!

Recently Listened CD 

I have yet to hear ALL of the double album on the Avid Jazz re issue label (4 LPs on 2 CD's) but "Jimmy Rushing - Four Classic Albums" is a must if you like the blues shouting style of Mr 4X4.

Jimmy is featured with some interesting jazz luminaries from the middle period of jazz. With him on many of the tracks are Buck Clayton, Benny Moten, Coleman Hawkins, all playing as you would expect, excellently, with well thought out (or maybe just naturally exuded) solos and great ensemble work. Some of the material is more arranged ,with the Big Brass of 4 trumpets 3 trombones 5 saxophonist you could not expect the music to be off the cuff. But the Big Man's Big Voice and some great songs bring back memories (yes, I did see the man). These recordings were all made between 1956 and 1960. One of the albums on this release I have yet to listen too and is different. It has Mr Rushing with the Dave Brubeck Quartet of the period. The sleeve note calls this "a spontaneous explosion of jazz". That one goes in the CD player latter tonight! The CD Number is AMSC1057. Nearly 160 minutes of wonderful jazz.

Good Morning Jazz Lovers

Another Thursday, and so far no nag or blog I hear you think. True, I am, at this late stage, beginning to correct that issue!

Our regular Thursday Session at Hedsor Jazz this week will be the almost regular Clive Burton Quintet. The only addition to the Albran situation is that our drummer, Martin Hart, is being replaced for 3 weeks by our other drummer, Mike Jeffries.

As Autumn approaches it would be nice to see some of you back from your summer break. We do try to keep our entry price to £6, which doesn't always see enough money coming in per week to pay the band. If you could encourage others other than yourselves to come more often, we will have no trouble carrying on with our weekly sessions.

There are very few jazz clubs now offering a regular weekly session, some of those that do have had to increase their entry fee quite considerably. We really don’t want to do that, but even 5 more regular attendees would help to stabilise our accounts. I think we offer incredible value for money. We frequently have guest musicians playing for us who have national and international stature, the premises we are in (The Hedsor Social Club) is gradually being improved (we have been their most loyal customers now for something like 12 years), and the move last year into the bigger room has been advantageous to all of the social club members, not just us jazzers. Do think of becoming Social Club members yourselves. The turn of the year is membership renewal time, so why not ask Sarah for a membership form.

We still have some excellent guest performers in the pipeline. Our Christmas Party on December 19^th will be a sell out, so when the tickets become available, do buy yours in advance. Many were turned away at our last Big Night in August. They had assumed that tickets are ALWAYS available at the door!

So let us rejoice in another season of mellow jazz. Keep live jazz ALIVE!

Geoff C

A Brief “Nag” 

To let you know that this weeks guest at Hedsor Jazz is internationally renowned vibes player Alan Graham.

 

Alan Graham, with John Monney and Martin Hart

He will be playing alongside Clive Burton on trombone and our regular rhythm section.

 

All well worth the admittance price of just £6. Why not come and bring some friends along too? After all, with Alan in our midst, you are only one away from Frank Sinatra!

 

Geoff C

Good Evening Jazz Fans,


I have already given you an idea of who is coming to play for us on Thursday by email, BUT I really should duplicate it here for those who get to my blog via another route.

What I emailed out to my regular ignorer's was:-

This Week at Hedsor Jazz we have a band made up of:-

 

Stuart Henderson on trumpet and flugel horn, Mike Wills on all the reed instruments he can carry, Nigel Fox on Roland the keyboard, Phil Berry on string bass and Martin Hart on percussion!

 

A Wonderful Amalgam of Talent and all yours for just £6 paid in to the Red Tin at The Hedsor Social Club on Thursday 12th September. The music starts at 8.30 pm, but the bar will be open from at least 7pm, and a pint of Rebellion Beer can be had for £3!

 

Come out, you know it makes sense.

So its now your turn, those who are the great unblogged, to ignore saving jazz by being an audience instead! If you have yet to actually come to Hedsor Jazz you will be astounded by the high quality of the jazz music we put on EVERY WEEK.

May see some fresh faces tomorrow then? Oh, and as our regular taker of money into the red box is on holiday I WILL BE TAKING YOUR MONEY!!

Good Evening England,

And to the first Blog of Autumn! Yes there are only 112 days left to Christmas!!

I really must get my Christmas shopping done soon!! Oh, and yes, I must print off the tickets for our Christmas party on December 19th!! No kidding, it will all come in a rush!!

But to get there, we have to time travel through this coming Thursday evening to Hedsor Jazz. This week we have the regular quintet. Starting from 8.30 pm we will have our regular reed man Mike Wills back with us. I wonder if the railings he has been detailed to paint are black or white?

After an admission price of £6 you can always ask him yourself!!

Looking back on last week it was really nice to have Simon Spillett back with us again. Some terrific playing by everyone concerned, and a reasonable number in the audience which obviously encourages everyone. My favourite tune of the evening was "Love for Sale". Some great off the cuff harmonies were generated by Clive and Simon, with lead swapping and counter melodies to boot. It's live jazz, and we are so lucky at Hedsor Jazz to have such quality in such regular profusion.

It also nice to see so many of our regulars cueing up to buy Simon's latest CD too. It is only available at gigs, from himself, and for double the price you can get a 12" vinyl of it as well! It is well recorded with some innovative tunes and well worth cueing for. His best yet!

This week I have listened to a very good recording of a BBC broadcast from the 2011 Gateshead Jazz Festival now released as BCLB001. Now this seems to me to be a first release, perhaps on a private label because those letters might stand for The Buck Clayton Legacy Band, who are performing under a title called "Claytonia".

There are some very well know British Jazz names on this release, including Alan Barnes, Alyn Shipton, Martin Litton and Norman Emberson, plus a few others (see the artwork for a full list) and my initial listen was to see how they all played, and to my surprise I thought it was a typical ensemble arranged for a Jazz Festival. BUT I have gone back to it three times in the last week, and the more I hear it the better I think it gets. All the tunes were written by Buck Clayton, and it really does sound like one of the Jam Session LP's from the past.You can by it on-line for around £11, but do make sure your search includes the words Buck Clayton Legacy or you will be directed into the garden!

That's about it for this week. Tell your friends about this blog, and about Hedsor Jazz or it will all end in tears and the only excitement left will be East Enders!!

TTFN

Geoff

The last blog of August is upon us!!

And what a cracking jazz August it has been. I am still enjoying my birthday bash in retrospect (I recorded it on my mobile phone but don’t tell anyone!) and am still pinching myself that I can call so many great musicians my friends.

Last week we had a pretty regular version of The Clive Burton Quintet, Mike Wills being allowed temporary remission form his rail-painting task and so able (very able) to join us on his many reed instruments. Our regular pianist was away learning some more tunes, and in his place we had Ken McCarthy. It was a very enjoyable evening.

During the interval last week I was asked if we were going to have a return visit from one of our founder guest artists any time soon. Well, yes we are. This week, as we have had to return Mike to his railings, we will have the energising presence of Simon Spillett on tenor sax. It will be good to catch up with him again, and learn all about his new Trio. Just to quote from his press release:-

Featuring two legendary figures on the UK Jazz circuit - bassist Dave Green and drummer Spike Wells - this new band celebrates the pianoless freedoms heard in the classic Sonny Rollins line-ups from the late 1950's. The emphasis is on spontaneous melodic development, with the band creating elastic treatments of jazz classics and standards and dynamic interplay.

Well, we wont be getting his other partners, well not this week anyway, but it will be really good to add Simon to the list of this years guest saxophonists. Usual start time of 8.30 pm for the music, with the usual cost of £6 to get in. There is also a small charge to get out, but that is purely voluntary!

With hot sunshine being our experience this year, listening to recorded jazz has taken a back seat recently, but I have been absolutely captivated by pianist David Newton latest release. “Out of this World” is its title, and it is also a trio album. David combines his talent with Andrew Cleyndert on bass and Colin Oxley on guitar.

It is clever, melodic, laid back music, beautifully recorded and released by Trio Records as tr590. Three Newton originals are included in this 11 track recording. Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, and J. J Johnson are also some of the other “representatives”. It’s a well thought out recording, with good solos by all three participants. Well worth searching out.

That's it for now folks. See you Thursday at The Hedsor Social Club

Geoff

Good Morning jazz fans.

A fairly brief blog today. After last weeks mammoth blog and mammoth event, this week we return to a more normal weekly jazz Thursday at Hedsor.

Mike Wills is still facing a long run of railings, and so in his place this week we have one of our regular helpers, John Coverdale on guitar, to keep Clive company. John is an excellent guitarist who has played in a number of styles on a number of stages over the years. A subtle note player and harmoniser and an occasional addition to the rhythm section, those who have heard him before will look forward to his appearance. For those who haven’t heard him before, let me welcome you to The Hedsor Social Club this week. Usual start time and charges apply.

OK, Last Week!

If any of you have heard the Lionel Hampton LP “Newport Uproar” you will recognise my “WOW! That hasn’t happened since….”.

Exactly, it hasn’t happened before. We were FULL. And what a night you all gave me to remember my 75^th birthday and 54^th wedding anniversary by. No matter where you go in the future to hear jazz, you will not hear better, more exciting jazz than you did (if you were there) last Thursday. Without exception all of the musicians played there socks off.

So lets say some thank you’s. Thank you to Clive Burton, who has come and played trombone for us, and told us jokes (OK some of the are the same jokes) for over 12 year at Hedsor. It would not be there without him, and he has stayed by us through some pretty thick and thin. Thank you too for Ken Rankine and Martin Hart, who have played bass and drums for us for most of the same period of time. Thank you too for Nigel Fox, who has taken over our piano chair on most occasions since Zane passed away, and in my view has grown in stature since coming to us.

Then thank you too for our wonderful guest players on the night. Singer Gill Cook, who I am sure was imitating another blond singer doing a version of Happy Birthday for a certain President, didn’t she do well. To Vasilis Xenopoulos on alto and tenor saxophones, doesn’t he know how to play!! And finally to Nigel Price for some really formidable guitar work. He even apologised for being late having been held up for 2 hours on the M25!

But not really finally, because some very hard work was done by Helen and Michael Weinblatt setting (and upsetting? i.e. clearing up) the tables. All those who did food for us. Dee who “manned” the door, and was kept a lot busier than ever before taking your money and generally directing the traffic. There were others, lets not forget the bar staff. This sort of event doesnt just happen, it takes human effort to achieve. So Thank You to all who played there part. Thank you too for all your kind thoughts for my birthday and our anniversary expressed through cards and gifts

 Gill Cook and Clive

 Some of the Audience

 Nigel Price

 Vasilis Xenopoulos

 One Note Samba

 Martin Hart

Can we do it all again? Well probably, but possibly not for a birthday of mine! Our next Big Event will be our Christmas Party on December 19^th and with Tina May coming, this will defiantly be a ticket only event. You have shown from last Thursdays turn out that you cannot assume any more that you can always buy a ticket at the door! We will sell tickets to regular attendees of Hedsor Jazz, and we will also sell some via a box office, but entry for that event will only be by ticket!

See you on Thursday

Geoff

Hi Everyone,

I know all blog readers will by now be aware of the very special evening of jazz that is going to be with us at The Hedsor Social Club SL8 5ES this Thursday, August 8^th, and many of you will know this is to celebrate my 75^th birthday.

Actually my birthday is the day before, and August 8^th is actually the day my wife and I celebrate our 54^th wedding anniversary. June, who isn’t that fond of jazz, has kindly allowed me to have my “party” at Hedsor, and to help me celebrate 75 years with my jazz loving friends and with some of the best live jazz around.

I thought that just for once I would ramble on (as old people do) about how and when I started listening to jazz music.

During WWII dance band music and American swinging music was always available on “The Radio”. That was the Home Service and the Light Program. And often we got the American Forces Network as well on our valve AM radio’s.

 

At about this time on a radio not unlike the one above, I started listening to Kenny Baker's Dozen.

My first introduction to records was via 78 rpm disks played on a wind up “acoustic” gramophone during the war. We played “Songs from the Western Front” during air raids in our Anderson Shelter!

No, this isnt my family, but it IS an Anderson Shelter!

But real jazz came into my ears around 1952, probably first from Sid Phillips (78 of “Clarinet Marmalade”), then 78’s followed from Louis Armstrong’s Hot 5 and All Stars.

I think once we had an electric gramophone capable of playing LP’s (about 1954) I found Ken Colyer and Humphrey Lyttelton. You will not that these are bands that were led by trumpet players. Those early 78’s got me playing a coach horn alongside them with me playing as many notes as I could match! As that wasn’t many, in the end I purchased at trumpet!

The Blue Anchor as it is now.

So I played Trad (badly) for a few years with a number of friends. One of those was a drummer who just so happened to live in The Blue Anchor at Hammersmith. We both played to his record player. Wonderful stuff, the music and the beer! When he decided (as a drummer) that he needed to know more chords and started to learn the guitar, I had a go at playing the drums to! As a trad trumpet player I didn't need to know any chords of course!

Much to the relief of the general public (and the underground system, have you ever tried going to gigs on the London Underground helping to carry a drum kit?) I last played in public in 1971.

Listening to jazz, and being keen of Hi Fi equipment has never stopped! My taste in style developed over the years. I had always listened to American music, and an early LP was The Buck Clayton Jam Session with ”The Hucklebuck”, and one of my first major equipment purchases as an apprentice engineer was a Leak TL12 Plus amplifier with a Varislope 3 Pre amp. 15 Guineas this cost me out of my £3 wage! 

I think Bruce Turner introduced me to a saxophone. Before him we trad people thought that a saxophone was an impure thought! Now one of the records I would take with me to a desert island would be from the LP Humph at the Conway, and Bruce turner playing “St James Infirmary Blues”. I’ve worn out 2 LP’s of this concert, and now have it on CD!

Live jazz music was harder to pay for than classical music. As an engineering apprentice I qualified for very cheap tickets for the Industrial Concerts that were put on in the Albert Hall once a month on Fridays by The London Philharmonic Orchestra, but for jazz, the cheapest way was to join a club. So, I became a member of the 100 Club (100 Oxford Street), and of Studio 51 (under Moon’s Garage in Soho Square).

Little did I realise how large my collection of LP’s and then CD’s would become during the intervening 50 years or so. Neither did I dream that I would actually get to know some of the fine musicians I now listen to. But, I am very privileged to be friends with most of those who come to play at The Hedsor Social Club. I am also privileged to have those who listen to the music there as my friends as well.

It will be a great evening of jazz on Thursday. It would be great to have YOUR company there as well. I cant promise another bash in 5 years time, but I can now promise you that at our Christmas Party on December 19^th, we have coming as our very special guest Tina May!!

Take care, and perhaps you too can try and keep live jazz alive!

Hi Jazz Lovers,

I'm a little late in the reminders this week, but tomorrow Hedsor Jazz has a complete set of the Clive Burton Quintet. 

Most of the Clive Burton Quintet

Do come along, the music starts at 8.30 pm, the bar is open before then, and the entry fee is just £6 (and you get a raffle ticket, just for the thrill of the chase!)!

Vasilis Xenopoulos with Clive Burton

Nigel Price

Gill Cook

Next week of course we have our Gala night. From 8 pm on we have some of the best jazz musicians in the UK coming to entertain you (and me!). We will also have a buffet to nibble at half time, so I hope you will join us for this special night of jazz. All this for just £10.

I'm looking forward to that, but do come along tomorrow just so that you know the way!

Cheers for Now

Geoff C

Hi Folks,

Just to let you know that this Thursday (July 25th) our special guest is saxophonist Duncan Lamont Junior. 

Mike Wills is taking a Thursday off and Duncan will be joining Clive in front of our regular rhythm section. Usual start time for the music is 8.30pm, and our usual admittance charge of £6 will apply.

Do make a note of our extra special night on August 8th, when the start time will be 8pm and the admittance £10.

Tickets are now on sale.

Swanage Jazz Festival Notes 2013

Friday

I learnt many years ago that Jazz Festivals are NOT about cramming in as much music as possible, but listening to some music and meeting old friends and making new ones. Friday was a bit like that. With old friends I had a meal and caught up on the last year with them.

I did however get to see The Steve Waterman Septet. With Steve on trumpet and flugel were Mark Nightingale trombone, Alan Barnes baritone sax, Dave O’Higgins tenor sax, Gareth Williams piano, Andy Cleyndert bass and Dave Barry drums. A truly stella line up. They played arrangements by Steve of well know modern jazz tunes, but perhaps it was too well arranged, and didn’t give enough space for the musicians to really show any of their true capabilities, (maybe with the exception of Mr.Waterman himself). The ensemble harmonies were good, but the music never really got to swing. For me this was less exciting than I had hoped for.

Saturday

The day dawned HOT!

First, Coffee and greeting friends and then to the music.

The Christian Brewer-Damon Brown Quintet consisted of  CB on alto sax, DB on trumpet and flugel, Leon Greening on piano Adam King on bass and Matt Skelton on drums. An excellent and entertaining set which lived up to the program notes! “Christian Brewer is a passionate and lyrical alto sax player while Damon Brown is a vastly accomplished trumpet player and composer. Their quintet delivers a joyful brand of British neo-bop that swings with power, fluency and drive”. Yes, this is/was the sort of music I love to hear. More of Leon Greening later, but he does know how to drive a band along, as does Adam King, now back playing again having had to stop for a while for health reasons.

After a short wander around the Swanage Mediterranean, I walked up the hill to the Methodist Church. Pushed into service because of the extensive wetness elsewhere last year, it has been retained this year as a venue of choice.. I still think the sound is a bit on the blurred side, but I have sat in less comfortable surroundings. I had travelled to church to see Alan Barnes and Tony Kofi set, with Gareth Williams piano, Andy Cleyndert bass and Clark Tracey drums. Again, some wonderful swinging modern jazz played by people who can. Both reedmen stayed mainly on alto saxes, and it was great fun. The church backdrop does lead itself to some interesting photo opportunities!

After a break for a) a shower, and b) food I then returned to Marquee 2 for an amazing trio set by Leon Greening, with Adam King on bass and Matt Skelton drums. Some of the most exciting trio jazz I have heard in a long time.

I think their set got the only standing ovation that I witnessed during the Festival weekend. Leon has been around in the Matt Waits band for some time, but he is beginning to really excite. I’m sure we will hear and see more of this young man.

 After Leon, Arnie Somogyi (bass) brought on a band to play the music of Charles Mingus. Alan Barnes, Tony Kofi on reeds, Jeremy Price trombone, Mark Edwards piano, Clarke Tracey drums produced a lovely rich sound, but its tone was a bit “dark”. They chose to do the second number in total free form, and what with the heat, a number of the audience decided it wasn’t for them. It was the only tune so played, but the arrangements seemed to miss much of the humour that I hear in Mingus’s music. I will stress again that the heat must have been taking a toll of many musicians ability to enjoy playing themselves anyway, and all in all I think they did a very credible job.

 Sunday

I took a brief look at The Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra, and then went to see the Steve Fishwick-Osian Roberts International Sextet.

Osian Roberts is new to me, but The Fishwick Brothers are fairly well known these days, Steve on trumpet and Matt on drums. They had a New York baritone saxophonist with them (Frank Basile) with a Greek guy on bass (Giorgo Antoniou) and a dep on piano whose name I cannot remember! Good competent stuff, but nothing really innovative.

  

The next band I took in was Clarke Tracey’s New Quintet. The star of this ensemble is pianist Reuben James, who is about 18 years old. The program had them down as Henry Armburg Jennings trumpet, Chris Maddocks alto sax, and Dan Casimir bass. They are all very good players, but the only one of this young buch who added anything to ones understanding of the tunes was Reuban. I’m pretty certain that the trumpet player was actually the musical director of NYJO, who was dripping with perspiration even before they started, as like many people, he had been held up in his journey by traffic (mostly being generated by The Goodwood Festival of Speed!). He had bags of technique, but the perspiration replaced the inspiration in my book, and as I too was hot I took and early bath!

After what is becoming a traditional “Jazz from Geoff” Sunday evening meal with friends in The Black Swan, I returned briefly to the fray, being tempted into the trad marquee to hear Laurie Chescoe’s Reunion Band. They were described in the program as “the best Dixieland Band since Alex Welsh”. I was a great fan of Alex Welsh, saw him many times, have a lot of his recordings and I am certain that many other bands hold a better claim to that title than this one. OK so Jim Douglas WAS on guitar, apart from that I thought they were more vaudeville than Dixieland, sorry. It is probably me who is wrong, as the audience seemed to love it, they laughed at all the jokes!

So for me, another Swanage Jazz festival came to an end with a few “goodbye’s” and some “see you next year’s”

Before I finish I would be very wrong if I didn’t say a very big THANK YOU to Fred Lindup and his team for their continuing efforts in keeping this jazz festival open for business for 24 years. Don’t stop now folks, your beginning to get the hang of it!!

Cheers 

Geoff C