The Hedsor Jazz Blog is Little Bit Earlier than Usual

and it will be the last blog for 2024. 

So just to start, a Christmas Greeting to you all

DO HAVE A SPLENDID CHRISTMAS TIME

and 

an invitation to our last gig of the year, our famous Christmas Party

AND ALL FOR JUST £10 per head

Next year we start on JANUARY 9th, 

and the 4 weeks of our music for January 2025 are set out for you below

AS you can see from our January program we are starting 2025 as we mean to go on, with wonderful players and a variety of musical styles all under that overall banner word JAZZ

Throughout the year we aim to bring you, on occasions, a evening in a changed style to the 1950's MODERN jazz that has been our mainstay for the past 20 years. We want to illustrate the many variations that can go under that word JAZZ.

To some extent last weeks session with Al Nicholls and Titch Walker did just that and kind of prefaced our January 23rd evening. Booting Texas style tenor playing from Al, with some Dixieland style trumpet from Titch, even playing tunes like "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans" and "Back Home Again in Indiana". Great fun, but a complete contrast to the week before where Stuart Henderson and Alam Nathoo played as one charts that they had never seen before.

My pictures from last week are below.

Finally can I thank all of you for the support you have offered to us at Hedsor Jazz in 2024. You have turned out on dark days, windy days, election days, closed bridge days and you have all helped in that task of Keeping Live Jazz ALIVE

May Christmas bring you all the gifts you desire, and the refreshment, physical and emotional, that will lead you into 2025 with a fresh resolve. 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Geoff

Tuesday, Blog Day, every week! BUT I will be taking a break over the Christmas period, as Frank Sinatra used to sing, “It’s nice to go travelling” and our family is somewhat “dispersed”!

One or two things to highlight.

Our jazz at The Hedsor Bar is every Thursday, except for our Christmas Holiday Period. Our last Thursday before our break will be December 19^th for our Christmas Party, and we will recommence after our holidays on January 9^th. Our start time remains at 8pm, and I am pleased to see that the Hedsor Bar web site has now got the correct start time.

Our last two gigs for 2024 will have, this week, December 12^th, Al Nicholls on tenor sax and Titch Walker on trumpet with as usual the Hedsor Jazz trio backing all that they do! Al and Titch make up the heart of “Blue Harlem” so come and enjoy some bootingly good jazz.

Al with us in September

The musical side of our Christmas party on December 19^th will have Duncan Lamont Jr on reeds, Lester Brown on trumpet and they will be joined by that lovely singer Sarah Jane Eveleigh. A light buffet will be available at half time.

I do hope we all have an enjoyable and happy Christmas time, and safe journeys for all of us who have to do that.

Next year one of our innovation evenings is coming on January 23^rd. We will be emphasising the more traditional of jazz tunes and we will be joined for that by special guest Richard Kellaway on Reeds, with Lester Brown on Trumpet, Phil Brown on Trombone, Andrew Clancy on Piano, Al Pirrie on Bass and Martin Hart on Drums.

Richard with Cookhams "Shirtlifters"

With the coming of a new year it is time to thank Martin Hart for all the work he has done over the past few years in booking the musicians who come and play for us at Hedsor. Martin has decided that a rest is as good as a cure and for 2025 this roll will be taken over by Mike Jeffries, with assistance in the planning and booking from Ken McCarthy and Tracy Georgiades . Martin took over the role when Clive passed away and has moved our jazz musical experience higher every year. We do plan to carry on at Hedsor, and will be booking musicians of like quality into the future months. This can only really continue if we can increase our numbers (bums on seats) AND our notoriety as a jazz club. If anyone would like to help with this please let me know.

Last week.

My photos are below.

We had feared that Stuart Henderson might not be with us following on from the death of his father, but he was happy to come and do what he does best, play jazz. He was joined at short notice by that guy who can walk to us from home, Alam Nathoo, on reeds. With the rhythm section of Ken McCarthy, Al Pirrie and Mike Jeffries we had great expectations, and we were NOT disappointed. It was probably THE best evening of jazz I have heard this year. The standard of sight reading and timing was astonishing. Well done to all the players for delivering such an amazing evening. These are the sort of evenings that Hedsor Jazz wants to lay down into the future, and we have plans afoot!

Enjoy the rest of 2024, but remember in order to keep live jazz alive we need an AUDIENCE.

 

Geoff

 Late Change to Thursdays Program

Frank Walden is unable to play for us this Thursday, December 5th.  I am delighted to say that we have Alam Nathoo coming in his place.

As you will have read in this weeks main blog article, Alam actually lives nearest to The Hedsor Bar than any of our other guest musicians, AND he is a simply wonderful and innovative saxophonist. Don't miss this unexpected chance to hear him.

Time For a little light blogging, just to keep you “in tune” with all things Hedsor Jazz

We were hoping to welcome Stuart Henderson back to us this coming Thursday, but we learnt on Friday that sadly his father had died earlier that morning.  So it may well be, and understandably so, that he wont be with us this time. I would like to offer on behalf of all of Hedsor Jazz, and for Jazz Angels (the powers behind the music) our heartfelt sympathy for Stuart and all his family at this very sad time.

Stuart would have been in the company of saxophonist Frank Walden on this first gig of December (5^th), and we will still have Al Pirrie on bass, Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Mike Jeffries on drums anyway this week, so plenty of great playing for you to come to Hedsor for this week anyway.

Advance Notice

One of Januaries gigs has already been confirmed, and it is one of the promised “variation” events. On January 23^rd we are going to run an evening of more traditional jazz. Richard Kellaway (one time leader of Cookham’s Fabulous Shirtlifters)  will be on reeds, with Lester Brown on trumpet, Phil Brown on trombone (Lester’s Dad), Andrew Clancy on keyboard, Al Pirrie on bass with Martin Hart on drums.

Richard with the late Ken Rankine

 

 

We thought a bit of variety could add spice to our evenings. No, we aren’t changing our musical policy, but we will be having just one or two variations of style coming to Hedsor Jazz in 2025. Really “Watch this Space” to see what and when.

 Less advanced, but do please still notice that on December 12^th we will have a contingent from “Blue Harlem” coming to Hedsor Jazz. Saxophonist Al Nicholls is bringing with him from his band “Blue Harlem” trumpeter Titch Walker, and we will again be joined by Al Pirrie on bass plus Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Martin Hart on drums.

Al with Jezz Cook

 

Our December will finish on the 19^th with our Christmas Party. There will be a light buffet to sustain us and Duncan Lamont, Lester brown and Sarah Jane Eveleigh to serenade us.

Last Thursdays session, with a return to Hedsor of saxophonist Martin Dunston partnered by Lester Brown on trumpet was a very enjoyable evening, supported by an audience of a few brave people who turned out on a cold night. Great fun was had by all, with some different tunes being played including “United” by Wayne Shorter. We assured Martin he will be invited back (he provided many of the charts), and in fact he doesn’t live too far away. For location Alam Nathoo is nearest to Hedsor Jazz, then Mike Jeffries, then Vasilis Xenopoulos. Once or twice I’m sure we have had them all to us at the same time!

My pictures of last weeks session are below

A Future Fan?

 

 

PS This blog is produced using Googles BlogSpot software, and I have absolutely no idea why sometimes the background to the words goes all white!! 

5 Days still to go before we reach December, 30 days to that parcel embracing day called Christmas! And before we take a short jazz break over Christmas and the New Year there is still some wonderful jazz to explore at The Hedsor Bar.

Coming THIS THURSDAY, November 28^th, we have Lester Brown on trumpet, returning for 2 weeks in a row. Accompanying him will be saxophonist Martin Dunston. I think this may be Martins third visit to Hedsor, so do come along and enjoy that collision of notes called JAZZ that we enjoy so much.

 

Last week Lester had Alam Nathoo by his side and they certainly produced some wonderful collisions (maybe the word collusions might be better?) but however you play with the words, the way those two played with the notes was amazing. It was also a pleasure to have Nigel Fox back with us again. "Our" Ken McCarthy was indisposed with a bad cold, and Nigel stepped in at short notice. I know we are only a small audience at Hedsor, but I count it a real privilege to hear such fine music being played at Hedsor Jazz.

We are planning to continue at The Hedsor Bar into 2025 but to ensure that we can do this please spread the word about our wonderful jazz club, and come yourselves as often as you can.

December musically is a short month with only 3 gigs (but just look at the quality of those gigs, (poster art below). AND on the 19^th we have our Christmas Party. 

Entry to each of our gigs is £10 per head and that includes any evenings when we have a buffet. They all start at 8pm, and I understand that the Hedsor Bar’s web site has now got the correct start time for our gigs!

 

January is still in the planning stage, but it will have 4 gigs in it, so watch THIS SPACE. In 2025 we also hope to introduce you to some different jazz styles on an occasional basis.

It was a pleasure to have Steve Riddle back with us again last week. He threatens to give up playing altogether, so do please nag him silly to continue. I know he really never got over the cataclysmic damage that his upright bass sustained, and I know he doesn’t think the stick bass produces such a satisfying sound, but he is too good a bass player to be allowed to disappear from the music scene. My photos from last week are below, including that nice cheeky shot of Steve just below Lester, who is also looking, well, cheeky!

One final "note"! Sunday December 1st has an unusual gig in an unusual place. In Maidenheads United Reformed Church, West Street, Maidenhead, SL6 1RL there will be a Jazz Service starting at 10.30am. Taking part will be singer Gill Cook, Saxophonist Mark Aston, and the Hedsor Jazz trio of Ken McCarthy, Peter Hughes and Martin Hart. I will be holding it together with a few words so why not come along, its even free to get in!

 A Warning

For those of us who travel to Hedsor Jazz via Cookham Bridge I have just been informed, courtesy of he Bucks Free Press online, that the Bridge will be closed again this Thursday, November 21st, from 7.30pm until 5am next day.

Another Tuesday, another blog to entice you to another Hedsor Jazz evening!

Yes, it is getting colder, and the evenings have already got dark, but Hedsor Jazz offer’s a warm welcome, and the music is jazz, GREAT JAZZ!

This week, Thursday November 21^st, that jazz will be provided by Lester Brown on trumpet with Alam Nathoo on tenor sax and they will be backed by our regular rhythm section (well rhythm is regular!).

Lester has been “our” trumpet player for many years, coming to us soon after Clive Burton passed away. Alam is a relatively new find, but one of the most amazing musicians I have come across in years. His solos border on the impossible, and his understanding of any tunes chord structure is phenomenal. If you haven’t heard him before, you must come and listen.

 

Now for an update on our December program.

We have had to change the line-up for December 12^th. After all, we couldn’t really afford Johnny Thirkle and when Jamiroquai have a booking we can’t have him! Sue Greenway was always a TBC, and she can’t, so in their places we have booked a) another great friend of Hedsor Jazz who has been playing for us since the days of jazz in Cookham’s “Railway Tavern”! That great booting tenor saxophonist Al Nicholls is coming, and b) bringing with him another part of “Blue Harlem” trumpeter Titch Walker. So watch out for some great Harlem style swinging jazz.

 

A revised poster is below, please copy and print off and place somewhere where the public can see it!

 

My photos for last week are below. Last week Duncan Lamont Jr brought with him a big  band trumpeter in the shape of John Hinch, and between the music and the informative introductions from Duncan we all learnt more about tunes like “Once I Had a Secret Love”, “Georgia”, “The Days of Wine and Roses”, and we finished the evening with “Bernie’s Tune”! They say Variety is the Spice of Life. For “Spice of Life” just substitute “Hedsor Jazz”.

 

Do that and I’ll see you all on Thursday!

 

 

 Another week has flown by, and yet again we have a week with 2 great local jazz evenings for us to enjoy. 

TONIGHT Marlow jazz has Nigel Price Plus: see their advert below.

 
Hedsor Jazz has had 3 of these 4 play before, and we have had gypsy guitar music evenings with 2 of those3 before!!

HEDSOR JAZZ this THURSDAY (November 14^th) has that great friend of Hedsor jazz saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr. 

When he is invited to bring a partner to play alongside him he always introduces us to someone wonderful.

This time we have a trumpeter new to us, John Hinch.

His background is:-

John Hinch – Trumpet

Graduate of Leeds College of Music and Postgraduate Jazz Scholarship Trinity College of Music, London. John is an experienced freelance trumpet player, working in all areas of the profession. Artistes and organisations worked for include Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, Nancy Wilson, The Drifters, BBC, Eurojazz and West End Theatre.

Which I nicked from The Groove Merchants synopsis

 

I’m sure it will be another entertaining evening for all you Hedsor Jazzers. Just as last weeks Hedsor Jazz was!!

Week after week we are getting some superb performances at Hedsor Jazz, and although our audience is small, it is perfectly formed! Having  more listeners would only benefit themselves by coming to hear what Hedsor jazz has to offer.

Last week (my photos are below) I heard mentioned more than once that it was thought to have been that listener’s best night ever at Hedsor! It was a very good night! Pete Rudeforth heard the comment and was visibly embarrassed (but pleased) and promised he would come again.

 

Dont forget, our poster art for both November and December is available, so please copy and place it before the general public.