After reading todays Blog You have 50 days until Christmas!!

BUT TONIGHT November 5^th, you could go and see “In The Pocket” at The Bourne End Community Centre

With Alam Nathoo and Mike Jeffries, both stars of Hedsor Jazz with Jezz Cook, who has played Hedsor many time.

8pm start £8 entry

 But what has Hedsor Jazz itself got to offer you this Thursday, November 7^th? 

We have a return visit of that very experienced trumpet player Pete Rudeforth, who will be kept company at the front by Mark Aston on various saxophones. 

No, Mark isn’t a new permanent member of Hedsor Jazz, but this week it will be 3 in a row for him. He has been a great friend of Hedsor Jazz for many years and we must thank him for helping us out this Autumn. Some of the invitees for this Autumn were unable to be with us and Mark has gallantly led his way to Hedsor’s front line. Many thanks, and we look forward to future appearances from him in the weeks to come.

Last week Mark led a session alongside guitarist Alex Corlett, a very talented musician and composer. This was a very enjoyable session which included a performance of one of Alex’s own compositions “Minor Declaration”. 

My photos from last week are below.

 

But last week I did take some more photos!!

On our way home Tracy and I, as we crossed Cookham Bridge, could see a barge well on fire, and as there was no evidence of the fire brigade that we could see, we went to investigate in case no one had called them. By the time we had walked to the site of the blaze 3 other people were there from the next boat moored nearby and they said that they had called the fire brigade. Once it was established that the fire brigade were in charge we went back to move the car out of their way. Sadly this residential barge was completely gutted by the fire and subsequently sank as can be seen from the photos I took next morning.

I have no news at all of who has suffered the loss of their home. I believed the barge to have been empty at the time.

 

Lets hope future journeys home prove vastly less exciting in the future, 

and lest hope for a better future for those people who seem to have lost all in the boat fire.

Some VERY RAPID feedback has come to me about the gig at The Bourne End Community Centre on November 5th

The band IS NOT called "Corner Pocket"! It's called "In the Pocket".

However if you would like to watch Count Basie and his band play "Corner Pocket" try this link:-

https://www.google.com/search?q=corner+pocket+jazz+song&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggCECMYJzIGCAAQRRg5MgwIARAAGEMYgAQYigUyBggCECMYJzIGCAMQRRhAMg0IBBAuGJECGIAEGIoFMhMIBRAuGK8BGMcBGJECGIAEGIoFMg8IBhAAGEMYsQMYgAQYigUyBggHEEUYPNIBCTEyOTQ4ajFqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&si=ACC90nyLlcElEvb2bNLvGYvz3qiAWZ9iF0XapdJLrREv_8q4Z1vRB15MMgwKrNtcVuw6lAfWzn7hTChOHJYZLwlOqcgYPagFGxjLIQ7x_QDZWYLnaP2nklxevKnNDNGF4kolIOp3h4df&ictx=1&ved=2ahUKEwiGnves0LGJAxXnX0EAHai0MOUQ_coHegQIPBAe

5 minutes of Black and White Swinging TV!!

 

The Clocks have gone back, there are now 58 days to Christmas, today is a Monday and it’s grey and drizzling!

 All good reasons to write my blog today rather than my usual Tuesday.

 So what has Hedsor Jazz got coming for you this 

Thursday, October 31^st?

Last week we had Lester Brown with Mark Aston, my pictures are further down the page. This week we have MARK ASTON!! This time with guitarist Alex Corlett, a combination we have had 2 or 3 times before. SO something that should drag you away from the treasured viewings on your television!

We have had the benefit of Mark many times over the last 10 or more years, but Alex is relatively new to us so do check out his own web page at https://alexcorlett.com/ . He is an extremely accomplished player and well worth your full attention.

 

Talking of guitarist reminds me that I recently saw on Facebook a comment about a gig that had both guitarist Nigel Price and pianist John Donegan. It is great to hear that they have at least played together again, as when they both appeared at Hedsor Jazz (I think in 2019) they had not met or played together before. After a few minutes we soon discovered they were a terrific pairing, and I can still remember the sparks they produced during that evening. Two people with that level of musical energy shouldn’t really be allowed in the same room together, and we should have charge extra to cover the insurance. They were really terrific and I’m so glad to see they have played together again.

 

We do try to have a variety of instrument pairings on the front line at Hedsor Jazz, and we are planning some variations on the themes of jazz. We are hoping to have another Dixeland (Trad?!) evening in the near future (probably 2025) just to remind everyone how the music was born. We could stretch this a bit to other root music? Skiffle was a kind of variation on the Gospel/Blues music that came to the UK around the mid 1950’s. So perhaps we can have one evening where everyone can reminisce? Let me have your thoughts.

Another evening we have been talking about doing at Hedsor Jazz is that in the Django Reinhart style (referred to generically as manouche). Marlow Jazz have beaten us to it (although we have done this music more than once before at Hedsor Jazz) so if you want to see and hear this type of Swinging jazz before we get around to it, do go to their gig on Tuesday 12th November

 

Last but not least, another gig on a Tuesday in November will be at the Bourne End Community Centre where that wonderful saxophonist, (who can walk to gigs in Hedsor), Alam Nathoo, will be walking to this one too! Arranged by “our” drummer (well, one of a pair) Mike Jeffries for Tuesday November 5^th. (Now that rings a bell, you can’t forget that date). The band is called “Corner Pocket”. Entry is £8 and it starts at 8pm!

 

Finally my photos from last week. Mark Aston alongside Lester Brown, with Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Martin Hart on drums and Stuart Barker on bass. It was a very good session, and Stuart is a very good bass player. In the second set the band played an Oscar Peddiford tune (he was a bass player who just happened to land up in an asylum) and the tune was called “Blues in the Closet. I thought Stuart soloed very well on this tune, and Mark Aston overheard my comment at the end of the tune, and repeated it into the microphone. Stuart got another well deserved round of applause!!

Well that's it from me for now, keep in touch, or even COME to Hedsor Jazz.

 Coming to Hedsor Jazz THIS WEEK

 Lester Brown on trumpet and Frank Walden on tenor sax

 Backed as usual by our men at the back (!) 

led by Martin Hart on drums. 

And as usual our start time will be 8pm. 

That’s this coming Thursday, October 24^th. 

BUT if you want quality jazz that we have already tested for you, then Bruce Adams and Alan Barnes are appearing together TONIGHT October 22nd at The British Legion Hall in Marlow, See https://www.marlowjazz.co.uk/WEBSITE2024SEPT.pdf

Both have appeared individually at Hedsor Jazz this year!

Hedsor Jazz last week had one of our favourite compilations, a pairing of saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr with trombonist Mike Innes and they were supported by Ken McCarthy, Peter Hughes and Martin Hart.

This was an evening of both harmony and melody. They played some tunes now little heard like “I Will Wait for You”, “What a Wonderful World”, and “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”, and that was just some of the first set. To say that the evening closed with “There’s a Tavern in the Town” will give you a clue as to the flavour of the evening. And the harmonies conjured up by tenor sax and trombone were to die for. They weren’t always perfect though. On one title Duncan picked the tenor sax but the tune was in the right key for the flute, so they staggered to a halt, Duncan chose the right instrument (flute of course) and off they went again! Yes, a great evening of tune and harmony, with enough time in the interval to catch up with the friends we have all made at Hedsor Jazz. My photos on last weeks set are below.

 

 

Dont forget to keep an eye on whats happening at the recently refurbished Dawkes Instrument shop in Maidenhead. On Saturday (26^th October) for example Dom Pipkin an exponent of New Orleans piano is playing from 8 ‘till 10.30.

 

See more at DAWKES.CO.UK/LIVE

But for now, from me

Goodbye

 Coming This Week to Hedsor Jazz

 Duncan Lamont Jr on Reeds and Mike Innes on Trombone

 Accompanied by our Hedsor Jazz trio

 Which this week has a return of drummer Martin Hart who has had the audacity (no, not the sound software) of having taken a holiday!!

Duncan and Mike on their last visit to Hedsor

 

Last weeks session had the trumpet/sax combination of Lester Brown and Frank Walden, which was greatly enjoyed by our audience. Yes, it was the same combination of instruments as the week before, but hey, this is jazz, and the different players brought a different approach to, of course, different tunes. Over the weeks (and we do meet EVERY WEEK) we do often have similar instrumentation, but don’t be put off by that, as what happens in front of your ears is NEVER boring.

My never boring pictures from last week are below.

Last week also had some big band jazz in Cookham, and the Echoes of Swing Orchestra was playing Tuesday night in the Methodist Church. They raised over £400 for a charity helping children’s education in Africa. A common link to Hedsor Jazz is E of S bass player was “our” Peter Hughes!

Also notable in the trumpet section was musical impresario Toby Cruse, who next day posted a photo on Facebook showing him departing the UK again from an airport!

Sorry but I have no photos of their Big Band gig, I had buried my phone in a raincoat pocket, it was the night of a storm!!

Last weeks blog carried our poster art for October and November. Please copy, print and place in view of the general public. They may even come one day!

Last week also saw an email from Simon Lenton who has agreed to help maintain Marlow Jazz following on from the sad and sudden passing of Michael Eagleton.

Tuesday 22^nd October WILL see Bruce Adams and Alan Barnes together at Marlow. See poster below:-

That's about it from me for now. 

Keep in touch, there's a budget coming and you know governments love older people!

Good Blog to all! It was a delight to get back to Hedsor Jazz last Thursday. The clamp of COVID was loosened enough, and the music of Pete Rudeforth and Alam Nathoo was incredibly enjoyable and refreshing. The beer also went down well!

My pictures of the evening are below, but I must say both front line musicians were/are superb, and although they are players of different styles, they sorted out enough tunes for each to play and combine without any glaring hints of conflict. Neutral style tunes like “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “In A Mellow Tone” allowed everyone to play to there strengths, and for everyone to admire their tremendous skills. It was another great evening, something that Hedsor Jazz can sometimes pull out of the hat. Our friendly atmosphere and intimate environment somehow encourages such lovely evenings. And all at just £10 per head!

Thinking of our entry fee, I received this week the program for the autumn season for The Wycombe Swan Theatre, and was kind of surprised to see that most evenings there would cost you an entry fee of at least £30 each!

A different venue, but TONIGHT, you can hear Big Band Jazz at Cookham Rise Methodist Church, see advert below.

If you can get to it this evening, you will find one of “our” bass players standing, bass in hand, slightly to one side!! Yes, it will be Peter Hughes, who is band by the band (!) from showing off his braces!

Coming to Hedsor Jazz this Thursday, October 10^th, we have Lester Brown on trumpet and Frank Waldon on tenor sax. Again these are two musicians of tremendous ability who have developed within different styles of jazz. They are both regular contributors to our jazz life at Hedsor, and again both have learnt to adapt to produce a great partnership in front of “our” Hedsor Jazz rhythm section. Come and listen. Its a £10 bargain!

 

Below are our posters for October and November. If you can please print them off and display them to the public. You never know, our next sponsor may well be out there just waiting to find us!!

 

Well, those of you who made it to Hedsor Jazz through the torrent of rain that came down last Thursday will know by now that I didn’t make it! The current brand of COVID saw to that. Many thanks to those of you who wished me well. I really do hope to make it back to Hedsor Jazz this week. (BUT a week is a long time in COVID)!!

However I am told that those who DID get to Hedsor Jazz last week (fortunately all the musicians did) were entertained most royally.

I have read and heard many comments about Al Nicholls being “great” on the evening, (which he surely is every time), and I am told as well that we actually had dancers at Hedsor!!

The other musicians I missed were Jezz Cook on guitar, Martin Hart on drums (now off on holidays!!), Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Steve Riddle on bass.

Against all common sense, we have booked Al again! But do look out for new names in our coming program.

I was sent by Peter England some photos of last week session to share with you all, and they are below

 

Our advertising for October is now wrong, sadly Stuart Henderson isn’t able be with us, but in his place is one of those new names I mentioned above. Pete Rudeforth – Trumpet and Vocals – studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He has worked with Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball and many other leading musicians. He is the front-line man with the Charleston Chasers, the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, Chris Barber and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. You can see from his CV that he may be a new name to us, but he is definitely an old hand at the jazz game! So having him alongside Alam Nathoo will be a very interesting combination indeed, one that I dearly hope to be at! That is THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3rd

 

Below is our poster for the November gigs. Do copy it off and display it for all to see.

Please also spread the word about Hedsor Jazz. We do need to recruit a few more regular customers. We have some great ideas for future gigs, many of which are now "firm". A larger audience will not only help finance those ideas, but also encourage the players.