Hi Blog Reader,

A Jazz-less week at The Hedsor Bar this Thursday.

I’m sure many of you are now getting over

a) the heat of last Thursday and

b) the superb jazz from Bruce Adams and Mark Ridout all enhanced by The Hedsor Bar’s super air-conditioning!

And all enhance by a couple of guest musicians in the second set.

One had been to us before, in the days of Zane Cronje, Ken Rankine and Clive Burton, drummer Cyril Bevan. Cyril is now into his 90’s, and last practiced in September 25, but he was invited to play on a couple of tunes in the second set, and he is still a very good drummer.

But completely new to Hedsor Jazz was pianist Pete Locke. Pete is visiting the UK from Australia, and is obviously a well respected pianist in his home town of Sydney. Do check out his website:-  https://peterlockemusic.com/

He has played many times with that well known Australian jazz musician Bob Barnard.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barnard_(musician)  

So last week we were blest by Australian weather and an Australian jazz star.

In talking with Pete it seems that the Australian audience for jazz is thinning out a bit like ours, and Sydney is suffering the same small jazz audience as our own jazz scene.

A few slightly less in focus photos from last week are below, but it was a really focused jazz event! One that showed how good jazz can be. And at The Hedsor Bar!!

Bruce, Al Pirrie and Mark

Elliot Toms

Pete Locke

Cyril Bevan

 

However our next live Hedsor Jazz is on July 9^th, when we welcome back another of GB’s trumpet stars, Steve Waterman. Always much in demand Steve does seem to like coming back to Hedsor. This time we are pairing him with our own local jazz man who can walk to Hedsor Jazz, saxophonist Alam Nathoo. That should be a spectacular evening of live jazz, so make sure you get to Hedsor early for that on!

Next day I shall be leaving for The Swanage Jazz Festival and a Friday afternoon with Alan Barnes. Do check out the program for Swanage as there are still some tickets available so why not give yourself a little seaside treat:-

https://swanagejazzfestival.co.uk/artists/

Keep supporting Live Jazz by attending Live Jazz Events!

OR THEY WILL DIE

 

Good Morning Everyone

The sun is out and for once it’s in abundance! And with even more in the forecast! So in typically British fashion it will now become too hot!

And this week we have some really great jazz at The Hedsor Bar. Yes, this Thursday is one of our two Thursdays a month for Hedsor Jazz.

So let me cut to the chase. Coming to Hedsor this Thursday we have two really great jazz musicians. Trumpeter Bruce Adams and guitarist Mark Ridout. Behind them will be our Hedsor trio with Ken McCarthy on keyboard.

To keep the jazz cool, we will also have air conditioning. So why not come out and have a double benefit from your £12 entry. It’s an 8pm start, and you can ask your taxi to collect you after 10.30pm!

It really will be one of those gigs you don’t want to miss. I know it will be an effort to shift out from the shade of your home, but this combination is a must to see.

I know I write a lot about how good Hedsor Jazz is, but I really do believe that many local jazz fans are missing out on what we are presenting at Hedsor twice a month. Other organisations tell you more about the people they invite in to play in their newsletters but I tend to think that if you know the names we present you won’t need more encouragement. If you don’t know them I know you have the initiative to look them up! And we still only charge £12 entry!!

At home here at Cronin Towers we are going from one problem to another and this blog is coming via a laptop wired up via extension leads (one for the laptop and one for the router) because last night’s electrical storm seems to have killed off the original circuit of our house ring main. So this week it is brief. All I will add in today is the latest poster artwork for you to print and display if you are able.

 

I think it is a brilliant set of forthcoming gigs, and we are still busy booking further ahead. If you can positively support Hedsor Jazz in any way, with advertising, attendance or simple dogs body help do let John Dutton, Peter England or myself know. If you have a favourite musician you would like to see at Hedsor do bear in mind that you could sponsor an evening or even just part of one. A number of people do this already.

And to end on a popular political note, be assured that Hedsor Jazz is a totally undemocratic, unelected, none profit making organisation of volunteers!! We haven’t changed in over 20 years!

 A shortish blog this morning as it is one of Hedsor Jazz’s NON JAZZ weeks!!

In addition I cannot report back on last week, as due to some very unfortunate circumstances I wasn’t able to get there myself!

One can never really foretell future health, but my long standing heart problems decided that I needed to be reminded that I had some.

SO with a muttering heart I was taken to hospital very early last Wednesday morning by ambulance, lights and bells ablaze. I was seen too immediately, treated very well, patched up with meds and sent home (by a different ambulance) and told to rest, all on the same day! I haven’t always been able to thank Wexham Park hospital, but this time they got everything right, well done all of them!

I was also assured by the Cardiology Dept that these things do sometimes happen, that my heart was in the same condition as 5 years ago (good!), and would settle down without further additional interference!

They were right, and it has!

I am slowly getting back to whatever is my normal, and will get to back Hedsor Jazz next session!! (Now I should know by now that that is tempting fate, so I will modify it to say I am hoping to get back to Hedsor Jazz next session)!

Last week

I have been provided with some photos by Peter England, who was taking your money last week. They are below

 

I have been told by a number of people that it was a very good session (what do you expect, its a Hedsor Jazz presentation!) with some great arrangements from Martin Dunston for everyone to play. I’m sorry I missed Pete Rudeforth et all, but I’m sure we will invite them back soon.

Below is a guide to our next few gigs at The Hedsor Bar. Perhaps, if we all try hard enough, we can make enough audience noise to compete with whoever is playing or watching football! So do let this information be widely known!

 This Week at HEDSOR JAZZ we have a live jazz!

Yes, I miss the weekly jazz at The Hedsor Bar, but dropping to just 2 jazz sessions a month has enabled us to keep presenting top quality live jazz music at Hedsor.

This week, not only is it real live jazz, but real live jazz with 2 great musicians coming out to play for us. Ex Chris Barber trumpet man Pete Rudeforth, and big band saxophonist Martin Dunston will be supported by Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Al Pirrie on bass and Mike Jeffries on drums. A real treat after two complete weeks of live jazz abstinence!

Both Pete and Martin have played for us at Hedsor many times, (some pictures from previous Hedsor performances are below) so this Thursday, June 11^th, at The Hedsor Bar from 8pm is something to really look forward to. A mere £12 will get you in!

 

A couple of weeks ago I promised to write about a CD I have that was originally issued as an LP, a battered copy of which resides in my loft!

Like many jazz fans, I started out listening and playing traditional jazz, but as my exposure to the music grew many of us found first, big band music as personified by Duke Ellington and Count Basie, but then modern small group jazz.

Also performing that transition was Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

The CD I have recently revisited is called “Blues in the Night”, where Humph added to his pervious small group to include Jimmy Skidmore and Jo Temperley making it an 8 piece band. And they played arrangements!

The original LP was released back in 1960, and the CD of the same name has had some additional material added to it under the same title from recordings the Humph Band made up to 4 years later, all put together by Lake Records.

What a talented band, as the additions were added to a band with Tony Coe and John Pickard in it, with of course Humph and Ian Armit on piano, Brian Brocklehusrt bass and Eddie Taylor drums.

These days we tend to forget how good such musicians were, and LP’s and even CD’s are less produced or listened to. If you want to hear what quality and innovation we older types were able to listen to back in the 50’s and 60’s grab a listen to Lake Records LACD216. Artwork below.

 

A Tuesday Blog for a week without Thursday Jazz at The Hedsor Bar.

Therefore a Dry Week, but written in a week where it has started to rain!

Last week it was very hot, but some excellent jazz was performed to Air Conditioned perfection!

The ability of saxophonist Alam Nathoo has been demonstrated at Hedsor many times in the past few years, and we have been very lucky to have him come and play for us. He is also without doubt the nearest player to The Hedsor Bar, and often walks from his home to play for us.

His accomplice last Thursday, trombonist Tom White, had been only once before. I can assure all of you who experienced last Thursdays jazz that he will be back.

He is as good a trombonist as Alum is a saxophonist, and that makes both him, and the pairing of them together, something extraordinary!

Next day Ken McCarthy, our pianist on the night said “It was quite dazzling last night. Tom achieved expertise that I’ve never heard on a trombone before. He seemed unstoppable! Alam was great as always”.

For anyone who reads this blog do take note.

I am not writing glowing words too boost our audience, although I would like our audience to be far larger than it is.

But I am writing about it in these terms because I am genuinely saddened that many local jazz fans still don’t know what superb quality jazz we are getting at Hedsor.

We all have to make choices about time and financial worth, but if you enjoy modern jazz played by expert jazz musicians please come along to one of our sessions.

Some are better than others! But none are bad. 

Some are better than others but that can be explained by people’s personal style choice.

Over the year we try to cater for most peoples choice and we do feature most jazz instruments played to perfection by expert jazz musicians.

But tribute must also be paid to our regular trio, who most weeks back the stars on the front line. Pianist Ken McCarthy and drummer Mike Jeffries both live locally, and are both in demand for other gigs during the week. This is also true of our bass player Al Pirrie but he comes from Oxford most weeks just to play for us, and loves doing so because the magic of Hedsor Jazz doesn’t happen at every venue he plays!

Just take a look at who we have coming in the month ahead.

Next up, on June 11^th we have ex Chris Barber trumpeter Pete Rudeforth, paired with saxophonist Martin Dunston.

On June 25^th we have trumpeter Bruce Adams, with a little encouragement from guitarist Mark Ridout

July 9^th Trumpeter Steve Waterman matched against saxophonist Alam Nathoo

 

Then on July 23^rd we have a return of New Orleans Singer Nancy Zang, with Martin Dunston on saxophone

 

Every gig is a Stella Gig.

Dont just take my words for it, come and prove me wrong. £12 will let you do that!!

Dear Fans of Hedsor Jazz

THIS WEEK IS A LIVE JAZZ WEEK AT HEDSOR!

And as it has been a few days where fans have been needed to cool us all down a bit, I will keep this weeks message down to the important stuff.

THIS THURSDAY May 28^th, we have coming to The Hedsor Bar Saxophonist Alam Nathoo and Trombonist Tom White. They will be backed by our regular trio led from the keyboard by Ken McCarthy.

£12 cash entry, which includes free car parking, club bar prices, and hopefully Air Conditioning! (well it is installed!). The music starts at 8pm and you can call your taxi to pick you up from 10.30pm.

Alam of course doesn’t need a taxi, he can walk home from The Hedsor Bar in 10 minutes!

 

One piece of breaking news. We have been in contact with American Singer Nanci Zhang and she will be back in the UK very soon and spending an entire evening with us on July 23^rd. Make sure you have the date in your diary. She is a great singer and entertainer, and this will be an evening set aside for her choice of music. But just like some of the lyrics of a jazz song, she does come from New Orleans!

I won’t be doing last weeks  blog promise of a write up of some recorded music from the past, because it is too darned hot!

So for this week

 

TTFN

Hi Everyone,

Another week, another blog without jazz at the Hedsor Bar!

It is somewhat disappointing that we cannot, at the moment, run weekly Jazz events at The Hedsor Bar. It isn’t only the jazz we all miss, but the ability to meet and talk with friends we have been so used to meeting on a weekly basis at Hedsor over many years that is so disappointing.

However by this practice of abstinence (!) we have been able to maintain the quality of the jazz nights we do still run.

Last week was no exception. I will admit I was a little unsure of the combination of the trumpet of Lester Brown with the guitar of James Fenn, but to prove me wrong, they both played their socks off! i.e. they played together better than I had heard them play together before. Helping in all of this was another guest, pianist Martin Pickett, an Oxford based pianist, who really enjoyed coming to play with such an illustrious cast!

And again I have to be amazed that musicians of this quality are prepared to come and play at Hedsor and travel such distances to do so. James left the club just after 11pm, and I asked him as we went out the door if he was travelling home now, to which he said yes. He lives in Brighton!!

Some of my pictures are below.

 

Almost in complete contrast we have coming for our next Hedsor Jazz night (May 28^th) someone who can walk to play at Hedsor!

Saxophonist Alam Nathoo, an award winning saxophonist, who except for a change of family circumstances would be playing world wide today. But due to those circumstances he comes and plays for us! He should be world famous, but instead we have the privilege of hearing him when he does play. He will be bringing with him on May 28th a trombone player from his prize winning days, Tom White. Tom might play a slide trombone, but he isn’t a tailgate player!!

They have played Hedsor Jazz together once before. Expect some interesting modern jazz to be played at Hedsor that night.

A couple of pictures from their last visit

 

In this spot next week I will write up a recording from the past. My past!! I used to be a member of The 100 Club!!

TTFN

Geoff C