Today we will look briefly forward:-

TONIGHT, at the Bourne End Community Centre guitarist Tim Saunders will bring his team of strolling players (well, they came down the M4 by car from Hammersmith actually) to entertain us at Centre Jazz, the community centre's monthly jazz event organised by Mo. Raffle ticket entry, snacks at half time.

WEDNESDAY, Lynn Garner and Ken McCarthy are at The Harrow from 8.30pm. AND its still free!

AND from 7.30 - 11.00pm at The Maltings, Farnham, Surrey, Geoff Hiscott has the amazing 6 piece OTIS B. DRIFTWOOD BAND and this month they are featuring "the return of young, lovely and talented LOUISA REVOLTA with her smooth jazz vocals and great alto sax playing! This young lady is a big star for the future" (it says here)..ADMISSION £7.00 (CONCESSIONS £5)

THURSDAY 8.30pm at The Hedsor Social Club we have the return of Mike Wills with The Clive Burton Quartet. Mike always adds great musical sensitivity to any ensemble he plays with, from Brecon to Bude via Littlewick Green, many different musical formats, but Mike always enhances the sounds and adds the right notes on the right instruments at the right time.

SUNDAY The Fifield Inn will see Century Jazz back for the beginning of their 11th year at Fifield. Not many venues stay open that long, little own with the same band. Expect to buy a raffle ticket, and the gig starts at 8pm.

TICKETS are now on sale for the Cores End Church's Second Jazz Concert on October 22nd from Me, or Crocks and Crystals in Bourne End, 01628 528712.

And then looking Backwards!

Which gives me space to say how enjoyable the 10th birthday event was at Fifield last Sunday. OK, so Duncan Lamont was a trifle late, but other visitors also found Fifield a difficult place to locate!! I thought the band played there socks off, and sitting, as I was, with a bunch of musicians who had come to listen, well appreciated by their audience. Go tell the World!

CD wise this week, 2 of note (no, not meant as a B# pun):

First, hands up all those who thought The Alex Welsh Band one of this country's best? Me for one, and Upbeat Jazz have reissued a collection of the bands broadcasts for Auntie BBC."Bones for the King" has them accompanying first Bud Freeman, and then Dicky Wells in 1966, 74 and then 76. The recording quality isn't wonderful (it was television sound for Jazz 625), but the music was, and of course, still is. It was that great line-up of John Barnes, Roy Williams, Fred Hunt and Jim Douglas for most of that period, with Lennie Hastings being replace by Roger Nobes latterly. A very worthwhile addition to your Welsh collection. Upbeat Jazz URCD193

Second CD this week is also a reissue, but I had the LP before!! (strictly the Welsh CD is not a reissue as I don't think apart from the TV transmission it has ever been available before). "Benny Carter, A Gentleman and His Music" Concord Jazz 4285 (one of 140 Benny Carter albums available from Amazon!), has superb playing, in that insolent relaxed "we are so on top of our craft" sense. But then, look at the line-up! with Benny (on alto) is Joe Wilder trumpet, Scott Hamilton, tenor, Ed Bickert guitar, Gene Harris piano, John Clayton bass and Jimmie Smith on drums. "Things Aint What They Used To Be", "Lover Man", "Idaho", "Sometimes I'm Happy", and the sound is wonderful. Its a 1985 recording and still available. Mainstream at its very best.

Benny died in 2003 at the age of 93, and the BBC web site has a great obituary of him at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3063877.stm