Hi Folks,

I suppose I’m getting used to being without my broadband connection (I am moving to a different, and cheaper, provider), and finding ways round not having an always on connection, but I’ll be delighted when I get back on again (I am promised around November 27th). You will then get the album artwork back!!

Yesterdays clitch was NOTHING to do with not having a fast connection, but solely to do with 2/3rds of the Usual Suspects assuming that November 15th was a SECOND Tuesday, and getting a booking elsewhere for tonight!! So, we have postponed it for a week! Firmly place into your diaries November 22nd as my next extravaganza at The Old Bell in Wooburn.

So what can you do this week?

Tomorrow, Wednesday 16th, you can proceed to The Harrow up the Hughenden Valley to hear Lynn Garner and Ken McCarthy. I gather that these evenings are becoming a bit of a master class, and are also great fun. It’s Free! And starts about 8.30pm.

Thursday 17th has us all back at The Hedsor Social Club for another enlightening evening with The Clive Burton Quintet. The evening starts at 8.30, its NOT free, but you might win a raffle prize.

Sunday 20th, Century Jazz are at The Fifield Inn, start time 8pm, food available (book a table!), and you again will be asked to buy a raffle ticket. You don’t have to, but the nearest hospital is Heatherwood in Ascot!

This week on CD I’ve been listening to Liz Fletcher. I heard her first on a CD of Alan Barnes called “Unsung Heroes” and thought what an enjoyable singer she was, but she was singing a complete set of previously unrecorded material, which makes comparisons difficult. On “Mellow Mania” she’s singing mainly standards, with a superb band including Matt Wates and Tony Coe on saxophones (on separate tracks, not together).
Matt Wates must be one of our best unsung heroes for sure. I have always enjoyed his playing, and The Clive Burton Band also play some of his material, which must be good!
Coe produces his usual fine, dribbling sound, which always makes him instantly identifiable. This helped, because the sleeve notes for the album have the smallest text on the least contrasting background I have ever seen. However, with the aid of a microscope, you can also discover that Martin Shaw plays trumpet on some tracks, and Robin Aspland plays the piano on all of them.

It really is a delightful album, and I look forward to seeing her again somewhere soon (I managed to get the last part of her set at this years Swanage Jazz festival, and kicked myself for not having got there earlier, well It was a Sunday Morning!!).

Black Box Music 5 031033 970225 will get you to the CD!

So for now, with muddles over, I’ll get back to listening to some more to my CD collection. BUT I’ll also go out to the live jazz that is all around us, and so much better than a lot of the CD’s.

Do go out and see if I’m right!

Lets keep live jazz alive!

Geoff C