Just a few words to wish you all a happy Christmas and an even happier new year.

To make both more probable, can I give you a link to a bit of jazz reading, that Dr. Jazz (Michael Weinblatt) has passed on to me. It should give you an excuse to find your PC and have a quiet 10 minutes during the feature length episode of Neighbours that I'm sure must be on on Christmas day!!

www.jazzscript.co.uk/extra/art.hayes.htm

Will take you to a long article by Simon Spillet about Tubby Hayes. Well written and informative, it may even encourage you to go out and buy a British Jazz CD with your record token gift from Ma-in-Law.

A final note before eating begins, there WILL be a post Christmas, pre New Year session with The Clive Burton Quintet on THURSDAY December 29th at The Hedsor Social Club from
8.30 pm on. Tell (bring?) your inert friends!!

Geoff C

The Blue Planet Orchestra








I am sure that , like me, you are all beginning to wonder about the "advisability" of Christmas. The time before it becomes shorter, the tasks to be performed grow ever larger, and panic creeps in!!

SO, I will be brief, but of excellent quality!!

Wednesday, at The Harrow, from 8.30pm, it the last but one Wednesday to see and hear Lynn Garner (thank you Wycombe District Council!), this time with John Pearce on piano.Wednesday 21st December will be the last jazz you will be able to hear at The Harrow. I must express my thanks to the Harrows management for providing the opportunity over the last 2 years to hear Lynn, usually accompanied by Ken McCarthy on piano. It has always been a free venue, and it is very sad to see it have to give in to bully politics. Thanks also to Lynn and Ken for turning out week after week to give such excellent entertainment, and the ability to get to know you as friends.

Thursday at The Hedsor Social Club from 8.30pm with the regular Clive Burton rhythm section we have SIMON SPILLETT on tenor sax giving more of his incite into bop al la Tubby Hayes, entry by raffle ticket.

Sunday, Century Jazz at The Fifield, 8pm, food available, but book a table.

Next Tuesday (20th) its my Christmas Party at The Old Bell. Do come along, and make it an unforgettable jazz night. Tickets are £10 each including a buffet supper, The Usual Suspects are the band. Start Christmas proper 4 days early and come along.

And so to the CD player! This week I have been knocked out by a CD that appears to have been rejected by the buying public, and I only put it on last week out of curiosity. But what a lovely surprise "Roland Perrin's Blue Planet Orchestra" turned out to be!! 2 trombones, percussion, electric bass and keyboards, all original tunes (but not chords!), and a marvellous mellifluous sound they all make. I noticed that the cd was manufactured by "Sounds Good", the Theale based company a number of local musicians have used. It seems to be a private venture (number BPR001!), but if you want one (and it would be well worth your effort to try and get one) you could try emailing rolandperrin@compuserve.com or ptaylor@trombone.demon.co.uk The CD was issued in 1999. A copy of the cover will appear on my blog.

That's it for now folks. I may not have time next week to email you a Happy Christmas, so I will wish you it now!!

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/

Bruce Adams and Greg Abate at Swanage 2005

















Lets get the bad news over first.

After a number of traumas over noise, and their music licence, The Harrow have had, in the end, to capitulate to Wycombe District Council. The new licensing laws (you know, the ones that were supposed to make it easier for musicians to work in pubs) have meant that it is too costly for The Harrow to have a new style music license. Therefore, the gigs up until December 23rd, will be the last ones.

They are as follows:-

Wednesdays : -

Dec 7 Ken McCarthy + John Dunsterville (gtr / voc.)
Dec 14 Lynn Garner + John Pearce
Dec 21 Lynn Garner + Ken McCarthy

Ken, in his email to me, said the following:

"The Harrow, Hughenden Valley will cease live music after this month, unfortunately. Wycombe Licensing has done it's worst and priced the pub out of the market. The old "2 in a bar" rule which protected us has now gone."

I'm sure this wont be the last jazz venue to disappear in our area. PLEASE continue to support those that are still going, and make some noise yourselves about closures!

One venue that is still be going at the moment on THURSDAY's is The Hedsor Social Club.

The Clive Burton Quintet will be playing there on Thursday 8th, 15th, and 29th December. The saxophonist on the 15th will be Tubby Hayes expert SIMON SPILLET. On all other occasions it will be Mike Wills.

Sundays at The Fifield will have Century Jazz on December 11th, 18th, and Jan 1st

My Jazz from Geoff Christmas Party at The Old Bell will be on Tuesday December 20th, with "The Usual Suspects" providing the music, and Peter the food. Yes, its buffet time folks. £10 each is your ticket entry fee. Please let me know if you intend to come.

I have listened to some CDs this week, however, they are not commercially available. They are 2 bootleg recordings made by a friend from Birmingham. They are good enough for commercial release, and the music is outstanding, as all who were at the sessions involved could testify (me for one). The first is the Saturday session with Alan Barnes and Greg Abate. The second is the Sunday session with Alan Barnes and Bruce Adams. The recordings ably demonstrate the high musical ability of all involved in the sessions (John Donaldson I remember was the pianist). If someone wants one of these illicit recordings for private use, do contact me, and I'm sure we can barter our way out of the situation! I really just want to let other people hear what The Swanage Jazz Festival has to offer.

TTFN

And its down to you to stop live music disappearing from your locality.

Geoff C