I do hope that not too many of you turned up at The Old Bell last night expecting to hear live jazz, if you did I am sorry, but that one has gone. However, if you wanted an evening of quiet conversation, you were probably delighted.

We can perhaps meet your need for harmonious jazz tomorrow night at The Hedsor Social Club (surely a venture now demanding its own tune!). The Clive Burton Quintet even play requests!

Tomorrow we have a press photographer coming at about 8.15 to take some shots for a forthcoming article, so if a few of you could get there before 8.30, just to populate the place and make us look successful, we would be most obliged! I'm told the photographer goes off watch at 9pm, which is about the time most of you get there!! so a few early bodies would be appreciated.

And what did you all think of last week? Simon Spillett was the guest, and with Clive on trombone as usual, I think we had an absolutely splendid evening. Our opportunities for this live stuff are dwindling, so please ensure we can keep it going by coming out! (shades of closet jazz fans there!).

Simon has asked me to mention his web site, which gives his future engagements, so please take a look and click on the link.www.freewebs.com/simonspillett/index.htm

I revisited 2 CDs this week, that both have something of the unusual.

The first is by the Empire Brass, who are really Canada's premier classical orchestra brass players having an evening or two off! To demonstrate there ability, they have recorded a cd (in November 1990) of tunes by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton and similar. Stylistically set in the 1930's, it is stunningly recorded on the Telarc label. For the sessions they added a rhythm section, and the mixture is great entertainment. "Black and Blue" by Fats Waller, played by a tuba and banjo will stress your HI Fi to perfection. If you like a sort of upmarket Midnight Follies Orchestra, then go and see if you can still get it. Its called "Braggin in Brass" (they can brag alright, their technique is phenomenal), and it was on Telarc CD 80249.

The other cd was less esoteric. The Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet are again those wonderful musicians who can play brilliantly and well inside themselves. Recorded live in 95 they show just how close harmonies can be between a guitar and a trombone. For added measure you get Chuck Wilson on Alto, Frank Tate on Bass and Jackie Williams on drums. They are doing a kind of swing style and applying it in some cases to some more traditional jazz material. "Savoy Blues", Oriental Strut" are included alongside "9.20 Special" and "Perdido". Well worth a listen from Arbours ARCD 19280.

That's it for now folks, see you at a gig near me soon!

Geoff C