I suppose all nagging could be considered interminable, but we do try hard to ensure that you are not unaware of the lovely music that is available to you! OK, a number of gigs have gone under this year, but there are still some regularities in life!

TONIGHT

At The Bourne End Community Centre Bar, from 8.30 pm Mo is presenting that up and coming young saxophonist Simon Spillett. Simon has a great love for the music of Tubby Hayes, is a great live performer, and if you haven't heard him before then tonight's the night for you. Go along, pay your £3 at the door, and you not only get great jazz, but cheap booze (club prices), and you may even win a raffle prize! All for £3 (OK the booze is extra!).

THURSDAY

At The Hedsor Social Club, we have The Clive Burton Quintet, from 8.30 pm onwards. They are playing some great stuff at the moment, with new arrangements coming from saxophonist Mike Wills (now a regular attendee), as well as there more improvised repertoir. Mainstream jazz at its very best. So if you like the music of Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers or the like, come and spend about £5 on raffle tickets, and again enjoy the benefits cheap club bar prices.

In March, we will be making some changes to things at Hedsor. We will not be doing away with the famous raffle, but we will be introducing a small charge (£3) at the door. We really are expecting too much too often without paying the band in an adequate way, and we hope that by charging the price of a drink to come in will help stabilise our finances.

Toby Cruse has asked me to remind people of his next big band gig on:-

"18th February 2006 at
Ballinger Village Hall, Ballinger (near Amersham)
in "dinner dance" format with a licensed bar and a buffet prepared by my own dear mother. An evening of swing music featuring a host of singers including Jennie Morton, Paul Holgate (one of the leading Frank Sinatra tribute acts in the UK) and a vocal trio. The 14-piece Big Band will include such names as Andy Panayi, Pete Hurt and Martin Shaw, all this for £25 per head (Box Office - 01628 530068)."

There, so I have!! He tells me there will be a BBC recording van outside! Must be difficult finding places to park in London now if they have to leave it in Ballinger!!

Another future event, the next Cancer Research Jazz Concert at The Bourne End Community Centre will be on Friday evening May 12th, do please keep it free.

Even further into the future, The Swanage Jazz Festival (if you only do one jazz festival a year, this should be it!) is on July 7th, 8th and 9th. Box office 01929 422215. This year has, as usual, some wonderful talent lines up for all jazz music tastes from traditional jazz to the avant guard. Names include Alan Barnes, Danny Moss, Simon Spillett (yes him), Liane Carroll, Tina May, Phil Masons New Orleans All Stars etc etc. You can see there web site for more detail http://www.swanagejazz.org.uk/


The fabulous Shirtlifters have a busy year ahead of them, and many of their gigs will be public events this year. Attached for all who know how to read excel spreadsheets is a very good resume of what of theirs you can see. Do open the attachment!! (For Bloggers only readership, see graphic above!)


I have 3 cd's to recommend for your listening pleasure this week.

I've already just mentioned Liane Carroll, but I have just got hold of her CD "Billy No Mates", which is just her. She plays a very enjoyable piano, and sings songs of distinction and emotion. I found it a moving experience to listen to, and eventually was literally in tears to the beauty of the lyrics of "Picture in A Frame". Its on Splash Point Records SPR001CD. It was first released in 2003, but well worth searching out.

Another combination of talents, but increasing the personnel by one! We have a wonderful album on Spartacus Records by 2 Scottish musicians Tommy Smith on tenor sax, and Brian Kellock on piano. Recorded in 2004, they are playing the sort of tune you could call standards (Cherokee, Don't Blame Me, Bernie's Tune) that are often heard, but with an imagination and technique that is jaw dropping. I was very impressed by Brian when I saw him at Swanage a year or so ago. He is an amazing and imaginative player. Tommy Smith is more often regarded as a bit on the avant guard side of comfortable, but it just goes to show how melodic he can be. Check it out for yourself on Spartacus Records STS010

Lastly I've listened some more to one of last weeks favourites, and so should you. Gerry Mulligans "Dream a Little Dream, is a concoction of pure delight Telarc CD 83364. Go on, spend money!!

TTFN

Geoff C
http://jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com/
will let you read old nags, well its better than shooting them