My Nag is a little late, as I have been holidaying at home this week!!

But not TOO late to mention that The Clive Burton Quintet is at The Hedsor Social Club TONIGHT, Thursday, as usual from 8.30 pm onwards, £3 to get in (pay the Red Box!), a raffle for all of our joys, and CD's for sale at BARGAIN prices. There is a good crop of new ones, so if you want the pick, be an early bird!

Last week we had the launch of Martin Harts new CD "Mind Games", which was a very pleasurable social event (well done the catering committee), and we had a preview of some of the music on the CD played by the band.

The CD itself is incredibly impressive! A number of the musicians on it are regular attenders at Hedsor, but with a few additions. On the CD they perform in any combination from 3 up to 6. The music has all be written by Martin, who plays drums on all bar one track and its a truly wonderful CD. I have listened to various live bands for too many years, and to the Clive Burton Band for well over 5 years in its various forms and leaderships. BUT I was completely knocked out by both the musical content and the playing. Its very hard to believe that these guys have been playing live for us for at least 4 years at Hedsor. They are just so good. My 2 favourite tracks are "Blues for Booker" and "Samba Therese", but all are both thought provoking and entertaining in one. It's a must buy CD

And when you have purchased it for its music, you will be very impressed by the artwork and production quality of the sleeve notes. Well done to all involved in the project.

The Second new CD that I have listened too this week I don't feel I can rave about so enthusiastically. I have grown up with The Humphrey Lyttelton Band. In fact it was a very early outside TV program of his band at the 100 Club that got me involved in the music in the first place. And the band are still a great ensemble sound. They also have a good mix of young and older musicians.

All the tunes on his latest release ("Sad, Sweet Songs & Crazy Rhythms" Calligraph Records CLGCD042) have been recorded by various manifestations of the band before (some more than once), but for me, now, Humph has run out of breath! His playing on both trumpet and clarinet sounds frail, variable, and for me the listener, uncomfortable. He was never the worlds best singer, yet on this album he sings no less than 4 of the songs, and they are really sad, but not perhaps as he meant them to be! Recorded again is one of my favourite songs of his. "We Fell Out Of Love" was recorded first by Elkie Brooks with Humph in the 70's. Humphs new recording adds nothing to the earlier on, and is truly a sad song. I know it is almost sacrilege to criticise this stalwart of British Jazz, but I feel I must. The rest of the band (Jimmy Hastings, Karen Sharp, Ray Wordsworth, Ted Beamont, John Rees-Jones, and Adrian Macintosh all perform faultlessly, and it is almost worth buying for their parts alone.
But not quite!

TTFN

Geoff C

PS taking a leaf out of Mind Games advertising, Give and Take 5 Again is Coming!!