Geoff’s Jazz Nag

Monday, 12 March 2007


Hi Folks,

Just a little reminder today of some of the jazzy items you can look forward to in the coming week. I’m away from home at the moment, and therefore using “strange” equipment to get this important message to you, so please bear with it, and I will enlarge on some of these items when I get back.

Thursdays guest at The Hedsor Social Club is that warm sounding tenor player John Rolls. Someone who not only plays in an older jazz style , but actually has lived through the musical period himself!! Our usual excellent resident quartet will be with us, led by trombone maestro Clive Burton. Entry is as usual, £3 into our red box, exit permits come with numbers on and can be purchased at half time!! Start time is 8.30 pm.

Friday, yes Friday, Norden Farm will be presenting Blue Harlem. Why do I mention this? Because said band is led and organised by our great friend and tenor sax star Al Nichols. We are privileged to see and hear him fairly often at both Hedsor and Fifield, as part of a quintet, but on Friday, for a small sum that is significantly bigger than our small sum, you can see and hear his entire orchestra, Blue Harlem. They play 1940’s, early fifties style swing, a bit like Count Basie’s band. And they are fronted by a gorgeous singer. OK, it’s now a different gorgeous singer than for the last 5 years, but gorgeous non the less. This is what Blue Harlem’s website (http://www.blueharlem.co.uk/) has to say about this :-

First the bad news: after singing with Blue Harlem for more than 5 years Imelda May has decided to move on to pastures new. She is all set to launch a solo career, in which endeavour we wish her every success.
Now for the good news: following extensive research, interviews and auditions Blue Harlem have a terrific replacement in Carla Viegas, an established performer in her native Portugal, and Brazil, whose experience belies her relatively tender age.
Carla Viegas has been involved with performing arts since the age of 7, and has since then been involved in theatre, musical theatre, cinema, dance and music. She was an established singer in Portugal with a career spanning nearly a decade, and has released several albums.
Carla has sung professionally both covers and originals, has been involved in solo and band projects, composition and production, and has considerable experience of studio, stage, live tours, TV, radio, theatre, cinema, musicals and choreography.






Al gave me a copy of his latest CD (Talk to Me) last visit, and it’s a knockout (no, not that mildly royal silly game). 9 Guys and one girl, (not named Mo, but the music is similar) I’m very intrigued to see how Norden Farm copes!! They usually fill places like the Pigalle Club or 100 club, and Maidenhead doesn’t know yet the excitement they are going to generate. Norden Farm is Maidenheads Centre for the Arts. As I am away I haven’t got their details to hand, but they have got a website, so do look them up, and if there are tickets left, buy one.

The CD, if you cant make Friday, is a worthy purchase by itself. It joyous music, that at one time when English was allowed to be correctly used, would have been called Gay. “Hallelujah I Love Him So”, “That’s How I Feel About You”, “I Just Want To Make Love To You” (true!!), will all have you cutting a rug, as they used to say in America!!

Well, that lot should get you through to Sunday when you can get another fix at The Fifield Inn from 8 pm. Century Jazz are totally raffle funded, and any landlord who is prepared these days to put on live music should be congratulated. Do please support such a worthy man, and band!!

Don’t forget folks, that watching a big screen football match in a public place is perfectly legal without a licence, as is poll dancing, but live music isn’t. Any promoter trying to do put on any sort of live music can go to prison, and/or be find £20,000.

And they thought Van Gough was mad!!

I will write more jazz naggings soon, until then

Write to your MP!!

TTFN

Geoff C

Darkest Ipswich