First this week, news of Ken Rankine.

He had an operation to pin his hip on Thursday,and is currently recovering in Hillingdon Hospital. His doctors say he will be unable to walk on it again for at least 6 weeks, but other than that(!) he is as comfortable as can be expected, and fairly resigned to the fact that he didn't lift his foot high enough to avoid the step he tripped over!

Gigs

Sunday at Fifield, Al Nichols and John Coverdale will be the guests, with Clive's Rhythm section backing them. (Clive himself is on holiday in the U.S.A.). 8 pm start, raffle funded.

Wednesday at The Harrow, Lynn Garner and Ken McCarthy resume their interrupted residency, with Brad Lang on bass added for good measure. This is a free event and starts at 8.30 pm. Food is available for the hungry.

Thursday at Hedsor, the guest is saxophonist John Rolls. 8.30 pm start £3 to get in, raffle ticket to get out!

Sunday 28th Oct, at Fifield, you can see again John Rolls, no not a filmed repeat, a real repeat! After all, this isn't the BBC!! (Fancy selling of the Wood Lane TV Centre).

Comment

I understand that "our" gigs are not alone in being poorly attended of late. Simon Spillett told me on Thursday that the previous evening he had played the 606 Club in Chelsea, to an audience of 3!!

We have sustained a few months of very low audience attendance, and I would stress that one cannot assume that live local jazz will carry on indefinitely without more people actually coming to listen. As the supermarkets of the world say "when its gone, its gone"! A mortgage can go on forever!

Geoff C