Octoberfest

Clive Burton, Simon Spillett, and the band

John Coverdale

Simon Spillett and Tracey Mendham

Well, wasn’t it a great night? A HUGE thank you to all who came to play, all who came to help on the night, all who provided food, and finally all of you, who came out in order to help keep live jazz alive at Hedsor Jazz.

As a musical experience it was fabulous. One of our audience emailed me later:-

“Music was great (thought SimonS and JohnC's rendition of "A Nightingale sang..." was worth the price of admission alone) and what great entertainment from the front 'persons' - we certainly went home with a smile on our face!”

And they were not alone in the “smile” stakes. It was first class entertainment all round. I think the biggest thank you of all must go, as Simon Spillett said on the night, to Clive Burton. His links and humour, his playing and organisation of the players and their sets, was first class. He has been that front man for over 10 years now, so we are greatly in his debt for helping to keep it all going through the thick and thin.

There were many there at Hedsor last Thursday who had not been before, at least one jazz fan who actually lives in The Hedsor Road had not been before, and she has promised to come again.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could attract that same number of people on a weekly basis. Think of the guests we could invite to play for us then. Just as a thinking point. Do you think that the reason people tend not to come to the small room is because it is “small”, and not as comfortable as the big room? Do email me with your thoughts on this.

One final point, yes, we did succeed in raising more money than we spent on organising the event, and we have replaced in Jazz Angels coffers some of the money that we need to keep Hedsor Jazz alive. Most weeks we don’t take enough in the small room to pay for each weeks event, and most weeks it is subsidised by the Jazz Angels.

Don’t forget that there are other live jazz events for you to keep supporting, Tuesday at The Bourne End Community Centre we have Al Nicholls as I mentioned in the last blog.

We return to our normal location and band this coming Thursday at Hedsor. I hope to see you there.

Geoff