A few brief word about today's jazz .

Tonight, January 19th, we have an almost complete Clive Burton Quintet, as Mike Wills is back with us this week as our complete reed section. The only non standard item (well almost, he is seen pretty regularly) is drummer Mike Jeffries at the back in place of Martin Hart. Martin is having another little break in New York. My wife asked me if he was playing there!! He may be, but I rather feel that New York has some rather good drummers of their own!!

A CD Listened to this week

Was rather a pleasant surprise. A band that I didn’t know on a CD that hadn’t been disposed of through the second hand sales was kicking about my workshop, so whilst mending a broken computer, I stuck it on. It didn’t have any sleave notes, so initially I didn’t even know from whence they came. Since then I have established them as American. The band are called “One For All", and the album is called “Incorrigible”

It’s superb 1950’s sort of Jazz Messengers bop sound, superbly recorded, with tunes that draw you in, and swing. Interesting rhythms on some tracks as well. They are really very good, and have been together, so the Internet tells me, for 13 years. The album was released in 2010 on the JLP label, which I mistook initially looking at the CD as being The cigarette manufacturer John Player. No, it stands for Jazz Legacy Productions, and they have some really good stuff  in their catalogue as seen on their web site. All JLP CD's seem to sell in the States for $10 each too.

The "One For All" line up is Jim Rotondi trumpet, Eric Alexander tenor sax, Steve Davis trombone, David Hazeltine piano, John Webber bass and Joe Farnsworth drums.

I really thought they were all very good players, and well worth looking out for in the future. The close understanding of the members of the band with each other is obvious from the music they play, and was a treat to hear. The band’s name really sums up their attitude “One For All”. The number of this release is JLP 1001005

A final thing to put in your diary in pencil is May 12th. Why? A very special day of jazz may be taking place at Hedsor. The "May" isnt a pun, it is still being looked into, but almost certainly the afternoon and evening of that day will be full of Hedsor Jazz!!