A Few Items of Jazz Note
This Thursday at Hedsor we
have The Clive Burton Quintet, now firmly ensconced in The Big Room. I am led
to believe that this week it is the regular quintet, with Mike Wills safely back
from his services to the community! Our usual very moderate charge for admittance
(£6) will apply, 8.30pm is the start time.
Last week we were without
a saxophone, but with a trumpet (and flugel horn) in the hands of Stuart
Henderson. He played magnificently, as he usually does. The two brass horns
combined to give beauty and harmony to our evening of jazz. It was nice to see
one newcomer to our midst, who had read about us on this blog, and had travelled
from Fleet in Hampshire to find us. He said he would be back!!
Next week, on Tuesday 22nd
January at the British Legion Hall in Marlow Mike Eagleton is putting on two of
my favourite musicians, both of whom have played Hedsor!! Vasilis Xenopoulos on
sax and Nigel Price on guitar. They will be ably assisted by the usual Marlow rhythm
section, but perhaps with a different pianist, as I understand Frank Toms has
had a minor stroke. Get well soon Frank.
Then on Saturday 26th
January Cookham has one of its annual Jazz highlights. An Evening of Winter Ineluctability!!
This will be generated by Cookham’s fabulous Shirtlifters and you can be part
of it for £12 if The Hardware Shop on the Parade, near Cookham Station has any
left.
Also on Saturday 26th
January a more modern jazz form will be presented at The Woodley Theatre, with
Martin Hart and his Trio backing saxophonist Sue Greenway. Do look on The
Woodley Theatre website for more info.
On the home front this
last few days I have been sampling yet again some of the CD’s that no one
appears to want and that have been rejected when offered for £1!! OK, many are
not to my taste, but as I discovered last week there are some hidden Gems
there, and some worthwhile challenges to what you think you might like.
The first one had me
jumping for joy at its discovery. “Artistry Jazz Group” a Scandinavian band
have produced a CD called “Tribute”, which pays homage to “musicians and
artists who shaped new sounds and idea” as the sleeve says. 15 titles played
and sung by a modern jazz 7 piece band that really swings. Led by Jan Lundgren
on piano, with Jacob Fisher on guitar, Vivian Buczek on vocals and guests Peter
Aspland on trumpet and Klas Lindquist on alto this beautiful recording is a
delight. OK, very ordinary artwork for the CD, names you may not know, but from
a country with a great jazz tradition. Someone should have got to it before I
did. You may be able to find it on the Volenza label, number VMCD 103. One
thing is for sure, you probably wont be able to get it from HMV anymore!
The second CD is more of
an adventurous challenge. Perrine Mansuy is a French classically trained
pianist who has slowly grown from a single performer to a collaborator with 3
other French artists to produce a CD titled “Vertigo Songs”. It is beautifully recorded;
the piano sound is terrific, rich and ringing. “Vertigo” has it with poetry
recited over the music. Almost sung, sometimes just behind the actual music,
sometimes actually sung to the front of the ensemble as part of the music
itself. Some parts you might want to leave alone, but some will stay in your
head and your memory. It’s available on Laborie Records CD LJ16. Perrine does
have a website and samples of the music can be listened to there:-
You will need to plug in a
French translator to the site, but there are links to the music. Have a listen
to “Ananda”, its haunting!
That’s it for now folks,
see you Thursday at Hedsor, bring your friends, fill the room!!
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