Hedsor Jazz Tomorrow Night………………

has a couple of personnel changes!

For once, these are ALL in the rhythm section!! Regular bass player Ken Rankine, who got his gig dates muddle up last week, will definitely be away this week, and Martin Hart will be replaced by Mike Jeffries on drums “as he is going to the North”!

As some of you are aware, I was “down South” last week, see Bridport pictures of a good amateur big band below! 

BOTH singers were really very good! Bridport is obviously no cultural desert, as it has an arts and performance centre, AND a cinema!

Whilst shopping in the market I picked up a superb CD by The Vic Dickinson Septet. Some of the tracks were in my collection by 1955! The rest are new to me, but all were recorded in 1953/4 and generated the name “Mainstream”. I believe it was John Hammond himself who coined the phrase that this music was in the “mainstream of jazz”. This American Vanguard edition has been remastered in 20 Bit quality form the original analogue tapes. I had the original 10” LP’s for “Jeepers Creepers” and “Russian Lullaby”, and the sound quality has definitely been given a lift. It is wonderful jazz, light, swinging, with few superfluous notes (listen to Sir Charles Thompson on piano for instance. You know the note is coming, and it does, in just the right place!).

If you can find a copy I recommend it without reservations. 

"Vic Dickenson Nice Work" Vanguard 79610-2

Talking of reservations, make sure you keep September 26^th free in your diary. The arrangements for our day of jazz (Hedsor Jazz goes to School) are coming on very well. There will be wall-to-wall jazz in St Piran’s School, Maidenhead, from 11am ‘till 11pm and it will cost you £35 each. 

Our superb cast has been added to in the past week. We now have trumpeter Steve Waterman coming to be part of Gill Cooke’s set. 

Very soon I will have full details in glorious Technicolor to hand out, but for now, save the pennies for this day of jazz. Some of the profit from it will be going to Cancer Research UK, who will have a stand at the event.

TTFN