GOOD MORNING HEDSOR

Well, fans of Hedsor Jazz anyway!

I think we are all still more or less in Holiday Mood, although we do have at Cronin Towers our hall and stairs being redecorated starting today. BUT with another damp looking Bank Holiday coming up I thought I would again mention what we have for you to enjoy jazz wise.

This Thursday (August 24^th) we welcome back vibraphone player Alan Grahame. He is, of course, wanting to commence his next 90 years in the same place that he celebrated his Life in Music, Hedsor Jazz!! It will be good to have him back with us.

For our last Thursday of August (31^st) we have another returnee, saxophonist and flautist Kelvin Christian.

The year is racing towards Christmas, but we do have at least one more "event" planed before our Christmas party (which you know is December 21^st with Tina May as our guest).

On September 28^th we have a first. Acclaimed singer Peter Jones will be joining us together with saxophonist Duncan Lamont junior. Peter has a number of critically acclaimed CD’s to his name, and as we haven’t had a male singer to Hedsor for many years, I thought it would be a good opportunity to plug the gap. It will be a normal start time event, but I may give away a few nibbles to help the evening along!

If you go to Peter’s website you can sample his singing before you come.

http://peterjonesjazz.co.uk/

CD reviews later in the year when all the holiday breaks and decorating are over. 

BUT one last plug, Jazz FM is available on DAB Radio in mono sound (which is still great entertainment), but they have recently launched Jazz FM Stereo, which can be had in the newish version of DAB radio called DAB+

http://www.jazzfm.com/about/how-to-listen/

for even more info

TTFN  

I'm sorry but I missed last Thursdays session,

but I hope to be with you at Hedsor Jazz this Thursday. And in a repeat of last week I also hope we will have Mike Wills back with us now that he can get his shoes back on!

Next week (August 24th) we can look forward to having Alan Grahame with us on vibraphone. 

What a celebration his "Life in Music" was. A totally unique experience for all who were able to be part of the audience.

A Geoff Swaffield Image of Alan's "Celebration"

There again, Hedsor Jazz does try and give you some great musical experiences. 

Looking a long way forward I can confirm that we will have a very special guest with us for our Christmas Party on December 21st. World Famous singer Tina May will be joining us to herald in Christmas, and I'm sure she will be a far better herald than the adverts on telly for this annual event! 

So with luck I will see you all tomorrow. Do encourage others to become Hedsor Jazz acquaintances. Better still, encourage those who are already acquainted with Hedsor Jazz become regular attendees!

Above are two images of Tina May the last time she came for Christmas!

It HAS been pointed out to me that in today's original blog I inadvertently credited critic Clive Davis with being the leader of Hedsor's regular quintet. He isn't, it is OF COURSE Clive BURTON!!

Just when you thought you had got it all sorted out,

you get a phone call!!

Mike Wills will NOT be with us on Thursday after all!! Sadly he has got a bad case of gout!

So bad in fact that he can't get a shoe on. 

Anyone who has ever suffered with this sort of problem will sympathise (and it doesn't really have a close association with drinking lots of port!) as it is very painful. So for Mike, for a while, it is footy up time.

In his place this week I am delighted to announce that we have that lovely toned young saxophonist Robert Goodhew. It will be great to have him back at Hedsor Jazz once again.

So for us, if not for Mike, a consolation prize!

Geoff C

A short (but pretty?) blog today,

To tell you all that tomorrow we have the return of our REGULAR saxophone section in the shape and sound of MIKE WILLS!

Yes, Mike can drive again, and so we say a very "Welcome Back" to our Oxford based (and now married) regular member of the Clive Burton Quintet.

I also want to say "thank you" to all of the musicians who have helped us out during Mike's absence. I hope we get other opportunities to enjoy all of you at some future time. Now there's a thought. Is there such a thing as "future time"?

Now for some of the photos of recent events at Hedsor Jazz I haven't had the opportunity to publish before.

These are all from the amazing night we had celebrating Alan Grahame's Life in Music. Most of the above are from Geoff Swaffield, on or two are from my camera.

My First Post Swanage Holiday Blog,

And what a lot to say!!

First our guest for this week at Hedsor Jazz is the famous son of a famous father. Duncan Lamont Junior will be joining Clive and our rhythm section this week. 

We also have another guest this week in the shape and sound of Mike Jeffries on drums. It is regular drummer Martin Hart’s turn to paint the railings, and I understand they are a rather long set, so we will be seeing Mike Jeffries again next week too.

BUT what about last week?

An awe inspiring evening, one which Hedsor Jazz had the privilege of hosting. The celebration of Alan Graham’s Life in Music.

Now if we are asked who has played at Hedsor jazz we can really reel off an incredible list of musicians. There are also a few names we can boast about who have come to listen too! There were over 100 people present!

I will attach as many photos of the evening as Blogger will allow, for you to see and recognise, but I will list just a few.

Obviously some of Alan’s family came and played for and with him. A grandson who is an excellent drummer, daughter Lisa on saxophone (she brought along another member of the Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on trombone), both Duncan Lamont senior and junior on saxophone, Simon Spillett on saxophone, guitarist Terry Hutchins, Ken McCarthy on piano as well as our own Nigel Fox, John Monney and 2 other bass players. 

I am going to give you the opportunity of identifying some of the others who played.

But in the audience were some eminent musicians who didn’t play. Bill Ashton, founding director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, accordion player Jack Emblow, musical director and pianist Laurie Holloway (came in towards the end), and I’m sure many more faces with names!

One interesting musical interlude was having Peter Ripper duetting with Lisa. Master and pupil, he had been her musical coach some years ago.

Another part of the 3 hours of non stop music, (yes, there were only changeover breaks for different amalgamations to gather), was a request by Alan Graham to play a ballad with Simon Spillett, this was absolutely beautiful, I dare anyone who heard that to say that Simon cannot play ballads!

And the food. Jan Burton, you excelled yourself. It was vast and wonderful, and available for continuous grazing from 9pm!

Enough text and eulogy for now, all I will add is that it has been an absolute privilege to have been involved with Alan (and our own regular trombone player, Clive Burton) in getting this musical celebration held at The Hedsor Social Club. 

Now many more musicians know where it is, even in the dark!