I'm NOT sure how many last last posts one can have, but I have details of 2 funerals to pass on to everyone, sadly somewhat appropriate for a another last post. 

In order of event

John Slater

A funeral service for will be held for John at 11:30 on 28 December, at 

The Chiltern Woodland Burial Park. 

Anyone who knew John is welcome. 

Details of the venue can be found at https://www.greenacrescelebrate.co.uk/park/chiltern/

Glenn Hart

Martin has asked me to let you all know that Glenn's funeral will take place on Friday 5th January at 1pm at 

The Milton Chapel of Amersham Crematorium, Whielden Lane, Amersham, Bucks HP7 0ND and afterwards at

The King's Chapel Function Room of the Kings Arms Hotel, 30 High Street, Old Amersham HP7 0DJ

Geoff C

The Last Last Post of 2017

THANK YOU

To ALL who came and made our Hedsor Jazz Christmas Party such a success. 

Thank you to all the regular musicians in The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet, to Duncan Lamont senior and junior, to Alan Grahame, and of course to TINA MAY.

It was a Stella success with a capacity crowd. Many new faces, some faces not seen for a while, and of course, the regular friends and helpers who come on many of the Thursdays of each week of the year. 

If YOU were one of the new faces, do come again, and please, don't wait until next Christmas to do so.

Until our next Hedsor Jazz on January 4th I wish you a very merry Christmas and leave you with a few of my photos from last night.

I have just had it pointed out to me that my last "last" entry had a Freudian slip. 

As Duke Ellington said "We Love You MADLY" so we would like you to keep coming and supporting live jazz, so that entry that said:-

"We cannot keep jazz alive with you".

SHOULD HAVE READ "We cannot keep jazz alive without you"!

BUT I'm sure you knew that really!!

Happy error hunting!

Geoff

The Last Jazz Blog of the Year

So, to all my readers, do have a very Happy Christmas time. May all your presents be playable!

At Hedsor we aim to finish our year with a festive party. It has been a difficult and challenging year, but through it all we have had some tremendous jazz, and have supported one another through some sad times. Thank you to all who have helped, either as musicians, organisers, or most importantly as audience. We cannot keep jazz alive with you.

At Hedsor Jazz we have a full plan for January, and we are already working on February. Keep your eye on this blog. I cannot promise one every week (which is my aim), but I will always try and tell you who is coming to play. AND sometimes, I will let you know of recorded music that will sustain your enjoyment of jazz at home.

For now though just a reminder that December 21^st is our jazz party. Our regular band (minus Mike Wills who is off to Australia) plus special guests Tina May, Duncan Lamont (maybe even a pair of Lamont’s) and that absolute stalwart (who will ever forget the 3 hour celebration of his life in music back in July) Alan Grahame. 8pm start for the music, get there early to make sure you get in. £10 including a light buffet.

There will be NO Hedsor Jazz on December 28^th.

Our next Hedsor Jazz will be on January 4^th 2018 and will have that wonderful combination of saxophone and guitar, Duncan Lamont (he will have been home since his last visit!) and Max Brittain.

So Christmas cheer to you all, see you in 2018.

Its time to write again

This week I will keep it fairly concise.

As most of you will know, tragedy struck Hedsor Jazz again last Thursday when Glenn, Martin Harts wife, was struck down with a stroke from which she died on Friday night.

Like all troopers, and although obviously tinged with sadness, the music carried on, and was in fact very good. Thank you to ALL the musicians who played through the evening.

Above are three of the photos taken by Geoff Swaffield , Sue Greenway, Mike Wills and Rory McEnroy

Our Thursdays WILL also carry on, as detailed in the program I put out in last weeks blog.

Alvin Roy

So this week we will have clarinet star Alvin Roy, and together with Mike Wills they will play some old tunes and some new, with perhaps a taste of the traditional too!

Mike Jeffries, who took over the drum chair at such short notice last week (THANK YOU), will again be our drummer this week.

There is a possibility that Martin may come with his son Miles to just be with us. 

I spoke with Martin a couple of times last weekend, and I am not ashamed to say, was unable to do so without tears. I’m sure that Martin will find it difficult to be back at Hedsor, but equally sure that he will at some stage be back. I am equally sure that we will all treat him with all the love and sympathy we can offer. I can remember the reception I got when I first came back to the jazz fraternity after my own son died in 2002. Friendly normality, with unspoken understanding. Things change, but life travels on.

Everything must change,

Nothing stays the same.

Everyone must change

Nothing stays the same.

The young become the old,

Mysteries do unfold.

'Cause that's the way of time

Nothing and no one goes unchanged.

There are not many things

In life you can be sure of.

Except

Rain comes from the clouds,

And sun lights up the sky,

Just some of the lyrics from “Everything Must change” by Benard Ighner

December 21^st, our Christmas Party. Don’t forget to get your tickets. £10 each from Dee on Thursday.

Glenn Hart

It is with very great sadness that I have to tell you that Glenn Hart died last night. She never regained consciousness after suffering a stroke at Hedsor on Thursday night. 

I have spoken with Martin, and I'm sure we all offer him our love, sympathy and support. More info when I have it.

Geoff Cronin

Hedsor Jazz News

After Martin Hart’s announcement last Thursday it is great to welcome

trumpet player Lester Brown as the new member of what is now to be known as “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet”. 

Lester has played for us a number of times in the last 12 months, and will be playing with the rest of the quintet whenever his other commitments allow. This does leave sufficient spaces in the calendar for us to invite other guests to join us either as his replacement for a night, or as an addition to our musical endeavours. He will be part of our line-up starting in January 2018

This Thursday our guest is lovely lady saxophonist Sue Greenway. I don’t think Sue has played for us at Hedsor before but has performed with Martin Hart in one of his Woodley concerts.

Listed below are the guests for the rest of the year, and for January 2018. 

DO NOT MISS our Christmas Party Concert on December 21^st. Tina May is our very special guest (all our guests are special!!) and tickets are now available from Dee on a Thursday at Hedsor, or from the Stationery Depot in Cookham, see last weeks blog and poster info.

December 14^th Alvin Roy on Clarinet will join Mike Wills, also probably on clarinet!

December 21^st Our Christmas Party

December 28^th NO JAZZ AT HEDSOR

January 4^th Max Brittain guitar and Duncan Lamont Jnr sax. Mike Jeffries will be depping for Martin on drums until January 25^th!

January 11^th Alison Bentley, singer, plus her guitarist partner Kevin Armstrong

January 18^th Lester Brown trumpet, now joins as part of the band!

January 25^th Julian Marc Stringle reeds. This is another gala evening, DO read about his career at http://www.julianmarcstringle.com/about/Julian

It is a real coup that he will be coming to Hedsor Jazz. Put the date in your diary, and say thank you to “Jazz Angels” because it will still only cost you £7 to get in and park your car.

I heard last week that there are places in Central London that charge £50 PER HOUR to park your car! Supporting Hedsor Jazz makes even more sense!

Above is looking ahead, looking back, here are one or two photos taken by 

Geoff Swaffield at recent gigs.