This Week at Hedsor

We have are a return of saxophonist Simon Spillett to play alongside Lester Brown. With Stuart Barker on bass, and other recognisable usual suspects, this should be an exciting and unique session.

Last week I did manage to get it wrong (again), as the guest alongside Peter Cook was that wonderful vibraphone player Alan Grahame. A gig I was very sorry to miss. One of our regulars sent me this email about the evening:-

Hi Geoff, Glad to read that you enjoyed the Swanage Jazz Festival. I am moved to report on last nights gig at Hedsor, now where shall I start? I think it must be with that vibraphonic marvel of the age (and what an age) namely Alan Grahame. To say he played well would be the understatement of the year; he was FANTASTIC ! His solo piece on Stardust was nothing short of Divine. Well, I must give some credit to the other Musos - Pete Cook turned in an exemplary performance (what a fine alto player he is). Pete? Riddell contributed some very nice bass-work, and Nigel Very nearly played his socks off! Martin contributed some tasty fills as usual and, all in all, it amounted to a wonderful night of jazz- yoyful in fact. Kindest regards, Alan.

That was from Alan Peppett. The bass in fact was Steve Riddle, and perhaps Alan meant “Joyful”. Youful might be a bit too Hep! But you can see why I was sad not to be with you last week.

I had another email this week, this time from our Brunel student Rory. He wanted me to correct the impression my blog made the other week. I said that the first half of the evening was by students from Brunel. In fact they were from the NYJO Academy, and the band are actually called the Harrison Dolphin Trio. Harrison is from Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Here is the link to Harrison's website: 

https://harrisondolphin.squarespace.com

It was another unmissable session I missed this summer!

Next week of course I really really want to be with you, because it is my annual celebration of survival, and this year it has another zero in the number of years survived. So to miss the guests we have coming (see last weeks blog, and the poster, now plus Duncan Lamont jnr) to play, and the guests coming to help me home (!!)...that would be a disaster!

Listening at home last week I had 2 real CD joys.

I had never really listened much in the past to saxophonist Ike Quebec. To me in the late 50’s and 60’s I thought of him as another sort of Earl Bostic, flashy, but not a serious contender. After all, I was catching up on Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Johnny Hodges, Tony Coe and Bruce Turner at the time! Since then I have discovered many more of the great saxophonists of jazz, but somehow Ike Quebec was still not on my radar. Last week I heard for the first time his CD (it had been an early Blue Note LP) “Blue and Sentimental”. Absolutely knocked me out. As did the playing of guitarist Grant Green on this album too. There are some wonderful moments on this release, “Blues for Charlie”, with hair raising fills from drummer Philly Joe Jones for one. The recording is of Hi Fi demo standards, and I heartily recommend trying this reissue. Blue Note 0946 3 93184 2 1 (released I think in 2007).

The other was a CD I have had in my collection for years, but pulled out again last week, having listened to the Benny Goodman recreations at The Swanage Jazz Festival.

On the CD it is titled “Benny Goodman 16 Top Tracks”, but in effect it is most of the recordings made by BG in MOSCOW in 1962. I had forgotten how good it was, with a band that included alto saxophonist Phil Woods and tenorist Zoot Sims, plus pianists John Bunch and Teddy Wilson, and British vibraphone player Victor Feldman what a band it was. All of the music recorded in BG’s Russian tour is now available on an Avid 2 CD release. Go find, it is GREAT music.

Well that's about it for now. Try not to get into too much mischief these next few days, and I really hope to see you ALL  on Thursday