Hedsor, and all that JAZZ

This coming Thursday (February 14^th) is, according to the weather people, going to be the warmest day of the year so far. And I think you will find that a great (Hot?) session awaits you at Hedsor Jazz.

Those taking part this week don’t really need an introduction. Anyone who has been following Hedsor Jazz for over the past 8 years or so will know them, and appreciate them all!

Tenor Saxophonist Simon Spillett

Trumpet and Flugel Horn Stuart Henderson

Keyboard Ken McCarthy

Bass Peter Hughes

Drums Martin Hart

The only other vital information that you need to know is the entry fee is only £7, and the starting time is 8.30pm.

Oh, yes, it is at The Hedsor Social Club, not Ronnie Scott’s!

Last week we almost had no one we expected!! Our pre booked guests were both unavailable, and our pianist needed a night off!

So, in a last minute reorganisation we had a very willing and able Kelvin Christiane on reeds, who replaced a poorly Alan Grahame. Guitarist John Coverdale who replaced a clarinet player who just had to go on a cruse (Martin Nickless), together with Steve Riddle on bass, Ken McCarthy on keyboard and of course we had Martin Hart on drums. 

We also had an unexpected but very welcome addition. Lesley Christaine came and sang 4 tunes for us. 

So last Thursday can only be described as not only very pleasantly unexpected, but eclectic as well!! (The dictionary definition says This describes a combination of many different individual elements of styles, themes, mediums or inspirations pooled from many sources. It can refer to musical tastes, dress sense, interior design...many things). 

In other words it was a great session!! and I can only thank all the musicians who came and made it such a splendid evening. 

My photos, and some Geoff Swaffields, are below

Next week (Feb 21st) we anticipate having Alan Grahame with us, we do hope he can make it, and with him will be guitarist Terry Hutchins.

Kelvin will be back with us on February 28th

Further Jazz News

I have received the following press release about the Swanage Jazz Festival :-

MEDIA RELEASE

Date: 30 January 2019

For Immediate Publication

Swanage Jazz Festival to run in 2019

Swanage Jazz Festival is back on track and will run again in July 2019.  Following doubts about its future, a new nine-strong group of Swanage residents has stepped in to form a new organising committee, following an initiative led by Swanage Town Council.

Much loved by musicians and audiences, Swanage Jazz Festival was run by a local organising committee for 28 years before they decided to close the Festival in 2017 owing to advancing age and ill health.  The esteemed jazz guitarist Nigel Price stepped in to stage a highly praised Festival in 2018 but he decided that owing to professional commitments he could not continue to run the event in 2019 and beyond.

An initiative led by the Mayor of Swanage, Councillor Mike Bonfield has resulted in a group of local residents stepping forward to pick up the reins.  They are working closely with Nigel Price to effect a smooth handover.

The 2019 Festival will take place on the weekend of 13/14 July. It is likely to be a rather smaller event than in previous years, but it is hoped that the Festival will return to full strength in 2020 and beyond.  The new Festival management group is being advised and supported by Paul Kelly who has been involved in jazz promotion since the mid-1970s.

Councillor Mike Bonfield said, “We stage over 60 events each summer in our picturesque town and the much-loved Swanage Jazz Festival plays an important role in maintaining the vibrancy and tourism offer we have.  We are grateful to Nigel Price for the work he did and wish him our warmest thanks.  We would have been very sorry to have seen the Festival close.  I am delighted that the Council has managed to find and encourage a new group of residents to maintain this long-standing event that has proved so popular in the past. We look forward to seeing Swanage Jazz Festival grow back to a major event in the national jazz calendar over the years ahead.”

Paul Kelly, Chair, Swanage Jazz Festival 

Swanagejazzfest@gmail.com   

Note to Editors:

1.                  The Festival Marquees on Sandpit Field, Swanage which have been a hallmark of the Festival in past years will not be running in 2019. But it is possible the marquees will return in future years.

2.                  Until the new Festival Committee have secured venues for the 2019 Festival, the nature of the 2019 programme cannot be established and thus no artist bookings can be made.  The Festival Committee are addressing this as matter of priority. 

At least it is good to know that the town’s own people have realised the cost of NOT running a Jazz Festival. When it was assessed last year the town looked to loose £400,000 in lost income from the weekends jazz fans. At that time they kind of assumed that “someone else” would take on the effort (and worry!) of organising it for them. With all my heart I do hope the new local team manage to resurrect it and keep it going. The Swanage Jazz Festival had become one of the longest standing and most enjoyable festivals in the UK.

One final item of Parish News. I have had an email from our one time Brunel music student Rory.

Tones is a project showcasing the latest artistic talent at Brunel and the surrounding area of Uxbridge and West London, themed around colours. 

Please forward this on to anyone who would be interested in taking part, performing or displaying artistic work. 

Deadline for replies to the email address or 'phone on the poster is Friday 1st March, 6pm. 

Thank you for your cooperation, in advance.

Kind regards,

Rory Windass

Below is the poster art that was attached to his email.

Well, that’s enough for one day, see everybody on Thursday.