OK, it’s late again, and the reason is a long story which I wont go into right now, BUT it is to do with computer hacking and the fact that I was hacked some months ago. So if you get to read this, and would like to tell others it is now out this week, please do, because I am not going to issue the usual emails to let people know it has been released, as I think that is one of the ways my PC has be “disturbed”!

DO let others share in “Jazz from Geoff” by spreading info via your email to theirs the fact that it’s update IS out. I will try to get it issued every week as near to Tuesday as I can make it.

You can still email me if you so desire via octogeoff@outlook.com

So having got that off my fingers, here’s to the next item!

We have a route out of lockdown! Maybe hesitant and fragile, but at least we have the semblance of a plan.

So put May 20^th in your diary now. Hedsor Jazz is planning to have a socially distanced jazz evening (following all the rules applicable at the time). We are allowed to have a maximum of 30 people coming to attend. We will need the contact details of those who do come, and we need to limit the numbers coming. So please tell Tracy Georgiades via email  tracy.georgiades@gmail.com  who you are, and we will send you an attendance voucher if the event goes ahead. No voucher, no entry so log your interest with Tracy and for now, mark your diary!

Over the past months I have led you to various YouTube links that I personally have enjoyed. But there are other organisations that will also lead you to areas of Jazz interest. Can I recommend that you sign up, if you haven’t done so already, to https://www.jazzinreading.com . Recent articles include mention of one of Hedsor Jazz’s favourite friends Stuart Henderson, and it will give you a link to his latest CD.

 

I know that many of you watched the TV Documentary about saxophonist  Barbara Thompson, and this week for me this has been enhanced by receiving not only the 14 CD Boxset  “Barbara Thompson at The BBC”, but also her book “the autobiographical story”  called “Journey to a Destination Unknown”.

I can recommend both, having been a fan since the early 70’s when the LP of her  band  “Jubiaba” came out. I saw her, and her better known band “Paraphernalia”, many times until she was forced to stop playing after succumbing to Parkinson’s disease.

I consider her to be one of Britains great talents, her saxophone and flute playing being flawless, and her ideas making you think “why doesn’t everyone say that” over a tune or a phrase.

 

I have yet to play all of the 14 cd’s (yes, even in lockdown!), but I have played CD No 14. I chose it to play first because it was recorded in Marlow Football Club in 1989. According to the CD notes, that’s the Marlow in Berkshire!! Culled from a Radio 3 “Sounds of Jazz” broadcast and introduced by Peter Clayton, it just shows what a great performer she was.

She was of course married to drummer Jon Hiseman, (also on many of the CD tracks) who first came to my attention in the band “Colosseum”, another great ground breaking band but in a different musical genre. Sadly Jon, who had become Barbara’s carer, died in 2018 of complications after an operation on a brain tumour.

 

I met both of them once when I and my family were on holiday near “The Forest of Dean”. We had discovered that not far into Wales there was a pub running a jazz night, so we all went. To my utter astonishment there buying her family a round of drinks was Barbara Thompson. So I asked “what are you doing here” , or words to that effect, to which she replied,” a bit like you, we are on holiday”. The jazz group were an amateur trio, and she didn’t sit in, but the drummer of the group did ask Jon if he would, and he did! Amazingly nice people!

The book and the boxset are obviously worthwhile additions to my collection, and would be to yours too. If you are unsure of her band “Paraphernalia” do check out a sample at

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiHzruN_YTvAhXVtHEKHf2cC48QwqsBMAF6BAgDEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqgKqXLDOgnc&usg=AOvVaw2nQkgctZeGqIrVbj_YAiDJ

Unless your German is fluent you may want to miss the first minute and a half!

For details of the boxset see

https://www.repertoirerecords.com/artists/barbara-thompson/barbara-thompson-live-at-the-bbc/

For the book, go to her website https://barbara-thompson.co.uk/product/journey-to-a-destination-unknown/

That’s about it for today. Don’t forget tell people about the blog and I apologise for not putting out nags about it’s release. I will try and find a safer way of letting you know when it is updated.

Dont forget to email Tracy about May 20^th, and me at octogeoff@oulook.com for anything else. Updating your email address does come to mind!

TTFN

 

Geoff

 

Good Wednesday Morning England, and welcome to another rambled Jazz from Geoff.

 

With no live Hedsor Jazz to report I thought today I would point you at a number of sources of entertainment.

Firstly YouTube, which by now you must have discovered, and I hope you have at least watched some of the sessions that have been put on YouTube by Ronnie Scott’s Club to name but one organisation. DO check out their collection of previous live streams that have been left “up there” for you to watch.

 

I managed to catch the Swedish Singer Emilia Mårtensson’s session the other night and it is still there to watch (even in the afternoon!!) by clicking the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUQyzJ7j8rM&t=2125s

 

It has an interesting version of “Dat Dere”, a song that we used to hear from singer Lynn Garner occasionally.

 

There is a lot more stuff to get your eyes on via Ronnie Scott’s streams, but as I have mentioned before much more is on YouTube. That well known sender out of jokes, and sometime drummer Dave Simms enthused about some Django style jazz with a YouTube link and a comment thus:-

 

I just think that anyone who can sit still when this kind of music is playing has something fundamentally

wrong with the way their brain is wired….. 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WqawqSF4xs8&feature=share 

I have always liked this kind of jazz, having promoted it in the past, with a session at both the jazz festivals I have organised in the days when loosing money was in fashion. I kind of riposted to him with a link to another manouche band from an unlikely place:-

“Have you caught up with the Hot Club of Detroit?  Yes Detroit USA! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zT_xxvdcQc.”

You can now go and have a look as well!

This past week I had another reminder of jazz past when David Wade-Smith emailed, reminding me of the jazz played at “The Cookham Tavern” at the tail end of the 1990’s.

 

Every Thursday there was a Jazz session in the Cookham pub that is now Costa’s Coffee Bar. “Century Jazz”, founded by drummer Keith Vitty, was the regular band, and as many of you know, over a period of time, “Century Jazz” became “The Clive Burton Quintet”, moving first to Hedsor’s “Garibaldi” pub and then to “The Hedsor Social Club”.

 

In 1999 one of these regular pub sessions was recorded by David onto a DAT recorder, and broadcast on Cookham Summer FM, a community Radio Station run from a studio that during normal times was Cookham Railway Stations waiting room! Some time later I managed to borrow the tape, and using a Phillips CD Recorder (remember them) I copied it to a cd.

Having had my memory jogged, I have uploaded it all to DropBox, where you can download and listen, together with a sleeve for you to put it in if you want to generate your own CD!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ftvxrdrpan2kso3/AABOryIDcUfa-hIO9hzb44vDa?dl=0

It is not a very polished transfer, but does enable you to be reminded again of what a fine trombone player Clive Burton was.

 

Those of you who are unaware of the announcer on the recording, the late Charles Benson,  he was until his death, the “Titular Leader” of Cookham’s fabulous Shirtlifters. A very popular, very “trad” band. The singer was/is Mr John Brooks, onetime singer with that same band, Equity card holder and pantomime dame! The full list of performers is on the sleeve artwork of the cd.

 

Yes, I have provided links. BUT a bigger organisation is doing just that almost every week. I recommend that you go and have a read of the London Jazz News, and sign up for a regular weekly email from them. Check them out via 

https://mailchi.mp/londonjazznews/9bknmwnk4m?e=0cdccbfe18

Please don’t forget that my DropBox links are only “up” for about 1 month, so if you want it, get it! IF after some time you realise that I had put up one of the Hedsor Jazz recordings that you did want but you didn’t download at the time, do email me via Octogeoff@outlook.com, and I will re-establish a link and email it back to you.

Well, its loony tune time, so farewell. I know I am having distribution problems, so do pass on a link to this blog to anyone who either used to get it or would like to know about it. And all this for no extra charge!

 

Keep safe

 

Geoff

 

 

 Another week of lockdown, perhaps with the snow outside again, probably a good thing!

If any of you clicked on my link to James Pearson’s Ronnie Scott concert last week, you will have by now seen the really interesting performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. A very interesting performance, especially considering the size of the orchestra, which was nothing like the size of the original Paul Whiteman Orchestra that first performed it. But they gave it one heck of a go nonetheless and all credit must go to all who actually played on the night.

Credit is probably a good word to use. Don’t forget that you can still contribute to the finances of all who put on the show by clicking on the links on the Ronnie Scott YouTube page and donating MONEY.

Watching from the comfort and financial security of your home will have saved you the cost of travel, entry, and the house drinks prices, so a donation is a reasonably request!

I was drawn having watched it to a performance of “Rhapsody in Blue” performed on CD by The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra with arranger and saxophonist Tommy Smith, (but more importantly for this piece of music),also with Brian Kellock on piano. This is an extended extrapolation of Gershwin’s piece, lasting nearly 54 minutes, with a full jazz orchestra and I would highly recommend that you go find it. STS013 is the number on Spartacus Records and it was released in 2006. No longer in print, but it can be purchased second hand, or you can search via Amazon Prime, Spotify or similar music search engines.

The Amazon sites write up (below) of the piece is even more glowing, but it is well worth a listen.

Orchestrated by saxophonist Tommy Smith, this Rhapsody in Blue of the 21st century was written to feature Brian Kellock and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra's 'Rhapsody in Blue' takes George Gershwin's classic jazz age concerto on an unprecedented adventure. Re-orchestrated by SNJO director, saxophonist Tommy Smith, it was written to feature Scotland's world class jazz pianist Brian Kellock, who played the original Rhapsody as a music student in Edinburgh in 1981. Familiar themes, including the iconic clarinet glissando and Gershwin's heartbreaking nostalgic refrain, have been used - respectfully - as source material and reworked into a fifty-two minute epic that flows through exciting uptempo movements, rhapsodic blues passages, a sensational Cuban fantasia and hard swinging jazz choruses, showcasing SNJO's magnificent ensemble playing and top class, creative soloing. The piece was premiered at Edinburgh Jazz Festival 2006, going on to further acclaim at London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and in concerts throughout the UK.

Not a lot more to go on about so far this week. I hope you are keeping warm, staying a safe distance apart from whoever you don’t live with, and are beginning to enjoy lunchtime TV!

One day I hope we will be able to see, hear and touch again, but in the meantime, keep searching out those jazz nuggets, and keep sharing them!!

Geoff

 

Jazz from Geoff 3.2. 2021

Today I have to start with piece of sad news. We seem to be surrounded by news that isn’t always glad, and this blog must begin by mention of the passing of pianist Frank Toms, who died at home on 27^th January of a heart condition.

Most of us who listened to Hedsor Jazz have probably heard, or heard of, Frank, although I don’t think he ever played at Hedsor. 

For around 50 years Frank has been the keyboard player for Marlow Jazz, in all of its manifestations. "The Firefly" in Bourne End, "The Cross Keys" in Marlow, and for the last few years "The Royal British Legion Hall" in Marlow. He had such a long link with Michael Eagleton and his jazz promotional work that he is survived by his son Elliot, who frequently played drums in Marlow Jazz’s later venues alongside his father, and certainly at The Marlow British Legion Club. 

Many of you will be saddened by his passing, his family and also Michael Eagleton as well. I know how it feels to loose someone you have worked with so closely for such a long time and my sympathy goes out to his family and to all who worked with Frank, and certainly to Michael.

Another friend of both Marlow Jazz and Hedsor jazz has written a better tribute to Frank than I can, and that is Simon Spillett. Do check out his piece for The London Jazz News

https://londonjazznews.com/2021/01/31/frank-toms-1937-2021-a-tribute-by-simon-spillett/

Michael himself emailed with the above photo saying The picture attached is Frank’s 10 piece band “Conkers” at Marlow Jazz Club. 

Also there will be a tribute in Marlow FM’s Jazz Show “Swing That Music” Sunday 7^th along with his best known composition “Danielle And The Holly Tree”, and, the following week, “Alfie”, both with the Quartet co-led with Pat Crumly - “Edge”.

Marlow FM:  97.5FM or on-line at www.marlowfm.co.uk 

There is a song by George Harrison (yes, he of the Beatles) that sums up something about our darker days:-

Sunrise doesn't last all morning
A cloudburst doesn't last all day
Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass
All things must pass away
 
Sunset doesn't last all evening
A mind can blow those clouds away
After all this my love is up
And must be leaving
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass
All things must pass away
 
All things must pass
None of life's strings can last
So I must be on my way
And face another day
 
Now the darkness only stays at night time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good
At arriving at the right time
But it's not always going
To be this grey
 
All things must pass......

One other thought from me about loss and dark days.

There are millions of stars, but you can only see them when it’s dark.

I personally am glad for starlight!

 

 

Something that can contribute to our light are musical experiences 

that can be viewed on YouTube. 

On Feb 1st Ronnie Scotts club did a live stream featuring 

the music of George Gershwin, introduced by pianist James Pearson. 

There are nearly 2 hours of performance for you to watch, and it is 

well worth your effort to do so. 

A really interesting session. See 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L893s87neQ&t=1851s

One final bit to finish on. Last week I wrote about Charlie Watts at 

Scotts with a large Big Band. Mike Wills, Hedsor Jazz’s reed player, 

emailed me with this story:-

Your mention of the Charlie Watts Big Band reminds me of a couple of stories which might make you smile!

The first one concerns my mum – who was once cuddled by Charlie Watts!  There’s a bit of preamble to this – so here goes.  I grew up in Southgate, North London, and our next door neighbour was a guy called Roy Sidwell – who was a pro sax player (and incidentally gave me my first couple of lessons – so he’s got a lot to answer for!); he was a really lovely guy and a really good player.  Anyway, for a period in the early 80s he was a member of Charlie Watts’ Big Band, and during that time they went to the States to play at the Newport Jazz Festival.  It so happened that at the same time my mum was in Toronto in Canada visiting my sister Claire, and Roy knew this and managed to obtain some tickets so that my mum, Claire and her husband George could see the band at Newport Jazz Festival – which indeed they did – George drove them down and they had a great time.  After the gig Roy invited them backstage, and introduced them to Charlie, who (having had a few bevvies by this point) was very friendly and delighted to see my 80-year old mum and gave her a big cuddle!  Anyway, when my mum got back home I asked her how she’d enjoyed it – she said it wasn’t really her sort of thing, but she said that Roy was wonderful (although I doubt very much whether he had a solo all night, with the other stars in the line-up!) – and then I asked her who was top of the bill that night – and she said “Oh I don’t know, some bloke with a saxophone”.  I went next door later and asked Roy who that “some bloke” was – and he said it was Stan Getz!!  I was forever jealous of that, because I never saw Getz – but my mum was obviously not impressed!

The other story was one I heard concerning Stan Tracey, who as you say was in that band.  I think for a lot of the time there were also two drummers – I believe that was because Charlie was quite modest about his jazz playing ability and wanted a bit of insurance so he hired a pro jazz drummer as well (I forget who it was just now).  Anyway, apparently they were rehearsing at some point and someone asked Stan if he could play a bit more on the beat – and he said “Sure – but which fucking one?”!!

One more Charlie Watts CD to dig for, this time with someone else’s Big Band

TTFN

Geoff
PS, the background light and dark that appears in some of the above text is beyond my understanding or control!! Sorry if it makes it less easy to read on your device.