NO, it isn’t an April Fool joke, it is a blog from Geoff. My timings have slipped, but with no new music at Hedsor I don’t have to tell you who is on on a Thursday.

SOON, perhaps.

We are still intending to run a limited live jazz evening at Hedsor on May 20^th. Do keep watching this space for more detail. We hope to have discussions with Hedsor Club later this month to see how they feel about our proposals, and I will let you know via the blog what the final details will be.

It is kind of sanguine to note that we did plan to have an event last October, under the then distancing rules, and that it was cancelled due to a change in the rules the day before!

We again planned to have an event in December, and we all went in to lockdown again (or even meltdown!) the day before!

We will have to stick to whatever distancing rules apply at the time, but a limit of 30 people in the audience will apply.

There is also an open air event planned, as mentioned in my blog a few weeks ago,

 “Martin Hart has phoned through to tell me that there will be another gig, in aid of local charities, at The Great Hampden Cricket Ground, Memorial Road, Great Hampden, Bucks HP16 9RF on Sunday June 13^th from about 3 pm on wards, probably finishing around 5”

Can I suggest that you let Martin know if you would like to go to that because I don’t have a direct line on the tickets. Contact Martin via martinnhart@gmail.com

I’m sure you have been checking out what jazz there is to view on YouTube. There is a lot with different styles and different performance dates from the past. It’s a shame that YouTube seem to have started taking advantage of the more captive audience to include many more adverts that then interrupt ones viewing. As they are LOUDER than the sound you are listening to, I sometimes fear for my loudspeakers!

 

One of the bands that has been doing a great job of playing New Orleans style traditional jazz for free listening on YouTube is “Tuba Skinny”. The lady cornet player is Shaye Cohn who, I for one, have greatly admired for her natural ease of leadership and improvisational skills. Did you know that she is the granddaughter of tenor saxophonist Al Cohn? True!

 

Al died in February 1988. It is encouraging to learn that a younger generation are still in the forefront of jazz today. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba_Skinny

 

“Jazz Today” used to be a record label, which if my memory is correct, morphed into Pye Nixa. You will find that some great music came out on either version of the label in the mid 1950’s. It featured musicians such as the Chris Barber Band (“Wild Cat Blues”, a feature for Monty Sunshine, came out as a 45 on this label) and some pretty good mainstream jazz sessions as well, featuring people like Kenny Baker and Vic Ash. Again I think Nixa used the 10 inch LP medium, which for me as an apprentice, was just about affordable! Most of the released material from these 1950’s sessions is now available on CD, do amuse yourselves with a search of eBay!

With that search to occupy you for at least 1/2 hour, I will say "farewell" whilst your attention is diverted!