Another short update for Jazz from Geoff 

This Thursday May 27^th we appear to have our audience of 30 already. DO check with Tracy tracy.georgiades@gmail.com  to see if you are on the list before coming to Hedsor Club.

For our second evening of covid rules jazz (no, sadly not a game) we will have Stuart Henderson on trumpet, Duncan Lamont jnr on tenor saxophone, Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Terry Davis on bass and of course Martin Hart on drums. The evening will start at 8.30pm. Entry £10

As I mentioned above, we are fully booked for this Thursday, but DO CHECK with Tracy to see if we have any cancellations. IF you have already booked, but find you can now no longer come, please let Tracy know and your place can be reassigned.

The government rules for an indoor gathering will apply until all rules are relaxed; try to be sensible with your distancing, wear a mask when away from your table. Hand sanitising gel will be available, please use it to reduce any risk of virus transmission.

Future Gigs

On June 3rd we have Lester Brown on trumpet with Mark Aston on reeds, plus Ken McCarthy keyboard, Martin Hart drums and a bass player yet to be finalised.

June 10^th, we have our vibes friend Alan Graham coming to play, and we also hope to have Mike Wills back on reeds. 

Please book now via Tracy tracy.georgiades@gmail.com for any or all of these.

Last week we had with us a couple, Alex and Nicole, who were at Hedsor for the first time. Alex is a keen videographer and filmed a lot of the evening. He has made most of his footage available on YouTube and you can watch his films of our evening via the following links:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlTxUbIpqeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7fn8dVO6K4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvDjuSvlgY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DUvpkC2nAg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWh8QrkSD5w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0g5kBMeAmY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS4tiSR_qAc

Alex’s wife Nicole sadly suffers from both MS and Parkinson’s disease, and in seeking his permission to link to his video clips, which include shots of Nicole, he sent this reply:-

I'm grateful to yourselves/Hedsor SC for allowing me to film - I'm glad for you to use as much or as little as you wish. As for Nicole, I take the footage in part to show how much she enjoys it and the hugely positive benefit to her conditions and wellbeing; for that reason, the more you choose to show of Nicole the better it is for us and will hopefully open the eyes (and ears) of others to her plight and others who are also frail.

That’s it for now folks, don’t forget to book ahead with Tracy for the evenings you want to come.

Geoff

 Hedsor and the Night and the Music

For those of you who weren't there (and for those of you who were if you would like a souvenir), here is a link to my DropBox files containing all of the music, and the artwork for a cover if you want to create your own cd's of Hedsor Jazz's first night back. There is some terrific work here. "Chelsea Bridge" will take some beating!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9qcs468dwcjojm5/AAD-rrU0vpYxUQJx_YTGw0cMa?dl=0 

 

WOW, what a great night of music and reunion
 
Hedsor Jazz is BACK

 

As we gathered on Thursday May 20th it was so strange and yet so normal. We hadn’t met each other for 14 months and yet it seemed like only last week. Yes, there was some slight confusion at the beginning as to where to sit. Maybe it was in a different place to the last time you were there. But we were all there, and the musicians really did sound as though they had only played there the week before. Yet for all of us, it was the first gig this year!

There was also an unexpected treat! Food had been provided for the 2 short breaks by Jan Burton and Gill Jones. Thank you both.

SO, until further notice, Jazz at Hedsor IS BACK.

It really was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and later this week the recording I made of it will be available via my DropBox link, but please, a few more days to complete that is still needed.

The evening had some differences, no raffle and no CD’s to buy, felt necessary to help out with the social distancing.

We were up to our maximum audience of 30 and we will need to keep to the rules regards facemasks, distancing, toilets and hand cleanliness which are becoming basic common sense. 

From Hedsor Jazz’s viewpoint we will need advance notice of your intention of coming to any of our future gigs until at the very earliest June 21^st when we anticipate a new statement from the government about indoor music events. 

You must be assured via Tracy tracy.georgiades@gmail.com  that there will be space for you. 

Our next gig on 27^th May is already fully booked. 

DO book now for June 3rd

Please look at our forthcoming gigs listed below and book ahead via Tracy. You must also provide contact details for track and trace. A phone number and/or email address would be great. The email address would also give us a chance of letting you know by email what is happening in the future.

Next week we are also back to asking for money at the door. £10 per person is our entry fee, which we will keep under review.

We will also be back to our normal start time of 8.30pm.

So below some photos of the evening from myself and from Geoff Swaffield (our very sound guy, he does the lights as well), then our next few gigs.

Photos from our first night back

 

Future Gigs please book for these via Tracy. Max attendance is limited to just 30 people, first come first served

27th May      Stuart Henderson trumpet + Duncan Lamont jr saxophone + Ken McCarthy keyboard+ Terry Davis bass + Martin Hart drums, leader and announcer.

3rd June      Lester Brown trumpet + Mark Aston saxophone+ Esther  Ng bass+ Martin Hart drums

10^th June      Alan Graham vibraphone  + Mike Wills reeds (? hopefully) + bass to be arranged + Martin Hart drums

17^th June      Ian Smith trumpet + Ollie Wilby saxophone + Ken McCarthy keyboard  + bass to be arranged + Martin Hart drums

One final thought for now.

I am very aware that we have to have pre knowledge of your intention to attend, and your contact details. I am reading a book at the moment called “The Store” by James Patterson, and although it all seems very slightly far fetched, maybe not so far. We have already been ordering items online for home delivery, we know how certain web sites prompt you to buy from the knowledge they have already of what you have looked at in the past on the web search engine of your choice. You now have to have passwords and triple confirmation of identity for every web site you visit or software you use. Yesterday I tried to download the drivers for a friend’s printer that I was trying to mend. I couldn’t do that without being asked for my post code! They only wanted to help! Did we really transition through 1984?

So I do apologise for our needs to ask for your contact details. Just as soon as the government restrictions introduced as part of the covid legislation are lifted, I assure you that you will be able to come to Hedsor Jazz without us knowing who you are , or who you are with (well only so that we can be friends!).

Do have a read of

 

Social Distancing

One observant reader has noticed my error over social distancing. My example of 1 meter or 6 feet was wrong. 1 meter is approx. 3 feet, half of Kelvin's height!

However it has made me investigate what is really expected for our social distancing rules at Hedsor Club.

Herein lies the rub!

Below are 3 different organisations guidelines on what social distancing now means.   

Social distancing between groups is encouraged

That was from the BBC

 

Separate parties should keep their Social Distance.

·         One way systems and control in toilets should remain in place.

·         This is 2 meters or 1 meter separation with mitigating measures such as sitting side by side or back to back

   This was from Advice for licensed premises

 try to stay at least 2 metres (3 steps) away from people you're not meeting with – you can choose to have close contact with friends and family. 

      That from the NHS

What I said to my error corrector was that I would advise an average of my error!

A brief “to the point” blog this week. 

After 14 months we are going to listen together again to 

Live Jazz at Hedsor Club!

Something to really celebrate.

 

But this week, ONLY if you have already received an invitation. We do have our maximum of 30 people. No invitation, NO ENTRY

The evening starts at 8pm. You will be sitting spaced along the lines of what are now well established rules. Look for a table with this sign

  

If you are in a bubble already, 2 people can sit in one place. If you are in a 2 household bubble you can sit together as long as there are no more than 6 people in your two bubbles.

You will be able to sit at your table without your mask on, but anywhere else in Hedsor Club please wear a mask.

You can order drinks from the bar, but don’t wait for them, they will be delivered to your table. 

The one meter rule applies, in old money that is 6 feet. If in doubt think how big Kelvin is, yes that far apart please!

I didn’t make up the rules, or the language (no, I’m “not forever blowing bubbles”), but following the safety rules means we can hear again Lester Brown on trumpet, Kelvin Christian on reeds, Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums. So the pain is really worth the gain!

This week you have been  invited, but if you want to donate a contribution to defray our costs please talk to John Dutton or Tracy.

The following week May 27^th we will be asking for money at the door for an 8.30 start.

If you would like to come you must reserve a place with Tracy, either this Thursday, or by email to tracy.georgiades@gmail.com . You probably wont want to miss this, as we will have Stuart Henderson on trumpet, Duncan Lamont jnr on reeds, Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Martin Hart on drums and Terry Davis on bass.

Every week we will be limited to a maximum of 30 people, and we will have to follow all the covid rules until at the very earliest June 21^st, a government decision Monday! After that date I hope we can get back to the old normal.

As you read last week, Nigel Fox is staying in Suffolk for a while. I thought you might like to see what his new normal looks like!

Dare I say "Stay Safe"!!

In my blog of April 18^th  I wrote this:-

As you will have read, we are planning to have a trial or pilot run in the hall of Hedsor Club using the indoor guidelines that apply, on Thursday May 20^th. I can now confirm that this will take place.

This pilot evening will be limited to 30 people who will have with them an invitation ticket. If you have already said you would like to come you will receive this invitation in the post with a covering letter from Jazz Angels treasurer John Dutton. If you would like to be considered for this (or future covid restricted Hedsor Jazz gigs) and haven’t already done so, (or even if you have, as a double check for us!!) please send your contact details to Tracy at tracy.georgiades@gmail.com. IF you come on May 20^th and don’t have that initial invitation you may be turned away.

This return evening will start at 8pm in order to give everyone time to get used to the revised arrangements and also, perhaps more importantly,  to give time for you to chat to other jazz people (from 2 meters apart of course) for the first time in many months.

Please note the full Hedsor Club indoor rules will be sent out later, but one thing I will clarify is that face masks must be worn within Hedsor Clubs premises EXCEPT AT YOUR TABLE. You can order at the bar with you mask on, but your drink will be delivered to your table. You will not be allowed to congregate at the bar! Preferred payment to the club is by card or electronic transfer.

This all still applies, but as the day draws closer I thought I should remind you. The invitation ticket doesn’t hold the start time as it hadn’t been decided at the time they were printed BUT YOUR INVITATION LETTER DOES STATE AN 8pm START! Please also bring your invitation ticket with you.

A couple of other points about an indoor gathering at Hedsor Club. On entering the club you must have your facemask on, and you must also use the alcohol dispenser for cleansing your hands on entering. The rule of six will apply. Six people from 2 families can share a table, and “Bubbles” can also share a table. Other than that social distancing rules must apply. In addition at Hedsor Club the outer toilet doors will be open, and social distancing must be practiced within these facilities as well as in the rest of the club. Once at your table, you can remove your mask. Away form your table you must replace it.

The club buildings will be providing positive ventilation. Doors and windows may be open so you might like to consider if you will need a coat or similar as the evening wears on. May evenings could be chilly!

Now that the rules of the game are out of the way I want to share with you an email I had from Nigel Fox.

Nigel at Hedsor in 2016

Dear Hedsorians!

Ingrid and I will be spending more time in Suffolk this Summer and so I will be unavailable for Hedsor for a while and will be away from this Thursday.  Ken McCarthy has agreed to take over on piano which makes sense as he’s within walking distance (he’s a very keen walker!) I notice I’m listed for June 17th but hopefully Ken can do that one as well?

I hope all goes well for the “trial” run on May 20th.

Best wishes and keep safe.

Nigel

A Typical Saxmundham Street

Nigel has done sterling work for us over many years at Hedsor Jazz and I do hope this is only a temporary stay in Suffolk. I can understand that after the kind of year we have all had that a stay in Ingrid’s cottage in Saxmundham should be taken full advantage of and I wish both Ingrid and Nigel a happy stay in East Anglia. As Nigel rightly says we do have an excellent local dep in the form of Ken McCarthy, so although we will all miss Nigel, its not all bad for those left behind!

Ken McCarthy with Mike Wills
taken at the ST Pirans jazz event in 2015
courtesy of Robert Goodhew

One final point about our event timing. AFTER our first night our start time will revert to 8.30pm. The rules inside the club will stay the same until further notice.

The latest  list of proposed gigs can be found in my blog for May 5^th.

SO, not long to wait now! May 20^th, one small step for jazz!

Its blog time again, with little new to report, but we are edging closer to Hedsor Jazz’s “trial” run on May 20^th. Hopefully you now have your invitation to this. We were over subscribed, so if you weren’t fortunate enough (or quick enough) to get a place this time, remember that the following week, May 27^th, we will be launching a return event. As this is still under the covid rule of 30 at an indoor event, please ensure you have your name down with Tracy ( tracy.georgiades@gmail.com ) for each week you want to come. After May 20^th we will be charging at the door, but there will be a limit on audience numbers, and those who don’t pre book MAY be turned away.

For those with an invitation to May 20^th do remember that we will be starting on that night at 8pm. After that we will be reverting to our previous normal time of 8.30pm. That is the time the music starts of course, the bar will be open earlier, and the earlier time on the 20^th will be allowing time for unforeseen snags and for greeting each other (at a distance) after 14 months!

Martin Hart has been busy, and below is a pretty interesting gig list.

20^th May      Lester Brown + Kelvin Christian + Ken McCarthy + Peter Hughes + Martin Hart

27^th May      Stuart Henderson + Duncan Lamont jr + Ken McCarthy + Terry Davis + Martin Hart

  3^rd June      Lester Brown + Mark Aston + Esther  Ng + Martin Hart

10^th June      Alan Graham  + Mike Wills(? hopefully) + Martin Hart

17^th June      Ian Smith + Ollie Wilby + Nigel Fox +  Martin Hart

Hopefully by June 24^th there will be less need for social distancing, and we can get back to how things were.

Can I thank everyone for your continuing support of Hedsor Jazz.  It has become a bit like an extended family, and we do want to get back to regular, unhindered, jazz sessions. More than ever, we need to encourage others to join our jazz sessions. This will ensure continuance, additional star guests, and a bigger presence on the jazz club scene.

More Jazz Past

I pulled out a CD the other evening, thinking that it was fairly new to me. I have always loved the duets that Alan Barnes plays with Dave Newton. They studied together at The Leeds Music  Collage in 1977, and have had a particular affinity shown in their music. Both musicians have an identifiable voice, but when just the two of them play together their is an understanding of each other that is almost twin like.

 

So I pulled out “Inside Out”, enjoying that cohesion. Chick Corea’s “Windows”, Strayhorn’s “Lotus Blossom” ,Bill Evans “Very Early” all smoothed out my day. Then I caught site of the date it was recorded, and I could not believe that this “new” addition to my collection was gathered in 2011!

On the same evening I was leafing through the booklet that came with the Billy Holiday limited edition of the complete commodore and Decca masters.

 

This is really a box set disguised as a book, with 3 cd’s of some of the greatest and most poignant songs ever sung between 1939 and 1950. With the convenience of smart phones to hand, I idly decided to see if you could still purchase this.

You can, BUT Amazon want £370 for it. I was GOBSMACKED!