Good Morning England!

Probably a short blog today, as it is already HOT, and I will keep it brief.

First. Despite the governments clear message ( I DO Joke!) Hedsor Jazz is requesting you all to keep to the same “space, face” rules that we have used for the past 7 weeks. Monday may have been freedom day, but the virus thought so to. For the time being we will be limiting our numbers to about 30 guests. Still please contact Tracy to assure both you and her that you will be coming on any particular Thursday. Book by contacting tracy.georgiades@gmail.com IF it is the first time you have been to Hedsor Jazz we will ask you to provide contact details, both for tracing, and for future Hedsor Jazz news.

I think what we put on week by week is well worth coming out for, so please do continue to support Hedsor Jazz. When we feel more confident in humanities ability to survive covid 19, we will put on some even more special concerts on a Thursday, but this week (July 22nd)  you should be thronging through the doors (socially distance of course!) because we have back with us Mike Wills, our long established reed man. Alongside him will be someone new to Hedsor Jazz, although NOT new to jazz. Trumpet man Gary Wood. There is a lot about him on YouTube and Facebook, so take a listen. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaBodwy4w28

 

You might also like to look up Richard Leaches 7 Star of Jazz, because he is one of them too!

 http://richardleachjazz.co.uk/7-stars-of-jazz/

After last weeks fast tempos and traditional jazz tunes we might like to ask for a few slow mainstream ones this week. Those of you who were with us last week for what I have called “The Hedsor Jazz Pickup Band” might like to hear a few blues and ballads this week, as I don’t think anything was played S L O W L  Y last week. You can check out the whole evenings music via my DropBox link:-

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Hedsor%2015%207%2021%20pickup%20band

This meant that the rhythm section couldn’t take a break. The bass player was slapping like Slam Stewart and was visibly warmed, even though wearing truncated trousers! Well done Terry Davis. 

Well done too to Mike Jeffries. But that's stardom for you! How did they manage in the heat of New Orleans back in the day? At least “Oh Didn’t He Ramble” was taken at 3 different tempos!

On Thursday July 29^th we will be having another very special occasion. We will be celebrating Alan Grahams 94^th birthday. Because of the current difficulties we will be doing it a bit more low key than for his 90^th. When times allow, we will be asking him to bring all his friends in so that we can celebrate his life in music in a truly proper manner. However, for July 29^th, we will have Alan, and Mike Wills, Ken McCarthy,  Martin Hart and Terry Davis and perhaps one or two other musicians along, and also a snacklet or two at half time just so the event doesn’t pass by uncelebrated.

Last week we welcomed to Hedsor Jazz a couple who were visiting Hedsor Jazz for the first time. They had also found us via the blackboard outside Hedsor Club. They have just recently moved to Cookham, and I could easily throw stones at there flat (not that I would!). Alam was until recently a professional musician so we hope to attract him and his partner along to more Hedsor Jazz concerts. 

Cookham has in the past 2 months attracted 2 jazz saxophonists to it! Vasilis Xenopoulis is also now a Cookham resident. I saw him Sunday afternoon and he told me he had had breakfast in Aberdeen!

Pictures from last week below,

 

Take care