Another Tuesday, another Blog with news of Hedsor and all that (other) JAZZ

Coming to Hedsor Jazz this week we have that super saxophonist Sue Greenaway, and as promised, I can now tell you that she will be playing alongside the trumpet of Stuart Henderson. Rest assured, Stuart will also be holding it! Add in Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums and you know it will a great evening of well played jazz. Later in the blog you will find an updated list of who is playing at Hedsor Jazz up to Feb 24^th.

 

My photos from last weeks session with Lester Brown and Duncan Lamont Jr are below, and you will see that we also had that fine bass player Andy Crowdy in the band. It used to be asked “What do you do during a bass solo”?.....and “talk” was the usual answer, but not so when the solo capability is of the standing of Andy Crowdy. He really became a third member of the front line, excellent stuff.

 

Exactly the same rhythm section was playing at Woodley last Saturday when Martin brought Steve Waterman to the Oakwood Theatre. Steve is professor of Jazz Trumpet at Trinity College of Music in London and visiting Jazz Trumpet specialist at The Royal Northern College of Music and The Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama. That quality shows. It could have been a bit one sided, as a solo trumpet is a lonely instrument to listen to for an evening, but thanks to Andy’s solo ability, the bass was able to feature in a number of exchanges with the trumpet. It was a great evening.

The next Oakwood Theatre presentation will be in May, when saxophonist Karen Sharp will be the featured guest.

At Woodley, I was able to pick up 2 more of Steve Watermans CD’s from the early 2000’s. I had already the 2003 recording called “Stablemates”, but he also had with him the 2005 “Our Delight” album, and the 2008 album “Night Lights”. All three albums are of a similar nature, Steve being accompanied by such excellent British jazz names as Alan Barnes, Dave O’Higgins, Clark Tracy, and Mark Nightingale to name but 4. Over the three albums the music of Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Tadd Dameron, Herbie Hancock, Gerry Mulligan and Chick Corea is explored, and explored very well indeed. See the artwork below; they are all on the Mainstem label.

 

Jazz Angels treasurer John Dutton has now had his long awaited open heart surgery, he was operated on at 8am today. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

Future Hedsor Jazz Gigs:-

All the gigs below start at 8.30pm and the entry charge is £10. We would ask all our patrons to ensure they are clear of covid before coming to Hedsor Jazz. ALL of the musicians who come to play have promised to have a lateral flow test before coming to Hedsor.

This Week Jan 27^th        

Stuart Henderson trumpet + Sue Greenaway  reeds+ Peter Hughes bass + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

Feb 3^rd         Mark Aston reeds + Lester Brown trumpet + Peter Hughes bass + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

Feb 10th      Stuart Henderson trumpet + “Tolly” + Peter Hughes bass+ Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

“Tolly” is the stage or short hand name for a great saxophonist. His full name (if you should choose to use it!) is Anatoliy Vyacheslavov

Feb 17th      Frank Walden reeds + Lester Brown trumpet  + Terry Davis bass +  Ken McCarthy keyboard +MIKE JEFFRIES  drums

Feb 24th      Al Nicholls reeds  + Max Brittain guitar + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Terry Davis bass +  MIKE JEFFRIES drums

As you can see from the above list, Martin is taking Brian for a longer than usual walk!! But he had bought him a new harness for it!

 

 

A Brief Blog today

Just to remind you that we do have jazz at Hedsor Club every Thursday and this week it is “our” Lester Brown together with saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr. in front of “our” rhythm section.

Also this week on Saturday 22nd at Woodley Martin Hart is bringing Steve Waterman to play at The Oakwood Centre from 7.45pm. Well worth checking to see if they have a spare ticket, I bought mine a month ago. (https://www.woodleytheatre.org/). If you remember Steve played a blinder at Hedsor and it seemed like a sensible thing to book to see him again so soon. He is a remarkable player, check out his web site here https://www.stevewaterman.co.uk/

Last weeks Hedsor Jazz had another brilliant trumpet player. Our session with Stuart Henderson and saxophonist Kelvin Christiane was another very enjoyable session of great swinging jazz. Great tunes and Hedsor Jazz always has a great friendly atmosphere. Such events can really pull you though the gloom!

My photos of the session are below.

 

Don’t forget that we would love you to come and experience it all for yourself, but we do ask that you pass as clean an NHS lateral flow test before coming. All of our musicians have promised to do that too. With the spacing and care provided by Hedsor Club it is as safe at Hedsor Jazz as we can make it.

Looking forward to next week we welcome back Sue Greenaway, a very talented lady saxophonist from Oxford. I need to confirm with Martin who is going to be on the front line with her. Mike Wills may be, as he tells me his broken wrist is mending very well, but it still makes washing up a task too far!

This is NOT a photo of Mike Wills!

Looking even further forward to July 8^th and a restart of the Swanage Jazz Festival is promised. www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk

I have taken the opportunity of reserving my accommodation already, and the tickets for the festival will be on sale from this coming Saturday. So far there will be Nigel Price doing his Wes Montgomery session, and Simon Spillet with a big band playing the Tubby Hayes Book again (back in 2015 at St Piran’s School in Maidenhead we heard him do this with Stuart Henderson’s band). There will also be a lady singer I have only heard on CD. Jo Harrop is billed to be at Swanage too. I’m looking forward to that as her recordings show she is a singer of considerable promise.

Jo Harrop

 

I just wonder if by July we will be able to sit and listen (and drink beer) without our facemasks on!? I think it’s worth at least planning a bit further ahead than next week in order to get ones mind set back to a more normal level. I do feel that most people have forgotten what it is to go out! Have we been so brainwashed with the fear of covid that we now only watch a screen (large or small) from the viral security of our home?

 

Now here’s a thought. 

Was Boris being brave, and showing us the way ahead after all?

 A Blog a Week helps you work, rest and   ??? SLEEP, well maybe!

But our return from Christmas, considering the apprehension provided by covid, was a really good evening.

The attendance was, both in the number of those attending and in the adherence to the rules on mask wearing , was pretty good.

It was also a jovial evening.  I think everyone enjoyed the company of like minded jazz fans after the break for Christmas

Our band for the night also played really well. Mark Aston was a little hampered by the loss of one of his spectacles lenses as it had decided to go its own way, but as I have already commented to him, his playing has improved over recent years. I think his playing now, to use an old phrase, makes you prick up your ears! The sound from his vintage baritone sax is what live music is all about. Lester was his usual self playing trumpet and singing to prove he can! 

So a good start to 2022. Pictures below.

Also good for 2022 was the news than Jan Burton was returned to her own home that afternoon after her long stay in hospital following her stroke. She is making good progress and is very pleased to be home. She is getting about indoors with the aid of a Zimmer frame and her speech is much improved.

Covid

I would remind anyone who is contemplating a trip to Hedsor Jazz (we are planning to keep going every Thursday, see last weeks blog for a listing for January) that you must be covid free and to have passed a lateral flow test within the previous 36 hours. We have the assurance of all the musicians who will be playing for us that they will adhere to this requirement, so we hope all those coming will do so too.

Coming to us this week (January 13^th) are trumpeter Stuart Henderson alongside saxophonist Kelvin Christian. Our bass player this week will be Terry Davis. Keyboard and drums are as usual Ken McCarthy and Martin Hart

A Recent CD Listen

Once upon a time I used to play a trumpet, not very well, but I enjoyed it anyway! One of my partners in crime (well we were probably committing some sort of crime on the tunes we played) was a pianist. Often we would play together, just the two of us. I became very aware that this wasn’t easy, especially in public!

Over Christmas I acquired a double album of 2 great jazz individuals who joined together in public and played trumpet and piano together rather well. “Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller In Harmony” is the name of the album on the Resonance Label  (HCD2060) and it really is an example of how it could and should be done. They show excellent rapport between themselves as  these live recordings from 2006 and 2007,only recently been released, prove.

Sadly both musicians died young (Hargrove in 2018 aged 49 and Miller in 2013 aged 58) and these recordings just emphasis what a loss it was for the jazz word.  The album contains mostly well know tunes played without rehearsal, and they sound fresh and spontaneous. 

Jazz at its best.

 

G C

January 3^rd 2022

First, Happy New Year to all our readers!!

A Year for hope that some sort of normality and stability will return that enables us to all make plans to meet each other and to enjoy music and each others company.

Also Happy Birthday to Hedsor Jazz’s Band Leader. Our drummer Martin Hart is 83 TODAY.

On this 3^rd day of a new year I am already being asked what the plans are for Hedsor Jazz. Well, yes, we do have plans, but we are also aware that many people are concerned about any sort of social gathering.

First of all then our “plans” for each Thursday at The Hedsor Club for our jazz sessions are thus:-

Please ensure you are free from covid infection by taking a lateral flow test before you come. Only come to Hedsor Jazz if you pass as clean using the government approved test kit.

Test may also be ordered online for postal delivery.

We have contacted all the musicians who will be with us in January and February and they have all agreed to abide by this requirement, and we would ask you to do the same. 

No, we won’t ask for proof, only an honest response to this requested test, and also a sensible approach to the usual social distancing measures that are by now a normal part of our lives when you are at Hedsor Club.

The gigs lined up so far this year are:-

January  6^th      Lester Brown trumpet + Mark Aston reeds

              13^th     Kelvin Christiane reeds + Stuart Henderson trumpet

              20^th     Lester Brown trumpet + Duncan Lamont jr reeds

              27^th     Sue Greenaway reeds +  ?*

*? We are unsure who she will have alongside her. As I write, “our” Mike Wills has a broken wrist!

February 3^rd     Mark Aston reeds +  Lester Brown trumpet

             10^th     Stuart Henderson trumpet + “Tolly” reeds

             17^th     Lester Brown trumpet  +  ? we hope!

We anticipate that the drummer for all these events will be Martin Hart and the keyboard player Ken McCarthy. A variety of selected bass players will be there as well!

Whilst on the subject of bass players many of you will know that for many years Ken Rankine was our regular bass player. Sadly he left in September 2016 to join that great orchestra in the sky, but he left his bass behind. For many years Ken was great friends with saxophonist Willy Garnet, and acted as an uncle figure to Willy’s son Alex, also now a renowned saxophonist. Alex took charge of Ken’s bass and had it overhauled and refurbished, and it is now in use as the house bass at Ronnie Scotts!

Ken Rankine

Willy Garnet

It is his upright bass that is in use at Scott's, not the electric one seen in the above photo.

Ken’s sister Linda gave me this news at Christmas time with obvious pride in her voice. So often we take bass players for granted, but Ken was a great player. He taught me to listen to the bass, not just in their solo spots, but to listen all the way through a tune at how they support and propel the music forward.

Resent Recordings from Hedsor Jazz

I have collated all the recent recordings I have made at Hedsor Jazz into my DropBox as one listing. Please use the following link, all others are now inoperative.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ocu5evtwvoo93no/AACupgEyWXQMS5j05DpSbdOMa?dl=0

Please only use the music for your own enjoyment and not for any other reason.

As that cartoon often says, "that's it for now folks"!!

Geoff C