Another Tuesday, another bog day, but another week to have a Thursday to look forward to.

Stuart and "Tolly"

I don’t want you to miss this Thursday, February 10^th, as we don’t get this combination at Hedsor very often. Stuart Henderson and ”Tolly” are a well practiced team and these days “Tolly” is a much in demand saxophonist. Those of you who have had that “Tolly” experience before will need no persuasion that he is worth coming out to see, so put the date in your diary. Stuart we know needs no introduction, we are still remembering the splendid evening we had with him and saxophonist Sue Greenaway at the end of January. For that Martin was heard to remark that it was the best night at Hedsor EVER!! So come and see if it can be another in Hedsor Jazz’s “best nights ever” series. With them will be Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums.

Last week, (my pictures are below), we had a trombone in the midst again. Not only did Mark Aston  bring his baritone sax, but also his trombone, and he made a pretty good job of playing it too. Alongside him was “our” Lester Brown on trumpet. Mark also played his alto and tenor saxes as well, but we only payed him once, no doubling fees at Hedsor!

 

Lester played, as his feature number in the second set, the tune “I Cant Get Started” made famous by trumpeter Bunny Berigan in the 1930’s. At one time his 1937 recording of the tune was the most requested tune on “Jazz Record Requests”. You never know, next time Lester may sing the words as well. How times have changed. In 1937 to have “flown around the world in a plane” would have been a remarkable achievement. BUT, “I’ve settled revolutions in Spain” could be applied to a number of current situations. Progress doesn’t seem to have diminished violence as a means of resolving a difference of opinion!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BuWDhuT2I 

The BBC, in there now customary manner, are temporarily replacing a Jazz Record Requests, a “regular” Sunday afternoon program, with another of orchestral music. Albeit JRR will be back in 2 weeks. Usually the Beeb ditch JRR for opera. It just shows you what high esteem the BBC holds jazz. They regular drop jazz programs for something else. Do they really think we get too much jazz on BBC Radio?

Many listeners to radio jazz are of a certain vintage (Yes, OK, MINE!) who like to keep to regular habits. Once Upon a (Peter Clayton ) Time JRR was at 5pm on a Saturday, then it moved to 4pm on a Sunday (I must take more All Bran). 5pm on a Saturday was good time for me, as after spending Saturday working on “a” car (anything from a Triumph Herald to a Sunbeam Tiger!) I could soak in the bath and listen to JRR on a trani radio. It became part of life. Somehow Saturdays and Sundays have never become interchangeable, except of course for the BBC planners!

Certain days of the week have always been embedded in my conscious as jazz days. These days Thursday and Hedsor Jazz go hand in hand. Once upon a time it was Tuesdays and Jazz at Maidenheads, “The Bell”, now called something else. But back in the 1970’s Tuesdays “Jazz at The Bell” was the home of “The Lennie Best Quartet” and some of Britain’s jazz greats played there for us. We had a BBC Jazz Club broadcast from there too. The first time I went it was Tony Coe and John Pickard . Do check out “The Tony Coe Quintet”, a wonderful ensemble. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Coe  The "Swinging till The Girls Come Home" LP from 1962 is now worth £200!!).

I also saw Tubby Hayes there twice just before he died. I remember him sitting on a chair and basically giving us all a master class. Ronnie Scott came and played too, as did Dick Morrissey, Bruce Turner, and the complete Alex Welsh Band. 

You might like to check out this very amateur recording of Morrissey at “The Bell”:-  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Morrissey-Live-Bell-1972/dp/B074JQDTD6 The 1972 recording was unearthed from the Cronin vaults and “Spilletized” to CD!

 When jazz at The Bell stopped, I started running record evenings in my front room, which could achieve a maximum of 12 listeners!! Then we were invited to transfer operation to another Bell, “The Old Bell” in Wooburn, and once a month record evening eventually gave way to live jazz.

Thursdays started at “The Cookham Tavern” with Keith Vitty’s Century Jazz. When “The Cookham Tavern” became “The Cookham Tandori”, we moved briefly to Hedsor’s “Garibaldi” and then, 20 years ago, we moved to The Hedsor Club. For over 20 years now we have run live jazz at Hedsor. Long may it continue.

So, why not become part of history. If you don’t already listen to live jazz, try us at the Hedsor Club. https://hedsorbar.com/ If you try it this week, you will be AMAZED!!