It’s the Tuesday following a Bank Holiday Monday, and it still means IT’S BLOG DAY of course.

But perhaps it will be a little more succinct today. 

First off, my pictures from last weeks very enjoyable session with “our” saxophonist Mike Wills, partnered by guitarist Jez Cook. We also had 2 other guests. Pianist Rod Kelly and bass player Esther Ng. Great fun, and nice to have Rod Kelly with us as well. Our regular keyboard player had managed to damage a finger in his left hand such that he needed a visit to A&E. Mike had been playing with Rod the night before our gig, and Rod kindly came to us at very short notice. My assumption was that he was another of the Oxford Jazz contingent, but I was miles out! Rod lives very near Tetbury! Yes, do look it up. It is just inside Gloucestershire.

Coming this week, April 21^st, we are hopeful that Ken McCarthy will be back with us, and with Peter Hughes on bass we have Mike Jeffries on drums completing or rhythm section, Martin having been taken away at last (on holiday you understand!). In front of them will be that well know and greatly respected trumpet player Stuart Henderson. Stuart leads a big band called “The Remix Orchestra” and Stuart is bringing with him one of his Remix musicians, a saxophonist called Jonathan Lewis. So an intriguing evening in prospect.

The following week we have another evening with a difference. On Thursdays April 28^th we welcome back guitarist Terry Hutchings, who hasn’t been with us for some time. He is partnering saxophonist Mike Wilkins, someone who hasn’t been to Hedsor Jazz before. This is a change to our advertised program. On bass will be Esther Ng and we anticipate Martin Hart being back with us. However his holiday is in a foreign field and his arrival back in the UK is Wednesday 27^th, so this might change. Mike and Terry are an experienced partnership and are both part of the very rich Oxford jazz scene.

Our fundraising for Ukraine evening will be May 5^th, see poster art below. More leaflets will be available on Thursday. Please do your utmost to support this evening, and to gain support for it.

 

Slightly further ahead in August we have managed to persuade that British Jazz Legend, saxophonist Alan Barnes to come to Hedsor Jazz on August 18^th. He will be accompanied by Stuart Henderson.

Our Christmas Party will be on December 15^th, where we hope to gather many of the musicians who have been regular supporters of jazz at Hedsor over the years for a bit of a bash!