First things first for this blog edition.

Our night of jazz to raise money for the people of Ukraine was a great success both as a jazz music event, and as a fundraiser. We had the best audience numbers for years, and we will be able to donate £1000 to help the Ukrainians.

Our advertised cast of musicians was augmented on the night by our dear friend Alan Grahame on vibes, and for part of the second set by Andy Crowdy borrowing Peter Hughes bass.

It was also a joy to have back with us on keyboard Nigel Fox. With Martin Hart on drums, the front line of Stuart Henderson, Frank Walden and Vasilis Xenopoulos gave a demonstration of jazz improvisation that on occasion brought cheers from the audience of approx. 60. 

Some of that audience were totally new to us, please come again!

Some of the audience were old friends returning for the first time in quite a while. Please come again!

If you look back on last weeks blog you will see that we have some wonderful jazz coming every week. Please, don’t stay away!

Some of my photos from the evening are below, but the best overall picture is from Geoff Swaffield’s mobile phone!

 

Again well done for all who helped on last weeks fundraising night. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way. The room looked fabulous, and the music was wonderful too. Everyone’s generosity for the cause of Ukraine was obvious. Thank you.

Coming to Hedsor THIS WEEK (Thursday 12^th May) we have the combination of trumpeter Lester Brown and saxophonist Mark Aston, again with Nigel Fox on keyboard. Martin Hart will be on drums and as usual, the bass player will be a surprise!

Changing geographical areas completely I get circulated with a lot of jazz gig information, and one out of area venue that I have been tempted to travel to this year has been The Milford Arms in Isleworth. When I saw the following line-up was going to play in a pub back room last night I thought I must give it a go. This is a line-up of festival proportions, and 5 Hedsor folk were tempted by my mention of it:-

Stan Sulzmann, tenor, Mark Nightingale, trombone, Ross Stanley, piano, Dave Green, bass, Trevor Tomkins, drums.

With traffic delays and dodgy satnav we arrived 10 minutes late, but it just so happened that the band were also late starting for a couple of reasons.

Dave Green went initially to the wrong pub!! And Mark Nightingale was still on his return journey from Oslo! However one by one all did gather and together played wonderful music.

A couple of my phone pics are below.

It all brought back to my mind the thought that to be a jazz fan today is a bit like being a Catholic in the times of Tudor religious persecution. (no I’m not that old but I have read history books and I have seen a priest hole!).

Us acolytes were few in number and we gathered in a small pub room!! But the great of the British jazz world came and played for us. I’m certain that if we were going to listen to a well known string quartet, we would have been there in our hundreds, and “there” would have been on London’s South Bank! Do go and check on Google the great jazz background of all the guys in last night’s band. Keep an eye on what goes on at Isleworth’s “The Milford Arms”. It is usually on a Monday night, so plenty of time to recover in time for Thursdays at Hedsor!

How is it and why is it that these great jazz musicians gain such little respect from the public at large?

Some of the answer is down to you if you know who they are and stay at home!

Hedsor does jazz every week. I nag you about it!

Reading has jazz going on around it every week too in a variety of places.

Karen Sharp will be at Woodley on May 28^th and The Remix Orchestra will be at Marlow Jazz on May 17^th.

And you still want to watch the TV?