We have passed midsummer, and the days are getting shorter. No that doesn’t mean that each day is less than 24 hours, it just means you have longer evenings, and dusk to dawn is longer than dawn to dusk. SO more time to listen to JAZZ!

Dancing round a Swedish Maypole!

It also means that for me I can begin again the trek to Dorset. The Swanage Jazz Festival, under new management, is back on. So less blogging in the next 2 weeks.

It is amazing I know, but Hedsor Jazz continues even when I’m not there to listen to it. This Thursday, I wont be there, and neither will drummer and band leader Martin Hart, he is off to Norway. My absence is less exciting. I will be investigating the “new” Heatherwood Hospital this week, and Weymouth, Swanage and Wimbourne Minster in the following weeks!

Ken McCarthy hopes to be with you at Hedsor Jazz this week, but he is still in covid recovery mode. Behind our guests this coming Thursday you will have Mike Jeffries on drums, and Peter Hughes on bass. They will have in front of them our guests, saxophonist Mike Wilkins and guitarist Max Brittain. Max has been to us at Hedsor many times, whilst saxophonist Mike has only been once before. I’m sure that the musical conversations you will hear them produce will be worth your evening. Don’t forget, the musical conversations at Hedsor Jazz are always worth your time and money!

Do look back on last weeks blog for details of upcoming Hedsor Jazz gigs, there are some super events planned. They will all benefit from your company. Larger audiences mean better music. OK, maybe we wont ever get to that of Glastonbury size, but who knows? I’m not sure the football field at Hedsor would welcome an audience that big. It might not even accommodate large white Diana Ross style dresses either!

Last weeks Hedsor Jazz session with Sue Greenway and Mike Wills was another very special evening. All the music played had been written by saxophonists and the program was put together by Mike Wills. It was an evening that could not have been better anywhere, even if you paid a lot more money for the privilege.

Our guest bass player last week, John Porter, has been a great find. I just hope he can keep finding his way to Hedsor, as his home is, apparently, Lowestoft! It isn’t often that you get a jazz bass solo played with the bow and it is a total myth that you have to talk during bass solos!

We also had the joy of the company of Ingrid Fox who also joined the front row for one song in the second set.

Because it was so special I have taken the opportunity of putting my Tascam recording of the evening onto DropBox. If you want to have a listen go to https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/s6j62ej640wpy6lzvesiu/h?dl=0&rlkey=0s45ydp7ncb7x6pm0llljlkax

My photos are below:-

 

Whilst I am away in Dorset there will be another Mike Wills session. This time he will have Ollie Wilby on reeds next to him. Ollie has been to us a number of times before, usually alongside trumpeter Ian Smith. I just hope someone will record this one in my absence, it should be very special.

 A complete side issue, a couple of Sundays ago Ian Smith was on Radio 4’s “Something Understood”, talking with great erudition about the spirituality in jazz, with a number of recorded examples of what inspired the comments. As I write this BBC Sounds still has it up for another 12 hours for you to listen to this 28 minute program!

That’s it for now folks. Don’t forget to tell people how good Jazz at Hedsor Jazz really is.

The Fat Lady Has Yet to SING!

Having only yesterday written that covid is still amongst us and I have had an email today from Ken McCarthy to say that he has just tested positive for covid. 

Ken has booked Nigel Fox for this Thursday as his replacement. 

We wish Ken a speedy recovery just as we welcome back again Nigel.

Hedsor Jazz, The Weeks Ahead!

Below is a listing of our planned events for the coming few weeks. The past has prepared us for sudden cessations, covid is still amongst us, and who can tell what the government might decide about future social events? So, whilst it IS still legal to “party”, at the very least we plan to “JAZZ” at Hedsor.

HEDSOR JAZZ IS EVERY THURSDAY and starts at 8.30pm. Entry fee is £10. It is held at The Hedsor Bar (aka The Hedsor Social Club) Hedsor Rd, Bourne End SL8 5ES

June 23^rd 

Mike Wills and Sue Greenway on reeds, Ken McCarthy keyboard, John Porter bass and Martin Hart bandleader and drums.

June 30^th

Mike Wilkins reeds, Max Brittain guitar, Ken McCarthy keyboard, Peter Hughes bass, Mike Jeffries drums

July 7^th

Mike Wills reeds and Ollie Wilby on reeds, Ken McCarthy keyboard, Peter Hughes bass, Mike Jeffries drums

July 14^th

Nick Mills trombone, Jonathan Lewis reeds, Ken McCarthy keyboard, bass to be arranged, Martin Hart drums, back from his holidays!

July 21^st

Duncan Lamont jr reeds, Mike Innes trombone, Ken McCarthy keyboard, bass to be arranged, Martin Hart drums.

July 28^th

THE ALAN GRAHAM PARTY NIGHT. This is a “special” night celebrating one of British music legends, with a host of his friends and a myriad of musicians. He claims to now be over 95! But still plays the vibes like a 90 year old!

August 4^th

Mike Wills and Mark Aston reeds, with Ken McCarthy keyboard, bass TBA and Martin Hart Drums.

August 11^th TBA

August 18^th

ALAN BARNES reeds, Stuart Henderson trumpet, plus of course our rhythm section!

Into the future.

Coming on OCTOBER 20^th Nigel Price guitar and Vasilis Xenopoulos reeds + P.B.D. 

Try this link for a an 8 minute demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j80CZ5iQsQw of what to expect.

December 15^th  Hedsor Jazz’s Christmas Party + ??? lots!

The musical style at Hedsor Jazz is “Modern Jazz”. Most of our musicians are well know in the music industry, some are very well known! Since restarting live jazz in May 2021 after the covid gap they have all become very well know to us at Hedsor Jazz.

Hedsor Jazz provides music of the highest quality and the punters are all friendly! We have been running live jazz at Hedsor every Thursday possible since 2002. Hedsor Bar offers some free parking, and the drinks are at club, not pub, prices. If you become a member of the Social Club itself, the drinks become even cheaper! Why not give Hedsor Jazz a try

Last week was hit by accident and ill health, but Al Nicholls on tenor played magnificently throughout the evening, initially with only Nigel Fox on keyboard and Peter Hughes bass and braces to take the strain! 

One of the accidents was my camera, so only 2 photos survive and they are below! Martin did eventually get his drums set up, and by the third tune in, was playing! BUT not photographed!

 

 

 STOP PRESS NEWS

Stuart Henderson will be unable to be with us on Thursday as his father has been suddenly taken ill and Stuart has travelled North to be by his side. Our thoughts are with Stuart and his family during this difficult time.

In his absence guitarist Max Brittain will, at short notice, be accompanying Al Nichols on Thursday. They have worked together before and I am told are looking forward to playing together for you this Thursday.

Unexpectedly I will be having some visitors today, and so I am keeping this week’s blog short.

The important news is that our program for June 30^th has been modified, see below.

The remainder of the month is as previously advertised. This weeks session will be a blinder, so do make sure you come in time for a good sound seat!

16^th    Al Nicholls reeds + Stuart Henderson tpt + Nigel Fox keyboard + Peter Hughes bass + Martin Hart drums

23^rd    Mike Wills reeds   + Sue Greenway reeds + Ken McCarthy keyboard + John Porter bass + Martin Hart drums

30^th    Max Brittain guitar + Mike Wilkins reeds +Peter Hughes bass + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Mike Jeffries drums

Mike Wilkins has been to us once before. He has played with guitarist Terry Hutchins before, and is looking forward to being teamed at Hedsor Jazz with guitarist Max Brittain.

Last weeks pictures of a very “sound” set by Lester Brown and Mark Aston are below. It was a fun evening that I know some of you missed! Pianist John Cooper was an added guest as Ken McCarthy was on holiday, and he was well appreciated by our audience.

A p.s. to this is that the nice red and gold mute Lester is using used to be blown by the blog writer himself, and was purchased in London's Charing Cross Road in about 1956!!

 

 

One piece of news this past week is that Jan Burden is currently back in hospital, but is still looking forward to being with us again very soon. She is feeling a lot better, having been “detained” after a day visit to a consultant turning in to an invitation to stay!!

 

OK, so you went looking for it yesterday, and here it comes today! 

Yes, my blog is  a day late, but some things cannot wait, and sadly the funeral of a friends wife who died at vastly too early an age, took precedence yesterday.

BUT taking precedence tomorrow, Thursday June 9^th is Lester Brown together with last weeks guest (who didn’t stay on for his birthday, which was also last week) Mark Aston. We also have a change from the norm on keyboard as Ken McCarthy is on his hols. Coming to us in his place this week will be John Cooper. On bass we have a return of the braces and Peter Hughes, and on drums, as ever, Martin Hart.

John Cooper

Those Braces- Peter Hughes

 

Last week (pictures below) with Mark on tenor sax and Terry Hutchins on guitar, we had an excellent session, only interrupted when someone presented a cheque to two people who are actively seeing that the Ukrainian refuges get some of the comfort they left behind when they fled the Russian invasion of their country. Thanks to the generosity of the musicians and of yourselves we were able to donate over £1000 to their cause, all raised from our Special Concert on May 5^th

David and Jolante are from Maidenheads United Reformed Church, and so far they have despatched 4 lorries like the one below to the Polish Ukraine border for onwards transfer to Ukraine itself. Cash enables local purchase of fresh food. Some of the items being sent from Maidenhead include dried food and pot noodles! For a soldier, all you need then is hot water. The noodle pot becomes the plate! The red brick building on the right of the lorry is Maidenhead United Reformed Church!

So, below we have some photos of the presentation and of the musicians in attendance last week.

Geoff Cronin, Rev David Downing and Jolante Pietrusinska 

 

Terry Hutchins

Mark Aston and Terry Hutchins

A final comment on last week’s music. I have listened to Mark over many years. He just keeps getting better. To think he wasted his time being paid to go to work! Now in retirement he can obviously enjoy being “just” a musician.

If you are free of commitments on Sunday this week, (sadly I am not) you can enjoy some open air jazz led by “OUR” Martin, see the link and poster art  below:

http://www.shh-shop.org/