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.