Good Morning England,

NO not another message from a Prime Ministerial candidate, just Geoff’s Blog!

Most of us have no say in who runs our country for the next couple of year, but you do have a say in what you actually listen to and how you pass your Thursday evenings. This week I do hope you vote with your feet for Hedsor Jazz, as it is going to be rather a special evening. Hedsor Jazz is going to say “Happy Birthday” to a very special vibraphone player, who passed the 95^th year milestone in the past few days. SO on Thursday this week, July 28^th, we will have Alan Grahame, Duncan Lamont Jr. Stuart Henderson, Ken McCarthy and Martin Hart, now thankfully recovering from covid 19, all joining with some of Alan’s friends from his career in music, plus his daughter, an alto player usually seen in the Jools Holland Orchestra, all coming to play at Hedsor. There will be a buffet, so do come along. Entry will still only be £10 a head and it will be an 8.30 start as is our norm. But do come early. I think we will have enough seats for everyone, but maybe not a table space for everyone’s drinks!

 

Alan Grahame earlier this year

Last weeks concert, featuring Stuart Henderson and Mike Wilkins, was another very enjoyable evening, with some great arrangements being rapidly read. Mike Wilkins seems to be getting used to us, as he was playing better this time than when I last heard him at Hedsor. I’m sure we will see him again.

My photos of the evening are below.

 

You might like to look more closely at the last photo, provided by John Dutton. Yes, Stuart did play one solo on his flugel horn BUT with it UPSIDE DOWN!!

Last week I never did get around to writing more about my Swanage Jazz 2022 experience. However, a short (5 minute) compilation is now available on YouTube that gives you at least a flavour of what it is like, and maybe wet your appetite for next years festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVv6e2H3iFY

As I mentioned last week I enjoyed greatly the Nigel Price Saturday gig in the Molem Theatre. Vasilis Xenopoulos, who was part of that concert, has since told me that to make it an economical event, after a couple of hours having a late lunch drinking a cold lager and downing a sandwich, he travelled back home (to Cookham!!), via a gig in Romsey, near Southampton, that evening! 

The discussion I had with him really makes me wonder how much longer we can go on enjoying live music of any sort, but perhaps jazz in particular, with so little financial resource going into this form of art. All around us we see organisations that promote and support artistic endeavour struggling to keep going. Will it ever be that top quality jazz can only be performed by people who come from a wealthy background where they, the performer, doesn’t actually need the income from his performance? Most musicians travel many miles to play for us. We all enjoy the rich mix of talents, be they performed in a jazz festival or in a small club like Hedsor, but with fuel costs hitting all of us, even a ten mile journey will cost the musician about £10. So enjoy it all whilst you still have the opportunity. Hedsor Jazz charges £10 entry, yet most of the musicians travel more than ten miles to play for us! 

 

I am, and “it”, is back, it being this blog!

Although most of this edition will be me writing about my Swanage Jazz Festival 2022 experience I must first tell you of some necessary changes to this coming Thursday (July 21^st) Hedsor Jazz gig.

We had planned for Duncan Lamont Jr and Mike Innes to be with us this week, but “other” circumstances have prevented this. In their place we welcome back Trumpet maestro Stuart Henderson. He will be partnered by a young saxophonist we have had twice before, Mike Wilkins.

Also, on his return from his hols, drummer and band leader Martin Hart has now sadly tested positive for covid 19, so he will not be with us this week.

Even though our program this week is not as planned we hope you will support Hedsor Jazz, and don’t forget that Thursday week (July 28^th) we celebrate vibraphone and percussionist Alan Grahame’s 95 years with a gathering at Hedsor Jazz of as many of his long term colleagues we can get in! AND still it will only cost you a £10 entry. We anticipate having a light buffet that evening so do put it in your “must do” diary.

Now to my experience of Swanage 2022.

On the whole it worked well. I personally could only manage to reach 2 different venues, but over the 3 days I took in 7 concerts plus taking the walk alongside the New Orleans style street parade. I will scan in the details of those I got to see, but my general appreciation was that they were all VERY enjoyable.

Two downsides. Not having the marquees on the field facing the sea as in most of the festivals 25 plus years meant that the ability to meet socially was greatly restricted. The concert venues I visited had seats in rows. Very comfortable, but it made strolling between gigs very difficult if not impossible.

The other downside has more to do with the town’s traders than of the jazz festival. It was very difficult to find hot food after about 4 pm. Yes, plenty of fish and chips was obtainable, but I was surprised that so many cafe style eateries seemed to close at 4pm.

If like me you haven’t travelled far afield in the past 3 years, travelling this year you will find everything much more expensive than 3 years ago. As I was in Dorset I took in visits in the area to friends and relatives which meant I stayed in 3 hotels in 7 days. All charged near to or over £100 per night, breakfast was averaging £9 per go! Plus of course fuel at around £2 per litre, or in old money not, far short of £10 per gallon! I am very glad my Volvo did 63 mpg on diesel.

Will I go again? I have already booked my accommodation for Swanage Jazz 2023 starting on July 7^th!

Below the program I experienced. I will try and get you the marching band experience another time.

 

I may try to comment on the actual music I heard later in the week when the weather is cooler, but until then

 

Goodbye

 This blog update will be brief. I am setting off for Dorset, and for next weekends Swanage Jazz Festival, but will just remind you of a splendid Hedsor Jazz gig coming up this Thursday. 

Two wonderful saxophonists that I will be disappointed to miss, but there you go, I have tickets booked for Swanage!

So on Thursday you can listen to Mike Wills and Ollie Wilby on reeds, and we the safe return from Covid of Ken McCarthy on keyboard, plus the every lovely (brace yourselves) Peter Hughes on bass, and as Martin is still on HIS holidays, Mike Jeffries on drums. 

Ollie you may remember is usually at Hedsor alongside trumpet man Ian Smith, this time he will be allowed more time to shine! Usually Mr Smith is the one who does all the talking. Dont forget, some of his Radio speaking is still available on the BBC Sound app.

The pictures below, of last weeks set, which I missed in order to experience the "new" Heatherwood Hospitals day surgery unit, have been provided by Geoff Swaffield.