Another Tuesday, and another blog from Geoff

And the weather hasn’t got any cooler.  I would love to be able to say “I Think Its Going To Rain Today”, but  maybe I’ll just play the tune instead (its part of the Randy Newman Songbook, and a great tune that I first came upon on a Chris Barber LP called “Battersea Rain Dance” back around 1965).

What a terrific night we had last Thursday. An evening of celebration for Alan Grahame, which was full of joy, and for the first time in 3 years, Hedsor Jazz was full of people too. You would never credit that it was Alan’s 95^th birthday, and yes, I have ask him to place his booking for the 100 with us already.

The music was marvellous, and the people who came to play for Alan could have bankrupted us if we had had to pay them. Alan has been in the business a long time, and not only knows a lot of musicians, but has also raised a family of musicians himself!! Some of the photos are below. I just hope that we will be able to book some of the guests ourselves in the future. Our good friend Duncan Lamont Jr opened the first set and Alan’s daughter Lisa opened the second. She had taken the night off from a West End show to do so. But they were helped out by Ray Wordsworth, Art Theman, Steve Waterman, Andy Crowdy, Nigel Fox, Stuart Henderson and Denny Islet Jr sang for us as well. During “The Peanut Vendor” ALL of Alan’s family came on, as Lisa said “to hit something” with Alan's grandson Barney on drums!

 

Some of you missed it! But we have got some wonderful gigs lined up for you over the next couple of months.

August

4^th Two Saxophonists for a tenner! Mike Wills and Mark Aston

11^th Still to be finalised.                          

18^th As this evening is very near to my birthday I have invited Alan Barnes to come and play for us. He was complaining to me that he had never been invited to play at Hedsor, so now he has!  He will be alongside trumpet ace Stuart Henderson, a regular Hedsor contender. A light buffet will be available at half time.

25^th That super trombone player Nick Mills will be with us for the first of a 3 week stay and this week he will be alongside saxophonist Peter Cook. Pete is Head of Jazz at The London Collage of Music

September

1^st Nick Mills returns to play alongside “our” trumpet man Lester Brown

8^th This time another of my neighbours is coming to play, saxophonist Alam Nathoo. Alam hasn’t played at Hedsor before and he is coming to keep trombone man Nick Mills company. Check out Alam’s web page https://alamnathoo.wordpress.com/music/

I used the phrase “another of my neighbours” as Vasilis Xenopouls is now a Cookham resident and he is coming to play for us on October 20^th. Guitarist Nigel Price is also coming, and we are trying to persuade Nigel to come and reside in Cookham too!

Cant wait until October, Vasilis and Nigel are at The Marlow Jazz Club on Tuesday August 23rd

A Quick Plug for the Wooburn Festival, check out https://www.wooburn.com/jazz.html

Also do check out Pangbourne Jazz Clubs coming event, and read the writup on both Alan Grahame and “our” Ken McCarthy!  https://mailchi.mp/jazzinreading.com/pangbourne-jazz-club-april-2018-jim-6139060?e=9ec6209932

See you all at Hedsor Jazz. We always start at 8.30pm. We are always at The Hedsor Bar, Hedsor Rd, Bourne End SL8 5ES and it's only £10 to get in.