Hedsor Jazz and Geoff’s blog are obviously linked. I have been writing and “pushing” jazz via it since 2005 and obviously feel that the blog has “come of age”.

I have been trying to persuade people to listen to and understand jazz for longer than that. Initially it was “Jazz at Geoff’s” back in the early 1990’s, where I managed to cram 12 people into my front room and play for them a mix of recorded jazz, usually from LP’s . I would usually play a complete LP side at a time and would dissuade people from taking whilst the music was on. This was often achieved by turning the volume up until they could no longer hear each other, by which time they had got the message! At the end of each segment I would explain why I had played it and seek feedback from the people there.

My front room became too small, and the promotion of live jazz in pubs was the next step, and “Jazz from Geoff” was born.

Not many years after that I first met and listened to Vasilis Xenopoulos, and became convinced he was a rising star in the jazz firmament. Last week at Hedsor Jazz many of you came and listened, and I think all of you agreed with me. He is the nearest modern jazz can have to being a star. With him was a guitarist that Vasilis introduced me to soon after the UK found out about Vasilis, one Nigel Price. I think he is the best jazz guitarist in the country and at one Cookham Festival jazz night I introduced him as that, much to his embarrassment. The two have gone on to grow a synergy between then that is almost uncanny for a listener. Bringing them together last week at Hedsor Jazz was just a wonderful experience, with a room full of people obviously enjoying the music and who cheered loudly at the end of the evening.

After the show I talked with Vasilis, and he had remembered playing in the bar at Hedsor one Monday evening when just a few people came to out listen. One of the band that night was John Critchinson, depping at the last moment on a borrowed keyboard. It was all a long way from my front room. In distance maybe not so far, perhaps 2 miles, but in life experience a life changing distance away for everyone concerned.

The pictures below are from last Thursday evening, some from my camera, and some from the phone of Geoff Swaffield.

On Bass, John Porter

 

Hedsor Jazz has put on some wonderful evenings of jazz over the years. We have experimented with jazz styles and instrument combinations from every reed instrument you could get 2 saxophonists to gather together and play, right through  to a jazz harmonica (I get confused, is that 48 reeds?). Yes, vibs and violins have also played jazz for us, and many instrumental combinations in between. We have had some jazz singers at Hedsor too. Yes, I know not all like jazz singers, but who would have missed the pleasure we all gained from the late Tina May at our Christmas parties.

Coming this Thursday (October 27^th) to Hedsor we have an instrument that is quite common both in jazz and at Hedsor, a trumpet. But not many carbon fibre trumpets get made or played. So come and hear it not only being well played, but played by someone who has been on at least a dozen hit singles. Trumpeter John Thirkle is better known for being part of the “brass” sound behind Lisa Stansfield and Jamiroquia, but on Thursday this week he will be playing JAZZ, alongside the reed player who has played more gigs at Hedsor than any other, Mike Wills.

 

We have lots more super jazz coming to Hedsor, so reserve your Thursday evenings for Hedsor Jazz. Don’t miss an evening that just may turn out to be spine tingling incredible.

 

Some of you missed last week, you really don’t want to miss 2 weeks in a row.

Another Blog, and another week in which to look forward to a super Thursday Night of Jazz.

Where? At Hedsor Jazz of course.

Coming this Thursday (October 20^th) we have that terrific pairing of saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos and guitarist Nigel Price. Each individually have become world class musicians, but bring them together and they become musical magicians, conjuring up excitement and innovation beyond compare. At Hedsor, we are so privileged to have them come and play for our level of audience. Let’s face it, if Hedsor reached its Fire Regulation limit it would still be 1/10 of the audience numbers they usually play for. For you, the audience, it is an opportunity to see and meet in such intimate surroundings musicians of their quality. They will be ably supported by The Martin Hart Trio.

 

The following Thursday (October 27^th) is another opportunity to meet and listen to musicians more used to playing really large venues. Trumpet star Johnny Thirkle will be out front of our trio and alongside reedman Mike Wills. John has just finished a tour with Lisa Stansfield and has also been on tour with “Jamiroquai” since he was last Hedsor. Do come and listen to his carbon fibre trumpet.

We have much more lined up for you in the weeks before Christmas. Do look back to last week's blog where the rest of the year is “explained”!

 Dont forget that if you want to jazz on a Tuesday night, there is “another” place to do so locally. Check out https://www.marlowjazz.co.uk/Events2022fromAugust.pdf

 Also, slightly further afield, more jazz is available in and around Reading. Check out “Jazz in Reading” https://www.jazzinreading.com/

Looking back on last week I will leave you with some of Geoff Swaffield’s photos from the set we had from “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet”, which includes Lester Brown and Mike Wills, all backed by The Martin Hart Trio.

Geoff S managed to take a set of pics from his phone and are less full frontal than mine.

 

Steve Smith on bass

The CBCQ often play tunes that the late Clive Burton used to play. They also play tunes and new arrangements that he may well have enjoyed playing as well.

Remember, the future is always based on the past, but you can only live in the present.

That’s about it for now folks, take care,

 

Geoff C 

Well, I managed to miss AL Nicholls AGAIN.

But joy of joys, I managed another thorough investigation of Wexham Parks A&E system (or lack of it!). It was just my luck to go down with another bought of pneumonia, and I have been at home with a big bag of antibiotics since Tuesday last.

However, Geoff Swaffield has kindly sent me some photos of last week's session (which was another unusual combination for Hedsor Jazz, no keyboard, but tenor sax, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and drums). I have put some below.

Bass player is Dave Richmond 

Some great portrait shots here from Geoff Swaffield, taken on his mobile phone

I have also managed to put together 2 posters. DO try and copy, print off and display somewhere a frustrated and potential jazz fan might read them. They are below in all their self-explanatory beauty! 

So you will see from the poster that coming to Hedsor Jazz this week, Thursday October 13^th, we have “our” Mike Wills on reeds, together with Lester Brown on trumpet, who when together at Hedsor Jazz become “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet”.

I hope next week to be a little more erudite, but for now, like the song says, “Let me say I love you”, or as Duke Ellington used to say, “We Love You Madly”! 

Another issue of Geoff’s blog, and today I can get away with that time worn phrase “winter draws on” with true sincerity. Maybe it is time to purchase some!

Hedsor Jazz this week will draw to itself that hard swinging saxophonist Al Nicholls who will be accompanied by guitarist Max Brittain, two musicians who have played for us in various local venues over a long time. I was going to put “very” in front of that, but we aren’t old enough are we?

They are excellent players both, so do come and support Hedsor Jazz.

Al and Max at Hedsor earlier this year

 

Last week I was surprised to see that I only took 3 photos of the entire evening!

It is always a joy to listen to Duncan Lamont Jr, both playing tenor sax and flute and recounting the many stories he knows about the background to the songs he plays. This time he brought with him a colleague, Phil Hopkins, who is a very accomplished harmonica player. A very enjoyable and different twist to an evening of jazz. It was a super evening. As Phil pointed out, a harmonica has up to 32 reeds!

At the end of the evening Duncan was very kind in thanking me publicly for running Hedsor Jazz, but this isn’t strictly true.

The story goes like this: -

Local Jazz, be it in The Cookham Tavern, The Garibaldi, The Old Bell or since 2002 in The Hedsor Social Club (now The Hedsor Bar) was always backed financially by the late Ernie Evans, a business man who ran a bank account called “Jazz Heaven”. When he died none of us had pockets deep enough to carry on the subsidy in the same way, so we founded “Jazz Angels”. In theory I am Company Secretary, John Dutton is Treasurer and Mike Jeffries is Chairman. The roll of chairman has changed a few times, but John Dutton and I have been at our posts since Jazz Angels" was founded. Money is donated into this account, and any shortfall from an evening's door take is made up by “Jazz Angels”. I do the blog and any posters etc (paperwork), and Martin Hart runs and pays the band and has done so since Clive Burton died. 

Many other people help in keeping jazz alive at Hedsor, not just me, so although being publicly thanked is very nice, do consider any thanks I have received as a thank you to all you helpers who keep it all going. And of course without an audience we could not keep going anyway, so thank you to all of our regular audience. Don’t give up yet please!

My three photos from last week are below.

You might notice that in the last photo Phil is playing a percussive instrument, yes, he is a multi instrumentalist!

Please tell your friends about Hedsor Jazz and bring them if you can persuade them to come.

As I said at the top, winter is coming; it will be more tempting to stay at home being warmed by the telly. If you do that there will be no live jazz at Hedsor next spring!

I hope by next week I will be in a position to tell you who is coming in November and December, but on October 13^th we will have The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet, and on October 20^th we will have 2 stars of our jazz universe, Vasilis Xenopoulos on reeds and Nigel Price on guitar. Literally two good to miss!