Coming to Hedsor Jazz this week (November 3rd) we have 2 jazz musicians who have been playing for us since before Hedsor Jazz. Yes, everything is possible, and this week the possible are Al Nicholls on tenor sax and Max Brittain on guitar. Both have been guests since the days of Century Jazz, and the jazz nights at The Cookham Tavern! Sadly, this week I will have to forgo my pleasure of hearing them again as I have a prior engagement at Heatherwood Hospital. I won't be going there with any special hat on, but I may be leaving there (Ascot) with one!
I do want to convince Al that I am not deliberately avoiding him, but it seems that the medical authorities know when he is playing for us at Hedsor, and they book me for an away day!
Last time I was being treated at the new Heatherwood Hospital they asked me what music I would like to listen to during my 1 hour local anaesthetic and I said modern jazz. Then, by the magic of modern telephones, they played me some MJQ. Even the surgeon enjoyed that, and thanked me for the lovely music!! He then went home on his bike!
Last week our Hedsor Jazz concert was performed by someone who has probably played more times for us at Hedsor than anyone else, perhaps with the exception of our drummer Martin Hart, and that is Mike Wills on reeds. He was alongside a super trumpet player, using a carbon fibre trumpet, John Thirkle, who is a resent find for us at Hedsor Jazz. John is more used to the much bigger stage, as he is part of Jamiroquai. It was interesting to see that his music stand was one unable to take sheet music, as it was designed for his Apple tablet (firmly clamped to the stand). No ledge for sheet music!!
For the next 2 weeks Hedsor Jazz will be without Martin as he is off on his hols again, somewhere near the equator! In his place we have a drummer who lives even nearer to Hedsor than I do. Mike Jeffries will be behind with the trio these next 2 sessions. The second week (N0vember 10th) of his stint we will have Lester Brown on trumpet and that same Mike Wills on reeds that we had with Mr. Thirkle.
I did take a photo of John Thirkle’s trumpet when it was at rest, and I did look it up on Google. It is well worth the 4 figure sum he might have paid for it. The cost of living for a musician is definitely going up, but he may be able to set it against his income tax, as it is a tool of his trade!
Another of those commonalities that one sometimes finds is that John Thikle was at Leeds Collage of Music at the same time as Alan Barnes!
We have had them both this year at HEDSOR JAZZ.
Some photos of last week’s session are below.
This past week I have listened to 2 cd’s produced by Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith. Not only is he a superb jazz saxophonist, but a great leader of an orchestra. One that he leads is “The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra”, and the other is “The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra”. I happened to play one of each one afternoon during the week and you really cannot tell the difference between them. Both are superb, both have great arrangements and soloists, and even though you may not know too many of the names involved I do recommend that you go out and search for a listen for yourselves. Once upon a time I would have said go out and buy the CD’s for yourselves, but these days it is relatively easy to listen via a streaming program. Having said that I still feel a lack of ownership when you do that, and I am old fashioned enough to prefer that feeling! Somehow holding the cd box in your hands whilst you play the CD does give you a feeling of joint ownership.
However you decide to do it, take a look at their websites.
https://snjo.co.uk/tommy-smith-youth-jazz-orchestra
Enough for now, but do go an enjoy Live Jazz wherever it is easiest for you to do so. Don’t forget that locally there is jazz in Marlow https://www.marlowjazz.co.uk/
And throughout the Reading area https://www.jazzinreading.com/
BUT JAZZ AT HEDSOR CLUB IS EVERY THURSDAY EVERY WEEK!
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