Good Morning December
This may be the last blog before Christmas, at least the last one with “who is on this week” info. I may get another one out before the actual 25th, but that may just be for photos and a summary of the year.
For today though we are able to share Geoff Swaffield’s photos from last week’s session with Lester Brown and Mark Aston. Sadly I was unable to get to Hedsor last Thursday, as the scalp damage had been prescribed an antibiotic that was difficult to source. After spending all morning on the phone trying to track it down on Thursday I finally managed to get the complete course in Marlow and by the time I got home at 4pm I wasn’t very keen to go out again, EVEN FOR HEDSOR JAZZ! So I offer my apologies for absence.
The collaboration of Alam and Nick the last time they came was exceptional. I am sure Alam would be better known as a musician if he wasn’t heavily involved in his late fathers business commitments, but rest assure if you don’t know the name, you should. He has played the South Bank Recital Rooms and been on Radio 3. He was also a prize winner when he graduated from The Trinity Collage of Music in 2009
Our final concert before our Christmas break will be our Christmas Party on December 15th. We wont be selling tickets prior to the night, so do ensure you come along for all the evening, with the music starting at 8.30pm
Now the week commencing December 11th is really The Alan Grahame week, because on Tuesday Dec 13th he, alongside Ken McCarthy, Martin Hart, Terry Hutchins on guitar and Andy Crowdy bass will be playing The Marlow Jazz Club at the British Legion Hall from 8.30pm. Having practiced there he will be coming to Hedsor for our Party on the 15th, with guests Stuart Henderson on trumpet, and Frank Waldon reeds.
After the Christmas break Hedsor Jazz will recommence on January 5th. Our full program is below. If you can copy, print and display it in your local area, please do.
One final note, we have received visual recognition from Children in Need for our contribution, see below.
2 comments:
Hi Geoff
It looks as if all is going reasonably well with the jazz in your area so good luck with your ventures. We are reasonably well served here in the West Country with live jazz three or four times a month and I am now fortunate in that I have a monthly jazz slot on '10 Radio', which broadcasts from Wiveliscome. My next show is on 10th January, which will be mixed bag of styles, as is my wont. I have also been offered an opportunity to do a two hour jazz porgramme on 'West Somerset Radio at Minehead. That on will be weekly and probably two hours. Bothe thes stations are available over the internet. At Minehead, they have a different system which I will have to learn before I can take the chair. As always, my programme will be a mixture much along the lines that Humphrey Lyttelton used to do on his 'Best of Jazz' on Radio 2 all those years ago. Unfortunatley, the BBC seems to be wilfully neglecting jazz these days in favour of the 'pop' noise. I will kepp you posted as regards progress with WSRadio. I always like to present a broad range of jazz and jazz related music within Humph's parameters.
Some while back, you were kind enough to send me a copy of a CD from 'Century Jazz' at The Cookham Tavern. unforunately it didn't contain a track listing and some of the tunes I am not familiar with. If you have a full listing I would very much appreciate a copy. Rather than pay for postage, you can Email it to me at alan.bond@talktalk.net. Many thanks. (you can ignore the Hugh Jampton address as I seldom monitor that one.
Another thing I am curious about is the sessions that used to take place at the Firefly at Bourne End. When I lived in Windsor, I would pop over on the odd occasion and I caught both Bud Freeman and Wingy Manone guesting with the regular band but I can't remember who the leader of that band was but I believe he whad family members playing in it. Do you have any information on those ? His name was Benny something or other as far as I can remember
Hi Geoff
Immediately I pressed send for my last post, a name came into my head (perils of old age) and that was Benny 'Simkins'. I have a couple of LPs of the band with guests Yank Lawson & Billy Butterfield and they date from 1975 & 1979. I did have the great pleasure of meeting Yank Lawson many years back when he was over with 'The World's Greatest Jazz Band'. I already knew Ralph Sutton and he apparently suggested that Yank should look up my old mate Trevor Benwell (of VJM records) and our vists to Trevor very happily coincided. Yank had a wealth of stories about his jazz life and was hale and hearty even then when he was in his 80s. He was a fan of Tommy McQuater, a name he had heard about from the late Danny Polo. As I said, it must have been many years back as Danny died in 1949 at a comparatively early age.
As I type this I am listening to a Pat Halcox compilation CD and a track where he is involved in a Be-Bop version of 'Apple Honey' - mind blowing - It's available on Spotify so free to listen to. Take care and keep safe.
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