January has almost gone already. How did that happen?

But from the start of the month to its end we have had some very enjoyable jazz at Hedsor.

So it’s over, January I mean, not the jazz.

February is starting off in the same manner that January left, with the prospect of wonderful music. This Thursday February 2^nd we are delighted to welcome back saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr. together with Mike Innes on trombone. This means some super playing and some super arrangements, and some super stories about tunes and shows from the past too. 

If you don’t want to miss this great combination of talents do come and reserve your seat with your posterior before 8.30pm. You will of course need to bribe Tracy with a £10 note to be allowed in, but what the h..., you know it makes sense.

Last weeks session at Hedsor was not only great music, but great fun too. Ian Smith on trumpet and Ollie Wilby on tenor sax were a perfect foil for each other, something I think they have been many times before. Ian did his usual bit of poetry and prose about the music before most tunes, but this time we seem to have managed to persuade him to us the microphone. Witty and fun his links added to some great tunes and made it a really enjoyable evening. Picture below.

 

You may notice from the pics that we had a new bass player. Al Perrie from Oxford was our bass player last week, and I am glad to say he will be with us again this Thursday. An excellent player who makes a big bass sound.

 

Also missing from the expected lineup last week was Ken McCarthy. Sadly Ken was “sweating in bed” being down with a cold. This piece of information being imparted by Martin Hart much to the amusement of Ian Smith! So we enjoyed again Nigel Fox on keyboard for 3 out of 4 Thursdays in January! Not disrespect to Nigel, but get better soon Ken.

 

One of the tunes played last Thursday, and the subject of a later conversations, was the tune “Chelsea Bridge”, which Ollie Wilby played to perfection with his great big tenor tone.

 

The tune comes from the years when both Ben Webster and Jimmie Blanton were in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. This was only a 2 year period, before “Jimmie" Blanton tragically died of tuberculosis in 1942 at the age of 23. Musically for the Ellington Orchestra this was a brilliant period for it, and my chat with Ian was about what is known as “The Blanton Webster Years”. Jimmie Blanton set a new standard and style for bass playing which still continues to this day.

 

Later in the week I did some further listening (Ian recommended that we all listened to the 1940 original of “Chelsea Bridge”), but in so doing came across a new young saxophonist.

Have a listen to Ewan Bleach, his version of “Body and Soul”, the tune made famous by Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, is a knockout

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ewan-Night-Music-Bleach-Quartet/dp/B09VDRYL68

 

As well as wishing Ken McCarthy a “get well soon” message, I would also like to pass on all our good wishes to Mike Jeffries wife who last Thursday fell and broke her hip. She is currently recovering after having it all repined in Stoke Mandeville hospital.

 

Another piece of late breaking news is that Roger Munns, the original pianist with Keith Vitty’s band “Century Jazz” died this morning in France, where he has been resident these past few years with his wife Lisa. All our sympathy goes out to Lisa and to all their friends and family. Lisa is the sister our first Hedsor Jazz pianist, the late Zane Cronje. Roger (on the right) and Zane are pictured together below

 

Enough for you bloggers to read for now so ttfn 

 Thursday January 26th: Two late breaking updates.

Tonight our pianist will be Nigel Fox, as Ken McCarthy is indisposed.

Also a message received today about Alan Grahame:-

He has recently been suffering from flu and was locked down at home for a couple of weeks, but he is now in the care of The Acacia Care Home in Henley where they’re looking after him for the next week or so. DO all keep your fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for Alan.

Geoff

Tuesday, just, and a late blog to tell you what you really know already

Hedsor Jazz is Thursday night!! Every Thursday night, and we will have another super session this week, January 26^th, with Ian Smith on trumpet and verse and Ollie Wilby on tenor sax. So look forward to songs without singing, but songs with word and prose from an English Uni lecturer. BUT you will also get some super jazz. They will be propelled along by the Martin Hart trio.

The Martin Hart trio were in action on Saturday at the Woodley Theatre near Reading, where they accompanied the tenor sax of Jo Fooks. A wonderful session with some tunes played that I never expected to hear played as jazz. “Give Me Sunshine” for one. A happy evening. Their next session will be in May with saxophonist Art Themen

Last week our session was drummed by Mike Jeffries as Martin was indisposed, but it was also propelled along by Ken McCarthy on keyboard, now back from 2 weeks in Tenerife! It was a cold night and we could have done with a few more in the audience, but thank you to those who did brave the -5 C to go home with.

The front line was that of Mike Wilkins on tenor (1958 Selmer) and Terry Hutchins on guitar. My photos of the band are below.

 

Mike Jeffries in reflective mode!

 

Coming in February we have:-

 

 

Advance notice of one gig we have coming in March. On the16^th Vasilis Xenopoulos with Stuart Henderson. Make sure of your seat by coming and sitting on it at Hedsor Jazz! 

A shortform of blog today, just to bring you up to date with who is coming to Hedsor Jazz.

This week we have

But you knew that because you have already read the January gig list!!

What you don’t know is that we have two terrific gigs booked for later in the year.

On March 16^th Vasilis Xenopoulos is coming to Hedsor again, but this time without Nigel Price, because

Nigel Price will be coming on May 18^th !

Two very special evenings which you should not miss, so put them in your dairy NOW.

For many years past we have had them together, but this year I thought it would be good to hear them independently again. They have been separately before, but not as often as together. Together they have terrific rapport, but I thought to hear them each this year on their own would be a marker for future appreciation. When I first heard them many years ago they were each pretty brilliant, but I am sure they are both improving as the years go by.

Last weeks pictures are below. A very entertaining evening, with Lester blowing and singing well alongside Mark Aston.  It was good to see some new faces in our audience (including Lester’s wife), as well as a few returning ones as well (is that where the phrase “turn the other cheek” comes from?).

Mark is improving each time I hear him, and it is amazing what people can do when they finish paid employment and really start doing the things they enjoy! It was good of him to come to us as a dep for Mike Wills, who I hope is now beating this round of covid.

 

Dont forget that this Saturday at the Woodley Theatre you can see and hear saxophonist Jo Fooks, together with the Martin Hart Trio  at the Oakwood Theatre from 7.45pm. I understand they do still have a few tickets available, contact

 

 Woodley Theatre Box Office
Telephone: 07488 337838
Email: boxoffice.woodleytheatre@gmail.com
Website: www.woodleytheatre.org

 

She is a terrific and perhaps underrated player well worth your support. At one time she partnered Karen Sharp in the Humphrey Lyttleton Band, and i hope to get here to Hedsor jazz very soon.

 

Coffee time calls, so

 

TTFN

 

Geoff C 

Another brief blog (2 in a week!!) but one with news that Mike Wills is ill with covid and wont be able to be with us on Thursday. In his place he has booked Mark Aston. Mark has been to Hedsor many times before, and will fit in well as a replacement. We do of course wish Mike all the best for a good recovery. He will next be with us, all being well, on Feb 9^th.

Today has been the funeral of Roy Hole, founder of the BBO Big Band. The wake was held at The Hedsor Club, and many of his colleagues from the BBO and friends from the Remix Orchestra came. Some music was played, and reminiscences made. Peter Ripper took the lead and played “Body and Soul”. It was a warm and friendly send off for a warm and friendly man.

Roy had been awarded the British Empire Medal for his charity fundraising with the BBO. Many thousands of pounds have been raised for good causes by the band and still continue to be raised at every gig they play.

During one of the conversations I had I learnt that Alan Grahame is again not very well, so do keep him in your thoughts. He was remarkable in December when he played for our party, so we must say a big “GET WELL SOON” to him.

Below is poster art for our February gigs. If you can please print and place for others to read.

 

Just a few words of blog today, really just  a reminder that tomorrow (January 10^th) is Roy Hole’s funeral. 

This will be at Slough Crematorium at 11.30am, with a sandwich and time with some music and for us all to share our memories of Roy at The Hedsor Bar on our return from Slough. All are welcome to come, Stuart Hole writes:-

“Re funeral and wake attendance of course, anyone who knew him is welcomed! We are completely at sea regarding catering numbers but hope we have it right, anyway, the bar will be open! Peter Ripper is organising the music at the Wake”.

Later in the week I will write some more. I now have a complete listing of February gigs so you will always have something to look forward to. A February poster then later in the week.

This coming Thursday (Jan 12^th) the music will be provided by “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet” which means we will see Mike Wills on reeds and Lester Brown on trumpet at the front. Nigel Fox will again be joining us flanked by Peter Hughes on bass and of course Martin Hart on drums.

Last week (our first session of 2023) our 2 hours of lovely jazz music was provided by Stuart Henderson on trumpet and Jonathan Lewis tenor sax. My pictures from the session are below:-

Brian, that well known drummers companion

The first blog for a whole new year .....2023!

 So I wish you all a very happy new one! Year that is.

Hedsor Jazz starts its year this Thursday, and we hope to be able to present live modern jazz every Thursday, usually from 8.30pm

JANUARY 5th

Just so as not to shock the system too much with our restart we thought something familiar would remind you what OUR quality product is all about, so January 5^th has Stuart Henderson on trumpet, Jonathan Lewis on reeds, Nigel Fox on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and of course MARTIN HART on drums.

Just to remind you what Stuart Henderson looks like, below you will see some photos from our Christmas party, as long ago as December 15^th 2022!

 

ROY HOLE

Roy Hole on his 90th birthday

One sad thing to report in this first blog of the year is that Roy Hole died on the 17^th of December at the age of 98.

Roy was a pillar of our jazz society, a reed player himself, he founded the BBO Big Band and ran it himself for many years before passing on the responsibility to others. He always got to their rehearsals (in recent years in The Marlow British Legion Hall). He was a frequent attendee of both Marlow Jazz Club AND Hedsor Jazz and he was also a great supporter of Maidenhead Football Club. He had managed to live independently (with just a little help from his friends) right to the end and in recent months he had even decided to get out more!

We have received the following details about his funeral from Stuart Hole:-

“Roy's funeral will take place at Slough Crematorium on Tuesday 10th January 2023 at 11:30 followed by the usual tea coffee sandwiches with a little music etc at Hedsor Club, Bourne End, SL8 5ES”.

JANUARY LISTING

Below is the artwork for our January poster. Do print off and redistribute, just to let others know about our secret Thursday jazz.

 

One or two people are beginning to discover who, what, and where we are. Alan Barnes emailed “I’d love to come back to Hedsor if there was a space”. I’m sure we will find him at least one space this year! Alan Barnes has shared his love of the artist Stanley Spencer with us too, so a few more visits can be hoped for as Cookham was the home of Stanley Spencer and holds his art gallery.

I’m also going to be asking Vasilis Xenopoulos and Nigel Price if they can find us a space in their busy schedules. Vasilis now lives in Cookham, as does Alam Nathoo who has played for us twice in 2022 and is a brilliant addition to those we have found we greatly enjoy .

SPONSORSHIP

One of the ways we can get the musicians whom we would like to see at Hedsor Jazz is to sponsor them. Now this doesn’t mean that the sponsor has to pay the entire fee for said musician, although that would be “nice”. If the sponsor would like to make up the fee normally paid for our musicians to the level of some who have every right to ask for more, then it means we can offer them a worthwhile amount for their appearance. Many do have to travel quite a distance to get to Hedsor, and some are surprised that we don’t have street lights when they get here! Alan B comes from Leighton Buzzard for instance, and Karen Sharp is in Bedfordshire. So if you would like to put in a little money for a player of your choice please speak to Martin or John Dutton. I would add that Martin would have to sanction the player as suitable for our jazz concerts.

HEDSOR CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Another way of supporting jazz at Hedsor is to actually become a member of Hedsor Club. Subs are now due for the whole of next year, so joining now will help Hedsor Club's finances, and give you a small discount at the bar. Ask Debbie at the bar for a membership application.

WOODLEY JAZZ

One lady I would like to get to Hedsor is saxophonist Jo Fooks. She used to play alongside Karen in The Humphrey Lyttelton Band and she is a very lyrical player. She can be heard in January on Saturday 21^st at The Woodley Theatre with Martin Hart and his trio. For more information on this concert see https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/woodleytheatre/jazz-concert-martin-hart-trio-with-jo-fooks-on-saxophone/2023-01-21/d-aqlnxxfabvznx .

You too may find you like the way she plays jazz. She has also recently made a  CD with another of our stalwart stars, Al Nicholls.

A CHRISTMAS CD

Sometimes the giver of gifts at Christmas does know a bit about “our” musical tastes and doesn’t just fall back on socks! So it has been for me this year and I was delighted when my daughter gave me a 6 CD set of Chris Barber called “Just Once More for All Time”. I had listened to the Chris Barber Band “live” since 1955 and this collection of previously unissued recordings is primarily of the band playing “live”, and they do capture the vibrancy produced by having a live audience to play to. I haven’t had time to listen to them all yet, but one heard so far stands out, “St Louis Blues” with both the electric guitar of John Slaughter and the blues harmonica of Ian Wheeler altering all my preconceptions of how “St Louis Blues” should be played. Professionally recorded in 1996 it is an excellent recording and brought home to me how exciting the Barber Band could be.

Don’t forget that Hedsor Jazz plays live every week, and sometimes magic happens here too!

TTFN

G