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