Geoff’s blog this week either has not a lot to talk about

OR

Perhaps A LOT to mention  about this Thursday, March 16^th

We have that wonderful combination of talents coming to play for us at Hedsor Jazz this week

 VASILIS XENOPOULOS

And

STUART HENDERSON

 Please ensure you are in your seat for the 8.30 start of the music

 As is now well known we do not sell tickets for our events, but charge just £10 on the door. It should be a memorable session of well played modern jazz, so don’t miss out.

Last week was also one of those memorable sessions. When did you last see an electric steel guitar? 

No neither had I. But I do remember the cover on one of the first cd’s every issued. “Brothers in Arms” by Dire Straits did have a steel guitar on its cover, but it was an acoustic one. 

(Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine.)!

 

 

However James Fenn DID have a more conventional amplified guitar with him, and he played both splendidly. 

He was joined at the front by Frank Walden on tenor sax and some modern “modern jazz” was played by them both. 

Highlight? For me was “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter. It was the second tune in the second half, the first being Ken McCarthy's feature piece "You Dont Know What Love Is"

 A truly uplifting evening of jazz.

James was one of the musicians who helped me start live jazz promotion, and back in the “new” 21^st century played at Hedsor once a month on a Monday, and also for an occasional evening at The Old Bell at Wooburn Green. It was really great to see and hear him again. 

On one of those Monday evenings we had John Critchinson on keyboard and Vasilis on tenor, with James on guitar, and Lisa Amato on electric base. The drummer I think was Nike Marangoni. John died in 2017 so it was a while ago now.

Pictures from last week very much alive session are below.

 

That last picture of James shows the difficulty, "and shock" of being asked to read a lot of chords from a small smart phone. James did protest a bit!

That’s about it for now folks. I could mention our winter of discontent, but I would hate to put you off coming out to see Hedsor Jazz. After all, just look at our program, what’s not to like.