How soon time flies when your having fun, or even a weekend off!!

Last week we managed to shift the computer stuff in my garage one stage further towards Ghana, and for a whole day I could actually see some floor, then a ring at the door, and another generous donation of PC’s for refurbishment and WORK...etc etc.

So to today, and its blog and poster day.

Yes Hedsor Jazz just needs to remind you!!!

This Thursday, April 20th, it is a return of “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet” in the form of Mike Wills on reeds various, and Lester Brown, trumpet and flugel horn. With them will be Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Martin Hart on drums. I am also assured we will have a bass player as well!

Mike and Lester when last at Hedsor

 

Looking further ahead you will see below the artwork for the poster for May’s jazz events at Hedsor. If you cannot copy off and print, do collect one at Hedsor and put it up somewhere the public will see it. There are some really mouth watering gigs in May, take a look and take your pick.

 

Also don’t forget that we are taking Hedsor Jazz to Church on Sunday April 30^th. Maidenheads United Reformed Church to be precise. From 10.30am on that morning you will be able to see and hear  Singer Gill Cook, sax man Alam Nathoo, and Hedsor’s trio of Ken McCarthy, Peter Hughes and Martin Hart. Do come along, it is free to all.

 

For more detail of location etc See https://www.maidenheadurc.org.uk/events/worship-30-04-2023

Last weeks gig (pictures below) was pretty special. One of the loyal followers of “Jazz from Geoff”, and of “Jazz at Geoff’s” before it, said to me afterwards that he thought it was the best night he had been to at Hedsor!

Steve Waterman and Frank Walden had not met before! After a few moment of settling in, they played as though they had known each other for years. On the music stand there were no head arrangement to be read. OK, two mobile phones and a tablet were observed to be seen providing the chords (Oh blessed fake book!), but the two at the front showed no sign of the unrehearsed! Having the added benefit of Andy Crowdy on bass just lifted the evening into that indefinable “very special” category.

I had my lady chief with me, she having spent some the day with me loading her car for the onward transport of PC’s, screens and laptops for Nyaboo. She had never been to a jazz club before, and was absolutely thrilled by it.

 

The Computer School at Nyaboo

Talking with Steve and Frank afterwards they had obviously enjoyed their collaboration, and were still buzzing with it. I asked Steve where he was travelling back to that night and I was astounded to be told “Whitstable”. Now that is on the North Kent coast! According to my PC that is 2 hr 16 min (113.6 mi) via M25 and M2!

Steve said he would like to come again!

A special mention for Ken McCarthy by the way. No his head wasn't cold! At 4pm earlier that day he had had a growth removed from the top of his head. Now I know that that is painful. Well Done Ken for turning out.

My pictures are below

 

 

One final thought. I have been actively promoting live jazz for over 20 years. That makes me some 20 years older than when I started. It also means that many of the audience have aged those 20 years alongside me. If you want to see a future for live jazz, the sort of vibrant stuff you can come out to and enjoy week by week, you need to come out yourself, and encourage others to come too.

Performance can literally die!

 

Geoff