A bank Holiday kind of blog today, as, well in holiday mood I am keeping it short! Informative and pretty, but short.

First the information, below are two artworks for posters, handbills, wallpaper (!), whatever, but they both contain the gig listing for Hedsor Jazz’s months of June and July, complete. Please try and display them wherever it is legal for you to do so. Remember Bill Posters will be prosecuted! The thing is we are getting such good session it would be a real pity for those who don’t know about Hedsor Jazz to miss out.

Last weeks session with Al Nicholls and Lester Brown, with Mike Jefferies on drums was a swing time gem. Gems like “Lester Leaps In” , “Round Midnight” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” just some of the memories for you.

Pictures below

You will see from the poster art that coming this week we have an interesting and different combination. Ian Smith on trumpet and song words, and guitarist Denny Illet. Denny hasn’t been to Hedsor before, but I know is known to many of you. 

ALL our evenings are cracking evenings. Yes they vary in style, and you are allowed to vote with your feet, but not too often please. You can often learn from the differences! And we need an audience to keep going.

See you for some of the next 9 Thursdays of music then.

 

Geoff 

Just like that old petrol advert (back in the day when they had to persuade you to buy their petrol, and you had your choice, not price as a serious deciding factor) this weeks blog looks *forward, and then backwards.

Coming to Hedsor this Thursday, May 25th, is that established friend of Hedsor Jazz Al Nicholls. He will be joined at the front by “our” Lester Brown on trumpet and flugel horn. He may also sing! Saxophonist Al is used to having a singer near at hand, as he is a mainstay of the band “Blue Harlem”, but usually the singer is female!

Al and Lester at an earlier Hedsor Jazz session

Behind them will be Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and, wait for it, Mike Jeffries on drums. It would seem that Martin Hart, having purchased a new snare drum, has just had to take another holiday. I’m getting my own back in June, and again in July, so do read these high value texts whilst you may (or June, July, etc).

Looking backwards to last week, all I can really say is “WOW”. It was a flawless demonstration of the jazz guitar from Nigel Price. The rapport amongst the extended rhythm section was also wonderful to behold. 3 out of the 4 players all needed to know their chords, and boy, didn’t they explore them. A comment from Nigel asked the audience if we had counted the number of quotes Ken McCarthy made in one of his solos, as Nigel had counted at least 10! The thing was, none were misplaced! Our bass player for the evening, Al Pirrie, was also highlighted by Nigel. They had never met before. First class music, and all at Hedsor Jazz, and all for £10 per head.

 

One last thing to mention is that The Woodley Theatre are presenting the Ken McCarthy Trio with Art Themen on Saxophone on Saturday 27th. Tickets at £12 are available to book online or you can telephone the box office.

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

I normally get to these excellent small theatre sessions, but this month I sadly have a prior commitment.

One final point. I still have some second hand jazz cd’s for sale at each Hedsor Jazz session. They are usually £1 per disk, and all the money goes to Cancer Research UK. Since March this year I have paid in £140 so everyone gains. Look out for the box on a side table.

*One final final point. When I wrote the top of this piece I had a clear memory of a petrol advert with a helmeted face looking both ways, indicating the speed of passage. I then wanted to put that picture of it up with the blog. I have just searched the internet and I cannot find an illustration of it anywhere. I now have a vague memory that it may only have been allowed up for a very short time, as it was considered an incitement for speeding! 

Slightly behind schedule, but probably not yet “late” this weeks blog can only really rejoice, as we look forward to Hedsor Jazz’s gig on Thursday 18^th.

We have a real treat coming this week. Yes, our usual rhythm section will be there, but we will have in front of them one of the UK’s best jazz guitarists, none other than Nigel Price. I am proud to be able to say that Nigel has been a number of times to Hedsor Jazz before this week, but never before has he been our sole front line member (and this at his own choice). So, look forward to a real demonstration of the art of the jazz guitar. 

This is a sponsored event so our usual entry fee of £10 applies, as does our usual start time of 8.30pm

 

Last week Hedsor had one of our long time associates come to play for us, trumpeter Stuart Henderson. He brought with him one of his colleagues from the Remix Orchestra that he leads in the form of saxophonist  Jonathan Lewis. With Ken McCarthy back from his holiday it was a great evening of great tunes, with Al Perrie on bass and Martin Hart on drums, including a new one!.

 

It was nice to see not only some new faces at Hedsor Jazz, but some returning old one too. These included Jan Burton, not often able to get out these days but still keen to listen to jazz at Hedsor whenever she can.

Our final gig for the month of May will be with saxophonist Al Nicholls, another musician who has been a great supporter of jazz at Hedsor, and even from times before when jazz used to be played on a Thursday at Cookham’s “Railway Tavern”, now a Costa’s coffee shop! He will be alongside “our” Lester Brown on trumpet. I’m not sure that that mix has happened before, so come and see for yourself what that combination of talents produces. That’s on May 25th

 

Well the sun is still shinning so I must finish. I still have some doors to paint, which as they are outside can only be done when it isn’t raining. There are some great tunes associated with rain, but I don’t think I will play “I Think Its Going to Rain Today” today!!

I'm putting up the link to a great obit. How is it that we never get the recognition that our jazz musicians deserve until they can no longer play!

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/27/tony-coe-obituary

to listen to some of that clarinet try

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn4mhZ89060

Geoff

A Brief Bank Holiday Coronation sort of blog today, but one that tells you that on Thursday 11^th of May, we have coming to Hedsor Jazz, trumpeter Stuart Henderson , who is bringing with him one of his Remix Orchestra in the shape of saxophonist Jonathan Lewis. The pairing has been to Hedsor at least twice before, so we know what good things we will be getting.

Last Thursday we had a session from two young saxophonists (Alam Nathoo and Frank Walden) who had never met before about 8.15pm last Thursday!!

Two tenor players who were, well lets be honest, absolutely magnificent! One of our regular supporters, who was sitting roughly in the middle of the room, said at the end, “I had to shut my eyes and remind myself that I had only paid £10 to hear this session”!

World class tenor madness, and all in little old Hedsor!

We enjoyed the musicianship of 2 other guests as well. On keyboard  Martin Pickett depping for Ken McCarthy, on holiday, and on bass Al Perrie. Martin Hart did his usual sterling job on drums, definitely egging himself on to buying a new one! He also leapt up for every tune and told us what it was going to be, well done Martin.

My pictures from the evening are below.

 

The rest of Mays gigs are listed further down the blog from past issues, but I would highlight that coming on May 18^th we have Nigel Price. Nigel is going to be our entire front line that night, but he will be ably supported by Al Perrie on bass, Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Martin on drums. It should be a very special evening, with ample space for Nigel to prove to us yet again that he is one of the best guitarists you can find ANYWHERE.  Poster for the evening is below. Do let others know.

 

 

We do have some more future dates for you to salivate over

On the 1st June we have Ian Smith on trumpet with Denny Ilitt on guitar.

On the 8th June Stuart Henderson & Jonathan Lewis are back.

On the 15^th June we have Mike Wills on reeds and Lester Brown on trumpet. The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet again!

On 22^nd we have Tracey Mendham on reeds and Ian Smith on trumpet.

July 20^th Mike Wills and Jezz Cook(gtr)

And on  Sept 7^th we have the return of Alan Barnes

And we still have Christmas to plan!! YES I have mentioned the C word in MAY!!

  

Tuesday May 2nd. Coronation week, and it isn’t often any blogger can write that! So I thought I would.

Hedsor Jazz of course is pretty splendid every week, and for this Coronation Thursday (May 4th) we have two great saxophone players, Alam Nathoo and Frank Walden. Both have given us some exciting jazz already this year. Coming to be part of their evening (and ours!!) is Oxford keyboard man Martin Pickett (Ken will be on his hols!) Also coming from Oxford will be bass man Al Perrie. Martin Hart on drums will complete our line-up. Usual entry price of £10, so do consider indulging yourself and coming out to celebrate...... well JAZZ of course.

 

Martin Pickett on a previous visit to Hedsor Jazz

 

 

Last week we sadly didn’t have as expected saxophonist Ollie Wilby. This left Ian Smith standing alone! But with his trumpet and his poetry (OK some of the poems were recited tune lyrics) we had an excellent evening of first class entertainment. Tuneful, funny, enlightening and, as I said, entertaining. Just bring a friend next time you come, as even though we are now advertising more than ever before, our numbers are not growing.

Ian likes coming to us, and he has a wealth of experience as both a jazz musician, and a lecturer in English at Universities on both sides of the Atlantic! Check out the BBC podcasts, as he is available on more than one. My pictures of the evening are below

 

Now the aforementioned Ollie Wilby has let us know that he won’t be with us on May 18^th, so Nigel Price may yet get a solo feature!

Last Sunday was UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, and Hedsor Jazz did go to Church! Our event at Maidenheads URC was well received, and some of us will do it again. We had the joy of Ken McCarthy playing a grand piano (Ellington's “Come Sunday” was a delight to hear played on a fine piano) and Gill Cook‘s version of “Everything Must Change” brought tears to my eyes. As I was on stage leading the event Alam Nathoo’s tenor sax was right behind my left ear. I will say he has a wonderful tone!!, and the exuberance of Horace Silvers “The Preacher” was not lost on me either. The only photo I have seen so far comes from Gill, taken as Alam was warming up! The line-up for the morning was complete by Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums

 

The congregation seemed to like it (there were more of them there than were at Hedsor the week before!) and we are being invited back for Christmas!

Looking further ahead Alan Barnes has agreed to be with us at Hedsor again on September 7^th. Please get back late from your holidays in time for that!!

“Now the time has come” for my coffee! See you Thursday .