Today’s blog, yes a day earlier than usual, is mainly about Hedsor Jazz, unlike the main effort from last week which was mostly about Swanage Jazz!

And there are similarities! Because every week we at Hedsor have the chance to listen to top quality live modern jazz and my first Thursday back was no exception. For upon my return after a two Thursday break was for a very refreshing evening with Mike Wills and Jezz Cook. Not only refreshing, but fresh! The music was crisp, the playing was top quality, the friends around good company, and a good time was had by me, if not all.

I had forgotten in the Swanage sunshine what quality we actually do have at Hedsor Jazz. I know I always say we have world class jazz at Hedsor, and Mike Wills had been at Swanage this year although this time I didn’t see him there. At Swanage we had Alan Barnes, who was at Hedsor last year and will be with us again on September 7^th.  

Swanage also highlighted the talents of Nigel Price, who has played Hedsor many times for us. 

So the Swanage Jazz Festival does very often come to Hedsor Jazz.

My pictures from last week are below:-

So who have we got coming to Hedsor Jazz this week, July 27^th?

After many months away I am delighted that we can welcome back vibraphone maestro Alan Grahame. There will be others coming to play with him, at the moment their names are a little blurred! But in focus, or probably actually engaged in focusing, will be a film crew! That may be because Alan is now over 95, but that is all I know!

You can read a bit more about him here :-https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/clubs-and-associations/101408/jazz-percussionist-discuss-life-as-a-musician.html

So why not come and hear for yourself. Hedsor Jazz’s entry fee is still only £10 and every session starts at 8.30pm.

 

Whenever I can I try and listen to BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Record Requests on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm. I try and join with the invisible fraternity that sit and listen together at that hour, rather than via BBC Sounds at any other time I could choose. This week they played another recording I purchased after listening to the players live at Swanage many years ago. Yes, I have kind of promoted jazz guitar over the last 20 years, and this year at Hedsor we have had Nigel Price, James Fenn and Jezz Cook already, but I first heard Dave Cliff at Swanage back in the 1990’s playing alongside saxophonist Geoff Simkins in the cellar bar of The Victoria Club.

 

Jazz Record Requests this week played their version of “Sipping at Bells” from the CD I bought at the time called “Sipping at Bells”!! Yes I do! but the cd is on the Spotlight label from around 1995 and it is well worth a listen if you can find it. Cleanly recorded and beautifully played.

 

More blog in a weeks time, and I hope to see you all at Hedsor Jazz. Don’t forget, no bums on seats means no live jazz. Your hobby needs you to actively participate!