OK, that’s one bank holiday over, only another one to go this month!

BUT its not all over for jazz! There is a lot on this month, so lets start with tonight, May 7th!

“In The Pocket” is at Bourne End Community Centre,(Wakeman Rd, Bourne End SL8 5SX) tonight from 8pm and for £8. 

Led by drummer Mike Jeffries, this well established band play a mix of funky jazz, with saxophonist Mike Wills and guitarist Jezz Cook standing at the front.

In a weeks time (May 14^th) Marlow Jazz Club (British Legion Hall, Station Approach, Marlow, SL7 1NT) have 2 saxophonists standing at the front, Simon Spillett and Alex Garnett from 8.30pm for £10 per head. Behind them will be Frank Harrison on keyboard, Elliot Toms on drums and Stuart Barker on bass.

BUT AT HEDSOR JAZZ (The Hedsor Bar, Hedsor Rd, Bourne End, SL8 5ES) THIS THURSDAY (MAY 9^th) we have Lester Brown on trumpet, Mike Wills (back from Bourne End via Oxford) on reeds, Nigel Fox on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass, and a drummer Mike Jeffries! Mike isn’t back from anywhere as he lives just up the road!

Lets not go so far into the future to forget last weeks session at Hedsor Jazz that had saxophonist Frank Walden and guitarist Mark Ridout.

What a session! It is rare that the Hedsor’s discriminating audience are roused to cheers, but last weeks session had them erupt at the end of more than one tune.

When “Song for Bilbao” was announce in the second half of the evening Frank instructed the drummer (Mike Jeffries!!) how it should be played (no score sheets were to hand!). The person sitting next to me asked if I thought the drummer understood what was being described. In full authoritarian command, I said “Of course”!

The tune was written by Path Metheny in 1983 and has a distinctive format with a repetitive, well recognised break. Not only did the drummer get it right every time but so did everyone else, and the applause and cheering at the end was memorable. All of the playing was world class!

Yes, last week was one of those jazz nights that one hopes to get now and again, memorable! So do remember it was at Hedsor Jazz!

My pictures from last week are below.

 

At Hedsor Jazz On Thursday May 16^th we have a return of that adroit trombone player Nick Mills. He will be playing alongside saxophonist (and jazz promoter) Mark Aston.

ALL our sessions at Hedsor start at 8pm, and finish around 10.30pm. Our entry fee is £10.

One newcomer came late last week having read somewhere that we started at 9pm. On line sabotage? Who knows, but she enjoyed it so much she said she would come again! But an hour earlier next time.

If YOU have enjoyed a session at Hedsor Jazz, tell others, we need to sustain what we have been doing for over 20 years, presenting Live Modern Jazz in front of a small but discriminating audience. The years have given us experience, now we need more audience to carry on our 20 plus years of high quality modern JAZZ.

We always offer a friendly face, and rarely growl. Me, I’m a Leo!!