July 4th. Another Week for Hedsor Jazz

But for once it’s a week that I wont be able to attend! 

Funerals are something that are fundamentally unplanned, and so it is with the one I shall be attending in Winchester on Thursday. Unplanned, but inevitable since birth, and as usual expected by very few! So this Thursday evening I will be staying within site of Winchester Cathedral.

 

I will be voting before I go, and it seems that the election had booked most of our planned jazz musicians! However, saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr has come to our rescue and will be bringing with him guitarist Russell Jarrett for our gig on July 4^th. Usual start time of 8pm. So if you can, do join our jazz party (dedicated to providing a refuge for jazz lovers. It’s clearly in our manifesto!) and come and make Hedsor Jazz an election (night) winner. Ken McCarthy will be back with us. Last week he was giving his granddaughter away at her wedding in Kent. What a lovely thing to be able to do! So welcome back Ken. And thank you to Nigel Fox, who has depped for Ken for the past 2 weeks. We are very lucky indeed to be able to listen to 2 such great jazz pianists at Hedsor Jazz. Thanks again Nigel.

Last week (pictures below) we had Steph Pirrie singing and trumpeting her way through our evening, backed by Nigel Fox on keyboard, and her husband Al Pirrie on bass, with a returning from holiday Martin Hart on drums. Steph brought with her a young saxophonist, Noah Smith, who everyone should look out for because a number of us think he has a real talent. His solos during each tune played were a magnifying glass for the tune and it chords and harmonies. I just hope we can have him back and then allow him the space to extent his improvisational skill and our understanding of the tunes he will play. That, by the way, is another reason why keeping Hedsor Jazz alive is important; it allows that creative space for jazz musicians to play the music they love with others of like skill and mindset.

 

Coming on July 11^th (I may be able to come to this but I travel to Dorset next day) we have a planned visit from Alam Nathoo in support of trumpeter Johnny Thirkle. Johnny is in great demand in the popular music world, and it may be that at very short notice he will have to be substituted, but he does like coming to play for us at Hedsor when his touring schedule allows.

Johnny Thirkle

 

Alam

Do look back at previous blogs. I have published our gig list for July and August, but if there are personnel changes and I can let you know in time I will post them on this blog. I will be away first at the Swanage Jazz Festival, and then for a few days in Dorset to catch up with friends and family in the area.

Safe journeying

 

Geoff C