A BLOG to cover the next couple of weeks, as we have entered the jazz festival season.

Going to jazz festivals used to be a regular part of my summer, with Swanage and Brecon regular parts of each for many years. Swanage still remains for by me, but with my advancing years even the travel to that is becoming a bit of a chore. Having been going for over 25 years one does get to know many jazz fans from different parts of the country and we become a bit like a big jazz family. Chatting over who we have seen and what we think of it is part of jazz festival breakfasts.

If you have never been to a jazz festival do consider it. It can be a very rewarding experience.

However who and what we put on at Hedsor Jazz every week is a bit like a jazz festival. Many of the musicians I expect to see in Swanage we have seen at Hedsor, and some I’m sure will be coming!

We do have listings now for every week for July and August, and they are reproduced below.

We have been seeking better cooperation with the management of Hedsor Bar, and we are going to try out one or two of there suggestions, so please bear with us if the room isn’t as you saw it last time! The idea is to make it less daunting for newcomers to access the room, and to enable late entry without embarrassment. However if we feel that the prime reasons for running Hedsor Jazz aren’t met, we will go back to previous ones, or try a different new one! We want to ensure first class musical presentation and sound so that we can all have a first rate evening out.

 

Last weeks evening out (pictures below) was absolutely first class, with New Orleans singer Nanci Zhang singing for us four times through the evening.  The combined musical abilities of both Alam Nathoo on tenor sax and Tom White on trombone were formidable such that one of our PA loudspeakers collapsed to the floor!!

 

As you will see from the poster art above we have a terrific few weeks ahead of us. Saxophonist and club organiser in his own right Mark Aston will be with us this week, hopefully bringing a guest of his choice.

The following week, pinch yourself, a superstar is coming to Hedsor Jazz. Steve Waterman (https://www.stevewaterman.co.uk/bio) is a professor of Jazz Trumpet at Trinity College of Music in London and visiting Jazz Trumpet specialist at The Royal Northern College Of Music and The Welsh College Of Music And Drama. Not only that but we have joining him Singer Gill Cook. (https://www.gillcook.co.uk/). Steve is featured on one of her albums and I first saw her at an Ealing Jazz Festival singing to hundreds of people. She has sung for me a number of times and on different occasion, and has also been to Hedsor many times. It should be a really great evening of jazz.

Another great trumpet star is coming to Hedsor before the month is out (31^st July). A return visit by Bruce Adams. And he will be partnered with a real friend of Hedsor Jazz saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr.

All we need to make Hedsor Jazz more perfect is MORE AUDIENCE. Tell you friends and spend just £10 for 2 hours of great jazz. And it is every week!!

Oh, and make sure you keep this blog in your inbox to read next week. I won’t have time to write more and the next blog issue will include my thoughts on this years Swanage Jazz Festival. Take a preview:-

https://swanagejazzfestival.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SJF-full-programme-2025.pdf

 

 

Good Morning lovers of jazz. The sun does still have his hat on, and it is a bit warm, but never mind, so is some of our jazz.

Hedsor Jazz is still about, and accessible every Thursday. We have a level of fame, which I would love to see represented in our attendance numbers. Never mind, the people who come are quality!!

Last week we had a surprise “guest”, singer in Nanci from New Orleans:-

https://www.offbeat.com/news/healthy-notes-in-harmony-flu-shots-and-jazz-with-nurse-nanci/

Our evening last week was totally splendid, with one member of the audience telling me it was the best first half he had ever heard, and THAT was before we learnt we had a guest from the land of jazz!!

My pictures are below. I think that the band played there socks off, well done.

As my remarks about the front line last blog indicated, the two front liners (Lester Brown and Frank Walden) come from different jazz backgrounds, but their joint collaboration was magic! With Nanci joining in for 3 numbers in the second set, the whole evening stayed at a very high level. It was apparent even when the music stopped that no one wanted to go home!

Can Hedsor Jazz keep it up this week? We really think so, as this first Thursday of the month of July we have saxophonist Alam Nathoo being joined by one of is contemporaries, trombonist Tom White. If you plug in to YouTube you can hear the two of them, plus some other young talents:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWxo36EcXYI

It will take over 13 minutes of your time, but maybe watch whilst consuming a coffee!

Christ Church, Marlow

One other event that involved me, and a few recognisable faces, took place last Sunday. I have been running a series of jazz worship events inspired by the Duke Ellington Concerts of Sacred music, and last Sunday was the third in the series. This was held in Marlow’s Christ Church, which just so happens to house a Bechstein grand piano. This was played by our own Ken McCarthy, and the songs were all performed by Gill Cook, able supported by Martin Dunston on reeds, Martin Hart on drums and Peter Hughes on bass. I said all the linking words, and for an hour we led the congregation though some thought provoking lyrics. We also managed to persuade the Marlow Congregation to sing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and the Caribbean version of the Lords Prayer!

I think it went down well, and a repeat will be had in Cores End Church on October 26^th

I have been trying to impress on the congregations that many secular tunes have beautiful and meaningful words. One of the tunes played, but not sung this time round was “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free”, which used to be Barry Normans signature tune to a cinema review program.

However, the words are yet some more that make you think:-

"I wish I knew how It would feel to be free. I wish I could break All the chains holding me. I wish I could say All the things that I should say-- Say 'em loud, say 'em clear For the whole round world to hear. I wish I could share All the love that's in my heart, Remove all the bars That keep us apart. I wish you could know What it means to be me. Then you'd see and agree That every man should be free. I wish I could give All I'm longin' to give. I wish I could live Like I'm longin' to live. I wish I could do All the things that I can do. Though I'm way overdue I'd be starting anew. Well, I wish I could be Like a bird in the sky. How sweet it would be If I found I could fly. I'd soar to the sun And look down at the sea. And I’d sing 'cause I’d know And I’d sing 'cause I’d know And I’d sing 'cause I’d know I’d know how it feels I’d know how it feels to be free".

One song that I have wanted sung for me for 2 or 3 years now Gill did sing for me on Sunday

“I Think its Going to Rain Today”, which  is a great tune, but with lyrics that need an explanation. They are sung by a down and out with a begging bowl and are full of cynicism, but they do provoke you into thinking!

"Broken windows and empty hallways,

A pale dead moon in a sky streaked with grey.

Human kindness is overflowing,

And I think it's gonna rain today.

 

Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles,

The frozen smiles to chase love away.

Human kindness is overflowing,

And I think it's gonna rain today.

 

Lonely, lonely.

Tin can at my feet,

I think I'll kick it down the street.

That's the way to treat a friend.

 

Bright before me the signs implore me:

Help the needy and show them the way.

Human kindness is overflowing,

And I think it's gonna rain today.

 

Lonely, so lonely.

Tin can at my feet,

I think I'll kick it down the street.

That's the way to treat a friend.

Bright before me the signs implore me:

Help the needy and show them the way.

 

Human kindness is overflowing,

And I think it's gonna rain today".

Sometimes popular music does agitate against the comfortable norms!

Pictures from Christ Church courtesy of Tracy Georgiades

Sorry Ken, you were hidden by that Bechstein grand piano

 

My, doesn’t time fly?

Already we are up to the last week of June, and summer suns have been glowing. Maybe a bit too hot for some, but The Hedsor Bar did have the air conditioning on last week, so inside it was comfortable!

Our session last week with Pete Rudeforth and Martin Dunston was, as anticipated, a mix of tunes making one call to mind music from a pre atomic era. Except that some of the tunes were in fact composed by Pete himself, definitely more recent than Mr. Basie!

It was one of those rare evenings without Ken McCarthy, Mike Jeffries or Martin Hart, but it was refreshing to have some different styles of both piano and drums, Martin Picket and John Sargent being welcome guest replacements. My photos from the evening are below:-

 

Coming to us this week to play in front of Ken McCarthy and Peter Hughes, even perhaps Martin Hart, we have saxophonist Frank Walden. He will be partnered by trumpeter Lester Brown. Again it will be an interesting amalgam of styles, Lester being more in the traditional style of trumpet player, whereas Frank was at one time in Amy Whitehouse’s band. It will be fun to hear.

 

Lester Brown with Mike Jeffries

 

Frank Walden with Ken McCarthy

July and August are usually holiday months and although some of us will have away days, Hedsor Jazz will still present you with somewhere to listen to top class jazz every Thursday.

 

Do see our July programme below where you will be spoilt for choice.

 

August will also bring some great musicians to The Hedsor Bar. So Thursdays are always going to have some great live jazz for you to be enthralled by.

 

All this for only £10 per head. It has to be in cash only to get in, but the bar does accept electronic payment for your liquid entertainment. Don’t forget, the car park is free, and Bourne End doesn’t have a congestion charge or a clean air fine either. In fact Hedsor doesn’t have a lot of street lights either!

 

For those of you who watch and listen via YouTube, do check out a series of videos that I have been following this past week. “Ellington 30” is a competition for American Student bands, and the quality is astounding. Follow the link or search Essentially Ellington 2025

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLReW5Mv77OKA7FpIyl3hK-t3z0HktQ5b-

 

That’s it for now folks, see you (all?) Thursday

 

Geoff 

Sumer is icomen in! 

Well that’s how the phrase was spelt in the 13^th century when it was sung as a round. And yes, I did sit on the garden on Fathers Day under an apple tree!

Coming to a forecast warm evening this Thursday, June 19th, at Hedsor Jazz will be an almost complete change of personnel. BUT it will be quality jazz, just like usual.

On Trumpet will be Pete Rudeforth. Pete studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He has worked with Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball and many other leading musicians. He is the front-line man with the Charleston Chasers, the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, Chris Barber and the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. Yes, despite Chris passing away in 2021, the Barber band is still alive.

Pete will be joined on the front line by saxophonist Martin Dunston, a current member of The Glenn Millar Orchestra, who has been to Hedsor a number of times before. On keyboard this week, we are allowing Ken McCarthy a week off for good behaviour and in his place we have another Oxford musician , Martin Pickett. I say “another Oxford musician” as on bass we have Al Pirrie who now regularly comes to us from Oxford. Finally to round out our orchestra for the coming Thursday, we have drummer John Sargent coming for his second Hedsor Jazz appearance.

Pete Rudeforth and Al Pirrie

Last weeks session (my photos are below) we had as our guests trumpeter Lester Brown and saxophonist and jazz club promoter Mark Aston. They provided some great entertainment, playing tunes like “The Gypsy”, “Out of Nowhere” and “Come Sunday”.

We at Hedsor Jazz are still booking ahead to provide you with a regular Thursday Evening jazz venue, and we have most of July booked for you. The initial draft of our July poster in jpeg form is below

Don’t forget that if coming to Hedsor Jazz for the first time we can only accept cash for entry payment. It is still just £10, and has been so since we restarted at Hedsor after the covid shutdown period. Paying by any other means would mean we have an added expense in providing electronic payment. The actual bar at The Hedsor Bar does accept every means of payment, but Hedsor Jazz is run by “Jazz Angels” and is totally independent of The Hedsor Bar.

Do take special note of our July 17^th evening featuring trumpeter Steve Waterman with singer Gill Cook. This is brought to Hedsor Jazz by a sponsor. If YOU would like to sponsor a jazz musician to play with our regular band please contact Mike Jeffries. He is chairman of “Jazz Angels” and is happy to look into the possibility and costs of booking your chosen guy or girl.

But for now, just like Geoffrey Smith used to say at the end of Jazz Record Requests on BBC Radio 3

GOODBYE 

Slightly earlier than usual, my blog is out today, to tell you of all the good jazz things coming soon to you.

OR, putting it another way, YOU can go to a number of good jazz things nearby to you very soon!

Just for a change I’ll tell you first about a gig for tomorrow, June 10^th. Marlow Jazz, located this month in The Barn Club at Marlow Bottom, SL7 3NA, is hosting saxophonist Alex Clarke.

Alex Clarke was a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and nominee in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 & 2022.

SO, she is pretty good!

BUT tomorrow night she will be accompanied by Dave Newton on keyboard, Dave Green on bass and Steve Brown on bass, probably the best backing anyone could have (apart, of course, from the backing people get at Hedsor Jazz). I do hope to make it there myself.

Having mentioned Hedsor Jazz, Dave Newton will be there on August 14^th, together with his collage companion Alan Barnes!!

On Thursday we have our regular weekly jazz club night at The Hedsor Bar. This week the music will be provided by two Hedsor stalwarts, Lester Brown on trumpet and Mark Aston on reeds. They will be backed by Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Stuart Barker on bass and Mike Jeffries on drums. I suspect a mainstream approach to jazz will be provided, although if Mark brings his trombone as well (yes he does play sax and trombone) some more traditional jazz tunes could ensue. Lester and Mark have supported Hedsor Jazz for many years, hence the “stalwart” tag. Now that doesn’t mean they cannot excite, stalwart doesn’t mean stodgy! Why not come and support them and prove to yourself that I am right!

 

Last weeks session (photos below) provided by saxophonist Alam Nathoo and guitarist James Fenn was edging towards the more modern of the modern jazz style. The sheer musicianship was astounding. The first set was more “off the cuff” and the second had arrangements provided by Alam. The jazz content was something you don’t expect to find in a small village club. OK, you would find such quality and innovation in Ronnie Scott’s or the 606 club, but to have it on our doorstep and for the £10 entry is pinch yourself stuff. Alam is another award winning saxophonist, slightly further down the line than Alex Clarke, he is a graduate of both the Guildhall School of Music and Trinity Laban where he won their Gold Medal in 2009 and he was also a finalist in the Young Jazz Musician of the year. James is also still furthering his career, playing this years Glastonbury Festival, and he has also recently completed a new recording with saxophonist Frank Walden.

Hedsor Jazz!

A hidden gem! BUT we need to glow a bit brighter, as our audience does need a boost.

I suppose Hedsor Jazz have learnt how to put together really great jazz, but still haven’t found the means of getting enough audience in to cover all of our costs. Do tell your friends about us

OR, like all good things, it might have to come to an end!

But not before next week!!

TTFN

Geoff

PS having used blogger's software for 20 years I still dont understand how it doesn't always look how I ask it to!! White background to the text is its own idea!

The Blog is Back!

And to start off this week we must display our listing for JUNE:-

 

No, not only MUST we display our listing, but we are proud to do so as well. For a small jazz venue outside of London, with no street lighting (which disconcerted some the London based players when they first came to play for us) we are attracting some of the best players in the UK. We have a superb rhythm section and we always offer a warm welcome, so the musicians come because they like playing at The Hedsor Bar for Hedsor Jazz!

Last week was no exception, Nigel Price, who has often played to many hundreds of people, came in last week with a broad smile saying he enjoyed being back.

Nigel Price

 

Coming this week (June 5^th)we have two players who are actually local to Hedsor. That wonderful innovative and exciting saxophonist Alam Nathoo now lives near enough to walk, whereas “The Filthy Six” guitarist James Fenn has to come all the way from WINDSOR. He used to cycle to us, but does now have a car! He actually replaced Nigel Price in “The Filthy Six”, and is a mean enough player to be doing Glastonbury this year. I won’t be!! It should be a wonderful Thursday night so do come along. The Hedsor Bar is a much more comfortable place than Glastonbury, and far easier to get to. All for only £10!

Alum Nathoo

James Fenn

I will point out that Hedsor Jazz doesn’t have the facility for you to pay your entrance fee by any other means than cash. Our price reflects that, a simple £10 note each. If for any reason you come without that £10 note, do come in, but please leave your contact details with our door steward (usually answering to the name of Tracy) and pay us back  next time you come. We don’t want to turn people away; especially if it is your first time. We do want you to experience our Hedsor Jazz product. Some recent attendees come a distance to enjoy jazz with us. I must say I was very pleased that last weeks gig did attract some people from a little further away than normal. Coming from Kings Langley (Watford ish) shows true commitment, well done. Some of my pictures of the evening are below:-

Al Pirrie was our bass player

 

One last point.

Nigel Price first came to us when we used to run a raffle. He told me last week that many small clubs do that still, as people enjoy the fun factor that the raffle can bring. So a question, do let us know if you would like to have a raffle at Hedsor again? We never did offer a Rolls Royce (unless it was Dinky Toy) and it does take up a bit of time that could be used for chatting, buying a drink, or even MUSIC, but if it would add to your enjoyment of an evening out, than do let us know your thoughts.

Don’t forget coming soon we have Steve Waterman (July 17^th), Alan Barnes and Dave Newton (August 14^th).

There are other live jazz venues about locally. Keep an eye open for Marlow Jazz, and Dawkes Music

But for now, from HEDSOR JAZZ…

Goodbye

Geoff C