The LONG GAP is over, this week’s blog can now shout out loud about a live jazz evening for Hedsor Jazz!

At The Hedsor Bar this Thursday May 14th, the second Thursday of the month, Trumpeter Lester Brown will join forces with guitarist James Fenn in front of The Hedsor Jazz trio. This time we also have a guest on keyboard, Martin Picket who in addition to playing the keyboard has been known to sing!

The rhyme used to be “Eight ‘till Late”, but these days it’s 8pm ‘till 10.30pm. Entry for just £12 each, paid in old fashioned cash!

Lester plays in a variety of styles, and, like Martin Picket, has also been known to sing (at Hedsor usually only once an evening!).

James is more of a modern jazz guitarist, well know for his work with “The Filthy Six” (http://thefilthysix.com/https/youtube/dweb8jqye6s).  

But both have been associated with Hedsor Jazz for many years. So it should be a comfortable evening of embraceable jazz. Come, relax, and drink (not excessively!) at The Hedsor Bar’s excellent bar.

Photos of our guests previous visits are below:- 

Martin Picket

James Fenn

Lester Brown with Al Pirrie

Also below is a reminder of our current poster/handbill. If you can, please print and help us publicise our live jazz events.

 

I will resume my comments about some of my record collection next blog, but I did listen to a bit of Benny Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert this week. The first jazz concert held in this largely orchestral performance venue.

It’s provenance is a long story, but it was recorded for Goodman’s own use long before “long” playing Lp’s. 

Put away in a cupboard the acetate disks went forgotten for many years, but were rediscovered around the time LP’s were becoming a “new” means of home sound reproduction. Since modern sound shaping techniques have become available, and CD’s became a home use device, there have been a number of CD releases of this complete concert. But do take a look (out) for CBS4509832.

 

It’s amazing how fresh the sound is on this release, but the styles of the age will quickly become apparent. The drums of Gene Krupa particularly show a style that has long gone out of fashion. But it’s exciting in the way they drive the band along. Bass drums don’t get played like that these days.

The concert wasn’t just all Benny Goodman, but a real presentation of jazz and current jazz musicians of the day, including Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Johnny Hodges and Buck Clayton

The end of the concert became a template for an exciting big band finish and has been reproduced for many a live jazz concert since.

 

See you Thursday