Saturday at The Ealing Jazz Festival

I last visited the Ealing Jazz Festival 2 years ago. The venue, the layout etc hasn’t changed much if at all, in the year in-between. Initially, the audience seemed much smaller, but as the day wore on, and certainly after 5 pm, the place filled up remarkably. Due to the bargain entry fee of £1 it seemed to me that many more people came in during the evening just to party. The music was for them incidental, which may be why, at the end of the evening, after some terrific music, an act of crowd vandalism seemed to be performed. A can of “liquid” was thrown at, or towards, saxophonist Andy Panayi. It missed, but the expected encore was called off immediately. I have never seen anything like it at a jazz festival before. The only similar type of action I have experienced used to occur at the free parts of the Brecon Jazz Festival, where drunken boys and girls from the local valley communities would throw beer cans at each other on either side of the street.
The musical side of the Ealing’s jazz was very accomplished. I stayed in the Main Stage for most of the day, only venturing forth for the odd break, and for sustenance!

“Harlem Airshaft” had some elder statesmen of the music playing tunes associated with Ellington and Basie, with a traditional line up of trumpet, trombone, clarinet, piano, bass, and drums. They still sounded fresh, and they seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. My main surprise was seeing Eddie Harvey at the piano.

They were followed by “Paul Carmichael’s Flight”, which was quite a large ensemble of 9 players and a singer. Good fun, crowd pleasing latin type music, with 2 trumpets (one of them being Steve Fishwick), trombone, sax, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, drums, latin percussion, with Jackie Rawe providing the vocals. A really big sound. It was really well played funky music, and many in the growing crowd outside the main marquee danced to it.

As the crowd continued to grow, there was a set by someone I would not have felt was “my cup of tea”. But “Xantone Blancq’s Fewture” were an absolute blast of entertainment. Xantone is a keyboard player and singer, who encourages the audience to join in, playing a kind of Stevie Wonder music. It was great fun. He was supported by a lady saxophonist (Dee Byrne), guitar, bass and drums. The audience loved it, and he had to be told to stop. He didn’t know what time it was!!

A more conventional form of jazz followed from the “Jack Honeyborne Quintet”, and here, I am going to insert a few more names, because, although the combined age of the players probably added up to in excess of 400, they were all legends of the game. With Jack on piano were John Barnes on saxes (and voice!), Ronnie Hughes on trumpet, Dave Green on bass, and Tony Kinsey on drums. It was jazz, it swung, it was fun, what more do you want? It seemed like an anticlimax to put them on immediately after a show stopper like “Fewture”, but at the end, just as many of the crowd were shouting for more. Jazz like that is infectious!

The evening ended with a wonderful set by Liz Fletcher and her band, that included Steve Fishwick again on trumpet, Andy Panayi on saxes, Leon Greening on piano, Ben Hazleton bass, and the combined rhythmic talents of Marc and Will Parnell on drums and percussion.
It was great music from everyone, the audience wanted more, but one member of the audience obviously thought it was time to go home. I hope someone made sure he remembered what he had done.

To all in that band, I thought you were terrific, No jazz fan could want for more. Excellent singing from Liz (in a wonderful dress), Leon Greening is a very good jazz pianist indeed, Andy Panayi has had my admiration for some years, he usually organises the bigger ensembles of Alan Barnes, and the Parnell brothers were a percussive knockout. Which leaves me to mention Ben Hazelton who was getting a very good sound out of his bass.

And after all of that, what have we got to look forward to?

Hedsor, Thursday 8.30 pm, our own mini festival of jazz, with, this week, saxophonist Peter Cook, and guitarist John Coverdale in front of our regular rhythm section.

OK, it will cost you more than £1, but still a pretty mean £5. But we are on every week!

Next week, we will have guitarist Max Brittain with us alongside Clive Burton, and on Thursday 26 th August we have, in addition to our regular quintet, Simon Spillett.

So, come on down to our regular weekly jazzfest!! You know it makes sense

The 21st Swanage Jazz Festival


Right at the start let me say that I have enjoyed this years festival immensely. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Fred Lindup and his team for consistently organising the best jazz festival in the UK for the last 21 years. I have only managed to get to 20 of them, and in 2001 was carted away with a heart condition that eventually led to 3 heart attacks and open-heart surgery. But, despite all odds, and many of you know what they were, I was there the year later, just to show all concerned that I was still alive!!

Can I also say a big THANK YOU to the many, many, friends that I have made over the years at the Swanage Jazz Festival. Every year we have an old boys/girls reunion. We chat, we share comments on what/who we have seen, good or bad. Then at the end of the weekend we all say “see you next year”, and most of us do. The friendship expressed through our joint love of jazz, and of Swanage is one of my life’s deep joys.

Now, on to my experience of this years musical events.

Friday

Knowing from previous experience where Marquee 3 was, I went into training a week before, but it is still a breath-taking climb to get there. So it was with great disappointment, that by the time I did, not long after the published start time of 7.15 pm, the place was too full to stand in. You couldn’t even get to the bar, because all the space was full of people trying to see and listen to the John Donaldson Quartet, who were later going to be joined by Alan Barnes. So, I turned around, and descended, to see a few minutes of Richard Leach’s 7 Stars of Jazz in M 1. I thought it very strange that they modelled themselves on The Alex Welsh Dixelanders, and not on the inspiration of The Alex Welsh Dixielanders, which of course was the Eddie Condon School of Jazz. And although without doubt, the 7 Stars were all competent musicians, for me, they didn’t shine.

Feeling now slightly jaded, I went to the other Marquee in range, M 2. I got a seat, and one of the best shows of the entire weekend. Show, because it was a mix of jazz and cabaret, but performed by the self proclaimed dyke, Lea Delaria,American star of Broadway and TV, and her band. Lea was a hoot, but the lady wot played the piano was tremendous. Janette Mason, is for me, a real find.
The evening finished with a standing ovation, which presaged good for the rest of the weekend.




Saturday

I had two friends playing at Swanage on Saturday, Mike Wills in the morning, with Paul Munnery (trombone) and Hootie and the Gang. They were great fun, if a little under rehearsed. The front line were all good readers, and the arrangements of 1930’s Kansas City style were great



At the end of their set, I rushed down the hill (yes, I had got to M 3 again), to take in Vasilis Xenopoulos with Nigel Price’s Trio. Another excellent set, spoilt slightly by poor sound. No sound man was evident, and the lack of treble literally took the edge of things except for the last 25 minutes, when the wonderful organ player (Paul Whitaker) found the right switch to press on the PA, and we all realised what we had been missing. BUT the set was musically tremendous. Don’t forget folks, that I have booked Nigel with Vasilis for the Marlow Jazz Festival on October 23rd.




I then caught 20 minutes or so of Hotsy Totsy in the Conservative Club. H T are an all lady band, two reeds at the front, singing Boswell Sisters type songs from the late 20’s early 30’s. Good fun, but it was another venue that was too full, and I retreated eventually (after the intake of food and sociability)



to see the first set of Keith Nichols’ Blue Devils in M 1. Again I must say that sound was a problem. This time the sound desk was behind the orchestra, not an ideal place to balance sound from. The band was terrific, making the big band sounds of the 20’s and 30’s sound vibrant and exciting.

By then, I retired to my hotel, and waited with (baited?) breath for Sunday.

Sunday



My hotel had Stan Tracey staying in it, with Clark too, so, as I hadn’t heard the Octet on Saturday night, I went to M 2 to see the Stan Tracey Trio. Stan is looking a little grey and stooped these days, but he is still a vibrant and powerful piano player. Stan and Clark were joined by Andy Cleyndert on bass. Good interplay between all three, a wonderful set.



They were followed by Steve Waterman’s Sextet, who showed us all what terrific musicians can do with arranged music, and then what individual musicians can do with space to solo. They were blindingly good, playing tunes that originated with Benny Golsen, Herbie Hancock, Tadd Dameron and the like. Wonderful music brilliantly played.



A quick trip to the Conservative Club to see Mike Wills again, playing with a band (Judy Eames Jazz Revellers) giving us a quick update on the music of Bessie Smith and Ottilie Patterson, (Judy, the leader, is a singer!!) Apart from our own Mike on reeds, Judy’s husband on trumpet a la Max Kaminsky, the keyboard player was a pretty good stride player.



Food and sociability over again, I returned to M 2 for an entertaining, often improvised, big band set with the Alan Barnes Quartet and Tina May. Well that’s how they were billed, but it was really an Octet. And to get an Octet to do things on the run, without anything falling off, is a remarkable achievement and a tribute to their musicianship. So, for this record, they were Steve Fishwick Trumpet, Mattias Eskilsson Trombone, Alan Barnes Reeds, Andy Panayi Reeds, Jim Hart Vibes, Robin Aspland piano, Mark Hodgson Bass, and Paul Clarvis drums. Tina May sang from the score/lyric sheet Alan Platter words from Alan’s suite about jazz, plus a few standards that were not in the band book. A great time was had by all. All in the band enjoyed it, and “standing” and “ovation” again come to mind at the end of the evening, and of the 21st Festival.

And so it was. I am a fan of Tina May. Many of you know that already, so it was an additional delight to find her at breakfast on Monday, with Alan’s mum and dad!!

Overall it is a tremendous achievement for Swanage to put such a great music event on. I hope you are just getting started, and that I (I must be joking) can look forward to another 21 years of Swanage Jazz.

Very soon, I shall be disappearing for a few weeks to (eventually) land up at The Swanage Jazz Festival. This is THE one I have been going to, through thick and thin, for over 20 years. It becomes an annual old boys reunion, meeting friends one only see's once a year. But we have all done so for over 20 years.

I am aware that I haven't blogged for a while, apart from the odd advert for Hedsor (which will be on every Thursday I'm away don't forget). So I thought I would at least suggest this week a CD that you really ought to search out.

I don't know about you, but I don't get to play all of my collection every week. Or even, every year! Whilst looking for something else, I found this 1993 CD of The Newport Jazz Festival AllStars led by George Wein. Why did I put it into the reserve stock area? Listening to it this evening showed me once again why I bought it. Great names from the swing era of jazz, great tunes too. And it really does swing. Take a listen (if you can still find the CD on Ebay) to Duke Ellington's "What Am I Here For" and you will hear what it IS to swing. Other tunes by other jazz greats, here played by 9 jazz greats. "Swing That Music", 'Tain't What You Do,(It's The Way That You Do It)" plus 9 others, played by some who were the stalwarts of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. Honestly, it is well worth the search.Columbia CK 53317

Another CD listened to recently, kindly on loan from its the owner, was the Hot Club of Detroit. A Gypsy Jazz Orchestra par excellence. It is well recorded, has some great tunes, and is incredibly well played. It brings back memories of the 78's produced by Django Reinhardt and Colman Hawkins in 1938 ish France. Its crisp, lightly swinging (no drummer)and you can find out more about it (and buy it after a sample of the music) if you follow the link

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Club-Detroit/dp/B000GEU6K4

OK, I may get a chance to add to this blog before Swanage breaks out, but if I don't, I hope to see many of you there. And for those of you who aren't, keep live jazz alive by going out to it somewhere near you. Even to Hedsor!

TTFN

Things Jazz

First of all, congratulations to Michael Eagleton, who on Tuesday celebrated 35 years of live jazz gigs with the Marlow Jazz Club. He did this at a super gig with Alan Barnes and Bruce Adams showing everyone what top musicians they really are. A great time was had by all. Well done Michael.

Secondly a short reminder that on Thursday, at our regular venue (the Hedsor Social Club), at the regular time (8.30pm) we have super modern jazz from our regular band (the Clive Burton Quintet). I haven't yet received any sick notes from any of our band of "boys", so why not turn out and enjoy another fine evening of jazz and jokes. Our regular entry fee (£5) applies!

One final "notice". This Saturday on Cookham Moor there will be the annual Cookham Fair run by the local scout group. Stalls, refreshments, beer, burgers and a variety of music will abound. In the afternoon, for the first time in about a dozen years, some of that music will be provided by the fabulous Shirtlifters!!

One sad note re the Shirts, I learnt last week that John Slater, their trumpet star, recently lost his wife after a battle with cancer. Having lost a son and a brother to cancer, I know I can lead YOUR commiserations and sympathy at his sad loss.

So, dont forget to put into your diary The Marlow Jazz Festival day, October 23rd. ALL OF THE PROFIT FROM THIS EVENT IS GOING TO CANCER RESEARCH UK.

I'll see you there then!

Geoff C

John Coverdale

Hello Jazz Fans,

Just a little light nagging today.

Tomorrow, Thursday 10 June (already!), we have a small change of program. Clive Burton is doing "something else", and he is being replaced with guitarist John Coverdale. Mike Wills will be Mike Wills, and as far as I know, the rest of the boys in the band also remain "unchanged".

Hedsor Jazz could do with seeing a few more happy smiling faces, or even a few more glum ones. the last few weeks has seen a fall in attendance.

Part of this is due to various people being unwell. My excuse for missing last week was all 4 grandchildren at once, fortunately not a frequent experience!

I know we have sent out a few "Get Well" cards recently. There is some positive progress to report. As you have all seen, Clive has made a remarkable recovery. Roy Hole is progressing slowly from the fitting of his pacemaker. He still has to discover how far he can walk!! And has yet to drive. He is in good spirits. We had coffee together yesterday, and he was happily reminiscing about his days playing saxophone full time whilst in the RAF in Kenya! Margaret Goodyer is progressing slowly. Len has now been able to take her out to lunch. She remains in hospital however.

So, a few returns would be welcome!

Looking further ahead to the October Marlow Jazz Festival, we can now confirm that Max Brittain will be taking one of the guitar master classes, and also playing alongside John Barnes. If you want to find out more about Max, look at his website
http://www.maxbrittain.com/

We have also gained a Centenary Tribute to Django Reinhardt from the band that rehearses each month in Marlow's Liston Hall, which is led by Malcome Greenhaugh. He promises some special guest with him to play a full tribute to the master guitarist of Gypsy Jazz. Django's birth was in 1910!

OK. Tell your friends, Hedsor Jazz is a great place to be on a Thursday. Hedsor Social club, 8.30 pm start, £5 entry fee.

TTFN

Geoff
www.jazzfromgeoff.blogspot.com
PS I was told by a marketing consultant that they couldn't even mention my blog in print, due to it's obvious jazz connection!! Well well!

Good Morning Jazz Fans.

First, just to let you know that our Trombone Maestro, Clive Burton, has made such a fantastic recovery, that he not will only be there at The Hedsor Social Club on Thursday, but he will actually be playing alongside Mike Wills on Reeds. I know we all want him back, but I'm sure you are as concerned as I am the he doesn't over do it. But it is really GREAT news that he is back, and wants to be back with us at Hedsor. So Thursday, for the first time in a number of weeks, The complete Clive Burton Quintet! 8.30 start, £5 entry fee.

Whilst on the subject of our reed player, Mike Wills will be at this years Swanage Jazz Festival (16th to 18th July) with Paul Munnery's Band "Hootie and the Gang". See the insert above for its details. They play Saturday from 11.45 am in Marquee 3 (the one up that b...y hill).

On your way down from the hill, at 1.50pm, you can also catch Vasilis Xenopoulos with Nigel Price in Bar 7 (OK, us originals at Swanage knew it as The Victoria Club Bar). It's a pity that the program managed to get Vasilis with one of his "i"'s missing!!

For those of you who haven't yet caught on to the deep joy of the Swanage Jazz Festival, book very soon or you wont get in. Online booking can be got at by doing a google on "The Swanage Jazz Festival".

And talking of Festivals, the Marlow Jazz Festival (October 23rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel)is coming together nicely. The latest addition to the cast is the Gipsy Jazz Band led by guitarist Malcolm Greenhalgh. As it is the 100th anniversary of Django Reinhardt's birth, I thought it appropriate to celebrate his centenary with a local Marlow band specialising in his music. Malcolm has also promised a couple of special guest added to the band.

Tickets for this All Day Jazz Festival will be available soon.

Well, have I had time for anything else this last week or so?

YES! I have relaxed over a couple of cups of coffee (this week it was the Brazilian stuff Clive Davis brought back from The Copacabana Hotel!)listening to some stride piano courtesy of Dick Wellstood.

I have always enjoyed this style of piano jazz, where the rhythm is kept going in the left hand, whilst the right hand plays the tune. Dick died in 1987, but a performance at a bar called "The Sticky Wicket" in Massachusetts was recorded on a punters "new" reel to reel tape recorder, and the Arbours label has it as a double album called (innotively) "Dick Wellstood Live at the Sticky Wicket" ARCD 19188. It is a must for all who like jazz piano. It is well recorded, uncut, and you get all his own announcements and the "enthusiasm" of the audience as well. Being a private recording, it was stuck away on a shelf and forgotten until 10 years after Dick died. Definitely a resurrection worth while.

Digging out this album reminded me that somewhere I had another tape of Dick, again in front of an audience, and "Dick Wellstood Live at the Cafe Des Copains" has now been digitised for my own collection. Artwork for both is above.

Finally I played a CD yesterday because it had fallen out of the "For Sale" box on the back seat of the car. Georgia Mancio has been learning the trade of singer for 10 years now, and somehow I had missed her. If you enjoy lady's what sing, seek her out. This latest album "Silhouette" is mostly her own songs, but she has a clean and distinctive voice, and surrounds herself with quality young players (OK John Pearce isn't that young, but Tim Laphorn is). It is a very good album, and just shows us oldies that there is still life in jazz yet. Roomspin Records 2412

However, as we all know, musicians can only survive, jazz can only survive, if you turn out to listen to it, and pay some money to do so.

Leave the seduction of the telly to others, help to keep live jazz ALIVE.

Reading obviously has a good Cardiac Care Unit.

Heart attack Sunday Morning, angiogram and stent Monday afternoon, discharged home on Tuesday afternoon.

And that's Clive Burton, now resting safely at home. The swiftest turn around I've heard of!!

BUT it will still be Stuart Henderson playing alongside AL Nicholls at Hedsor on Thursday!

And as Michael Weinblatt has said, we shall have to stop chanting "At The Hedsor Social Club" soon, and replace it with "the head sore stenters"

Geoff C

MONDAY MAY 24th

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Clive Burton, our trombone maestro, suffered a heart attack early on Sunday Morning. He is now in the Cardiac Care Unit of the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

I have had a quick phone conversation with Jan, and he is OK, but obviously these are early days still.

We all of course wish him the speediest of recoveries, and look forward again to the day when he can lead the chant "At The Hedsor Social Club".

Our regular Thursday Night Jazz sessions there will carry on whilst we await his return. Alongside Al Nicholls our guest this week on tenor saxophone, will be another brass player from Reading, trumpeter Stuart Henderson.

In my last blog, I commenting on the "Return of the X Factor", with Vasilis and Michael L Roberts. Clive was his usual self, and the evening was a tremendous success.

He took a little time off after that (to complete his Community Service!), and I know that we were all looking forward to his return and his jokes!

He will be back, but our wait might be a little longer. In the meantime, we wish him a speedy recovery.

Geoff C

WOW!

I think I can safely say that you voted with your feet last night. I can also safely say that the Jazz Party has been re elected!

The X Factor of Vasilis Xenopoulos and Michael L. Roberts was a real and tangible force. The whole evening swung, the atmosphere was warm and friendly (something that is normal for Hedsor Jazz), and we all made some new friends.

Thanks are due to all who helped with the evening, setting up, clearing up, counting the money, etc, etc. Also a special thanks is due to our guest pianist last night, Malcolm Cliff. All in all it was a terrific night of great jazz.

If you were one of the newcomers, please don't make it your last visit. We are just as friendly when we meet in the smaller bar.

Next week (May 20th) we have a couple of special guests to go with our regular rhythm section. Zane returns from his birthday outing, and Clive and Mike Wills are away doing their Community Service. In their place we have saxophonist Peter Cook, and guitarist John Coverdale. They need no introduction to those who have been before, it will be great to welcome them back to Hedsor again.

If last night was your first at Hedsor Jazz we would love to welcome you again soon, so why not keep on supporting The Jazz Party, a coalition of incredibly talented jazz musicians. You would be helping in keeping Live Jazz Alive

CD Reviews later this week.

Geoff

TONIGHTS THE NIGHT

and there will be some tickets on the door.

Vote NOW, with your feet, for Vasilis X

Blog time again. I really don’t know where the time goes, but it does, and so much quicker than when I was paid money to work!!

First, a bit more information about the Vasilis Xenopoulos evening coming up on May 13th at The Hedsor Social Club.

The line up is The Clive Burton Quartet, with of course trombone maestro Clive Burton, Ken Rankine on bass and Martin Hart on drums, but with special guest pianist (by special request seeing as Zane is taking a holiday break) Malcolm Cliff. I managed to miss him somehow when he last visited Hedsor, but I certainly don’t want to do that this time, and neither do you!! Add to this the formidable talents of Vasilis AND the young singer Michael L Roberts, and you have a gig worthy of any jazz club in the land. I still haven’t forgotten people coming up to me at the end of last years Cookham Festival jazz event telling me how wonderful Michael was, and how they had never heard a singer anywhere as good as that!!

So, I have taken the (financial) liberty of hiring Hedsor’s big room, so do come and see for yourselves how good he is. Tickets are available at £8 from Cookhams Stationary Depot, or from me, or possibly on the door. BUT do make sure YOU get in.

The X Factor? Well it is a week since you would have put your cross on a piece of paper, and Xenopoulos has plenty of the X factor so beloved of television!

CD’s Listened to recently.


First, a download. I was recently lent a tape of a Gerry Mulligan Concert. The music on it was excellent, but unfortunately, the tape had seen better Hi Fi days years before. So, I searched the net, and got a very respectable download from Amazon. “Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker at Carnegie Hall” is a 1974 bringing together of the 1950’s partners, playing some of their original repertoire, and some new.

Names on the stage with Gerry and Chet, include Ron Carter, John Scofield and Bob James.
One of Mulligans loveliest ballads was recorded here for the first time:- “A Song for Strayhorn” is art in music at its best. Other titles include “Line for Lyons”, “For an Unfinished Woman”, “Bernie’s Tune”, and “K4 Pacific”. They are all typically unpolished concert performances, but with that team, they were pretty shinny anyway! I recommend you check it out via the download route; you can listen to excerpts before you commit to money.


The other album, released in 2007, is a finger snapper. A compilation of Horace Silver tunes on the HighNote label, called “Funky Pieces of Silver”! “Sister Sadie”, “Juicy Lucy”, “Song for My Father” plus many more, recorded by a selection of the exponents of the funk art. Charles Earland, Joey DeFranceso, Houston Person, etc. If you like funk, it’s a great compilation. If you aren’t sure what funk really is, it’s a good lesson! HighNote HCD 7176. Try looking on Amazon (search “Funky Pieces of Silver”, new they have it for £14.49) or on the HighNote website www.jazzdepot.com

Well that’s it for now, keep coming out for live jazz, you can vote every week for the Jazz Party at Hedsor.

As well as having an election to cope with, and the following Thursday a VERY special night at The Hedsor Social Club with Vasilis Xenopoulos and singer Michael L. Roberts (May 13th), there is ONE MORE activity to fit in between being counted out (or IN), and Vasilis.

Our regular drummer Martin Hart is running another of his evenings of Jazz at The Woodley Theatre on May 8th. This time his guest is saxophonist Sue Greenway. Now, to the best of my knowledge, I have never heard Miss Greenway play, but a quick trawl of the mighty web gave me the following info:-

Sue Greenway
Saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocals. Four years with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Several years with the RAF Squadronnaires. Appearances with the BBC Big Band. Many West End shows.

SO she seems to be something special.

I cant find a mention of her, or Martin's night, on the Woodley Theatre web site, so I thought I would bring it to your attention myself. The Woodley Jazz Nights are usually good fun, and if you ring the Box Office 0118 9690827 you may find out more about it, like how much and what time!!

In the meantime I can only urge you to vote EVERY Thursday for the Jazz Party, care of, The Hedsor Social Club, Bourne End, Bucks. Like most voting, even if by foot, it will only cost you money, this time £5, to get in. After your in, well, you never can tell what a vote will cost you!!

TTFN

Keep Live Jazz Alive

A very brief new edition this week.

First, what a great jazz night we had last night at Hedsor. Al Nicholls was in great form, and made many new fans. It was also great to see so many of you there in the Hedsor Bar.

Which leads me to the announcement of another special event!!


Michael L Roberts


Vasilis Xenopoulos

At Hedsor on Thursday May 13th we have another saxophonist of renown coming. Vasilis Xenopoulos. OK, he has been before, and he has played the bar before. BUT this time he is bringing with him a singer who took the Cookham Festival by storm. Michael L. Roberts is coming to sing alongside Vasilis, and because I am convinced we are going to have a demand for this event, we are putting it on in the main hall at Hedsor. A small additional charge will be made, and I'm selling tickets before hand in order to have some control on numbers. Tickets are available now from me at the very reasonable price of £8 From Monday I hope they will also be on sale at The Stationary Depot, Station Parade, Cookham (01628 531178). In order to enhance the evening we are also providing some nibbley bits for each table. If you wish to bring a picnic, please do, but you must buy all your drinks from the bar!

If you really cant wait until May for another special night out, next week you can have some Rabbits at The Bourne End Community Centre Bar jazz night on Tuesday (dont ask, I think its a trad band), and on Thursday we have that terrific trumpet player from Reading Stuart Henderson, joining Mike Wills, Zane, Martin and Ken at Hedsor.£5 entry.

All these gigs start at 8.30 pm!!

Looking further ahead to the Marlow Jazz day in October, we have now added to our list of star guests ex Humph and Alex Welsh saxophonist John Barnes. Do make sure you have got October 23rd firmly inked into your diary. It will be a splendid jazz event, and a great fund raiser for Cancer Research UK.

More later, but for now......

TTFN

Geoff C

I haven’t mentioned any CD’s I’ve been listening to for a couple of weeks.

There was a very good reason for this, my wife and I have been redecorating our front long, which
a) is very time consuming and
b) houses the Hi Fi, which had to be completely dismantled in order of the shelves it all stands on to be painted a fetching shade of red. And THAT is another story, perhaps for a long winter night (at the present rate of summers approach, that will be next week)!!



The Red Shelves!

So, lower down this piece you will see that since reassembling the listening apparatus, I have got 3 CD’s for your consideration.

First things first, news of live jazz.

Thursday, as always, the Clive Burton Quintet will be performing for us at The Hedsor Social Club. Usual £5 admittance, 8.30 pm musical start.

I know times is hard, which is why we keep the entry price as low as possible, but I really find it hard to understand why the bar at the social club has started to charge 60p for a glass of tap water!! Grip (water?) over, tomorrow night should see the usual suspects playing. We are getting some star guests in future weeks, but please come and enjoy the regular star band.

On April 8th, we will be joined by Blue Harlem’s Al Nicholls on tenor sax. You know he swings and you know what a booting sound he makes, so stuff it in your diary NOW!

We are also trying to secure the services of Vasilis Xenopoulos together we the singer from his Cookham Festival band, Michael J. Roberts. Keep a lookout in the blog for a soon to be announced date.

Looking much further ahead, plans are now well in hand for bigger fund raising event than anything I have been involved in before. Again it will be for Cancer Research UK, but on October 23rd, at Marlow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel we will be running an All Day Jazz festival. Music and master classes will be available. Booked so far are Vasilis and his band, and Simon Spillett and His band, which includes John Critchinson, Andrew Cleyndert and Martin Drew. A marching band opening encompassing Cookhams fabulous Shirtlifters will kick it all off. We will also have vibraphone player Alan Graham, who with Mike Wills will be recreating some of the Benny Goodman Quartet sounds and of course our very one Clive Burton Quintet. Lots of other things too. A whole 12 hours of jazz! Put it in your diary NOW, and I will let you have more info when it is available.

I don’t know who the guests will be at The Bourne End Community Centre on Tuesday 6th April, but it being the first Tuesday of the month, there will be live jazz in the bar from 8.30 pm onwards.

Now those CD’s

First up a 2008 recording on the Arbors label by guitarist Chris Flory. Chris was at one time a regular member of Scott Hamilton’s band, and we have him here in more funky ensemble with Mike LeDonne on organ. Good tunes, and very well recorded straight ahead jazz. They are joined by Chuck Riggs on drums, and Dan Block on tenor sax and Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet. One of my favourite tunes from my trad playing days (a VERY long time ago) “I Want a Little Girl” is included in a set the moves from Gershwin to Lockjaw Davis. Arbors ARCD 19357

Next a CD I took out of the stock. Coming through now and again have been a set of what look to be very boring reissues of very old recordings. The covers are “brown” and most people have passed them by, even when at bargain prices. I thought I would try volume 11. The first 4 tracks are by Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931). But I was stunned by the wonderful sound quality some someone has achieved from these vintage shellacs. Not stereo, but it is very hard to think they were recorded in 1927! Following on are recordings by Muggsy Spanier (not quite as crisp, but still very listenable) Lionel Hampton, and Benny Goodman. The CD is worth the first 4 tracks alone Vintage Jazz Volume 11 CDSGPBJZ20. Released in 1995, you may find some still in my for sale boxes, or on Ebay.


Lastly a CD I cant stop playing since putting my Hi Fi back together. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but Tommy Smith and fellow Scot Brain Kellock dueting on Symbiosis is a knockout. Beautiful recording, wonderful playing. No places for the musicians to get lost in. Brian can play almost any style of piano, but blends them all together to make his own. Tommy Smith plays it fairly straight ( too often on the recordings I have heard he goes past the point where his improvisations are understandable by me at any rate ) and he has a wonderful tone, clean and precise. The tunes include Cherokee, Manhattan, Bernies Tune, and 8 others equally well known. Released in 2004 on Sparticus Records LC13027. It’s available from the manufacturer for £9.99



Well, it’s time I had a lie down, so

TTFN

Geoff C

Its me again folks!!

With NEWS!

Tomorrow evening March 18th, our regular pianist (I have just realized that it is dead easy to type "painist"!!) Zane Cronje is indisposed, and in his place we will have Nigel Fox, always enjoyed in previous visits.

Looking further ahead, on April 8th we have, as a guest, saxophonist, and leader of Blue Harlem, Al Nicholls. Put the date in your diary now. His swinging style and booting sound always attracts a crowd.

Check out the website by following the link.
http://www.blueharlem.co.uk/al.html

I have also had a plea from saxophonist Michael Weinblatt for a bass player to join him in a small band playing standards. They rehearse on Wednesdays. Anyone interested should contact him direct. MichaelWeinblatt@aol.com

TTFN

Geoff C

I'm trying to fit in a bit of light nagging, just to remind you to turn out to live jazz!

This coming Thursday we will again have all of our resident Quintet, led by Clive Burton, performing at The Hedsor Social Club. 8.30 pm is music start time.

As those of you who were at last weeks session will know, we said goodbye to barman Jeff. He has moved on to greener fields with culinary aspirations! He has been a great support over the last few years, and has helped in keeping our regular jazz sessions going. Always friendly, he has looked out for our interests at The Hedsor Social Club. I do hope he does well in his new job.

Here at Cronin Towers, hot on the heals of last years kitchen refurb, we are now exercising ourselves with a redecorate of one of our lounge areas. This time its the one with all the music system in it. I had to spend some hours this afternoon dismantling it, and spreading the many pieces of the jigsaw puzzle round the house. CD reviews will become almost impossible until I can get it reassembled. BUT I did achieve a good listen to one or two albums just prior to the current devastation! Read on and you will see what they were!

A last item, Vasilis Xenopoulos will be playing at The Marlow Jazz Club on Tuesday March 23rd. He will have with him guitarist Jim Mullen. I am going to shock Michael Eagleton........ by going!!

CD Review

I listened first to an album that purported to be a Count Basie disk. It was of course nothing of the sort, just a bunch of, albeit very competent, musicians playing in a big band, with very little of the imagination or pizazz of the actual band. It was recorded in 2008, and had a number of "guest" musicians on each track, including Jammie Cullem!

It prompted me to dig out an album I've had for some years. Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra "Central Park North" may have some slightly dated arrangements (it was recorded originally in 1969)but it came out sounding fresh and dynamic, with extraordinary good sound, having been remastered into 24 bit for the 2004 CD release. If you like big bands, you will be entranced by this one. Personnel include both the leaders, plus Snooky Young, Eddie Daniels, Joe Temperly, and Jimmy Knepper. And that's just some! Tunes include Thads "Big Dipper" and Nat Adderly's "Jive Samba". It's a Blue Note Release 7243 5 76853 2 0 OK, so its a big label but...why such an uncool numbering system?

The Other album I listened to with great relish is from a young British (?) lady saxophonist Tracey Mendham.Called "The Orphan Manuscript" (the first tune on the CD and her own composition). Other tunes include "Laura", "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes", "Gone With the Wind", and Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream". They are all performed in a very enjoyable fashion. Anyone who enjoys the Hedsor style of jazz will appreciate the album. Tracey's tone is big and vibrant, and she has with her a pianist I will watch out for in the future, one Hilary Cameron. The band's lineup is completed by Chris Rodel on bass and Kenrick Rowe on drums. Paul Higgs joins them on trumpet for Nica's Dream. Its a Cats Whisker Production recorded in 2007. The bar code tells me its 5 060052 774446. Honestly I have seen less numbers in a code describing paint colours!

But it is well worth searching for.

As usual, artwork for both albums is at the top of the page. Mr Blog likes it like that!

TTFN

Hedsor Jazz tonight has the regular Clive Burton Quintet. Mike Wills will!! He is with us again, our very own, very talented saxophonist will be with us, joining trombone maestro Clive. So, watch out for harmonies, and some sheet music!!

These talented few can be heard to for just £5. Music starts at 8.30 pm, bar open at 7.30 pm.

The Hedsor Social Club is next to the garden centre in Hedsor Road, Bourne End, SL8 5ES

TTFN (Yes I CAN remember ITMA)

Geoff C

Hi Jazz Fans

Just a line today to let you know that accompanying trombone maestro Clive Burton in the front line this week at the Hedsor Social Club Thursday (March 4th) Jazz Session is reed man Mark Aston.

Mark has played for us a couple of times before, and has a very melodic approach to jazz. I look forward to seeing you all. 8.30 pm start. Usual admission £5 applies.

More blog and CD revues when time allows, but, for now....

TTFN

Geoff

I haven’t put finger to keyboard for a blog for a couple of weeks now, so I thought it was about time again!

I’ve had a further thought about value, and what we do! Record shops that disappear, clubs that close, and what do YOU perceive to be value for money?

As you know, we charge a very reasonable £5 for entry to the weekly Thursday Jazz Sessions at The Hedsor Social Club. Over the last 2 years, with this figure also giving you a chance to win the raffle, our audience has waxed to 50 and waned to 10. As is not unusual in the “10” circumstance, you examine your pricing structure. Are we too expensive? Well, I recently saw a booking form for a London Opera Company. The cheapest seats for the least popular work were £20! The best seats for a popular work were £85!

OK, Hedsor isn’t glamorous. Recently it isn’t that warm either. And we do have to tempt you out against the competition of TV (aren’t all the programs so compelling these days? Which repeats do you value most?).

BUT, you get great jazz, live in front of you. You can talk to the musicians (whilst you buy them a drink), you can expect the unexpected. Who will sit in? Will the magic of improvised jazz really take off tonight? And all for £5. Perhaps we need to persuade you that the event does have a value greater than £5. How about if we charged you the cheep seat price of £20 to get in? See what I mean?

So why not try £5’s worth tomorrow. Our guest is guitarist John Coverdale.
Next week our guest will be Simon Spillett.
That means on February 25th you can have two tenors for a fiver!

CD’s

Thinking again of the record shops of yesterday, long ago and far away I used to visit a second hand record shop in Chiswick. You could buy LP’s there of people you didn’t know, just to try the music out. You could always sell it back if you didn’t like it. There, back in the 1950’s, I discovered the pianist Ralph Sutton. He was a pianist in the style of Fats Waller. It wasn’t “Modern Jazz”, or “Trad”, but it was two handed playing of recognisable tunes. Sadly, this particular LP was clapped out, and it did go back to the shop. Ralph died in 2001, but recently released is a CD of recordings he made in1994 on a friends bedroom Disklavier, a piano that recorded what you played onto a floppy disk! This perfectly relaxed and “private” session has been re recorded using a modern Yamaha Disklavier Grand Piano and released on the Soliloquy Music label (SOL 002) in 2007. For fans of stride playing, this is a must. Called “The Bedroom Sessions” it contains tunes from another era, but almost certainly you will know them. “Old Fashioned Love”, “Ring Dem Bells”, “A Hundred Years from Today” and 16 others. Well worth a search for.

Another more accessible CD is a 1989 recording on the Verve label by The Gerry Mulligan Quartet. It contains one of his “train” tunes, “The Flying Scotsman”. I remember seeing him perform this at The Brecon Jazz festival in that big Market Hall. The organisers flew him and his quartet in for the one show, and flew him back again. It was a masterly performance, he looked like the US President, and he played like the master he was. Thank goodness for recordings. This reissue (2009) is on Verve 0602527068756. No, it isn’t my telephone number! That’s the number on the cover. The number on the CD is A&M 75021-5326-2. Help, I don’t think it’s me who is mad!

2 Record Shops, one open, the other closed!

My attention has been drawn this week to an article in January’s edition of SAGA Magazine. Under the heading “Turning the Tables, was a statement “Twenty years ago there were more than 3000 independent record shops in the UK; now there are fewer than 300”.

It goes on to consider how important a part of musical and social life used to “revolve” around visits to, and discussions with, people in your local record store. How you often discovered music you went on to love ever after in those stores you had visited. How you often purchased LP’s that you hadn’t gone out to buy, because your attention was drawn to them playing in the store.

Not long ago, at a Hedsor gig, where I sell second hand CD’s, a regular attendee said that she didn’t know any of the musicians on the cd’s, how was she supposed to find out? It should be noted that I don’t play them there. How indeed? Have we all thrown out the baby with the bathwater? I know you can find a lot of music online, places like YouTube and on downloadable MP3 music sites. But what about the social side? I know I have concentrated efforts in the last 20 years to getting people out to hear live jazz, but there is a tremendous legacy of recorded jazz that really needs to be opened up for new and old fans alike. Then I personally like to look at the sleeve notes and artwork. Who is playing, when was it recorded and where? You wont get that with your MP3 stream.

Perhaps we do take too many things for granted. How many shops have you looked in, to see for yourself the article you are interested in, and then gone home and ordered it on the internet? What happens when they, like the record shop, closes down through lack of custom?

Tonights live jazz at Hedsor by the way, will have guest saxophonist Peter Cook. We would value your support. He is a very gifted musician, please don’t make music a virtual reality!

Having written all the above, there are 2 cd’s I have listened to this week that are showcases for singers, neither of whom I have seen live!

The first, which on first spin (and all subsequent spins), delighted me, is by Dominic Alldis. “Scenes We Once Knew” seems like an appropriate title considering my SAGA comments! Dominic has been resident pianist at Pizza on the Park and had accompanied many visiting singers before realising he had a talent for it himself. His ability is definitely there, and his choice of songs, and his take on them, a delight. Dave Frishberg’s “Blizzard of Lies” will make you smile, Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” will dig your memories, and they are all performed with clear diction, excellent swing, and wonderful accompaniment, by Iain Ballamy on sax, and Gerard Presencer on trumpet. Its on a label I don’t know, Canzona Music Ltd CANZ CD5

The second is by Australian mother of three Karen Lane, who came to London in 2000. “Beautiful Love” is just, well, beautiful! Her band is NOT Avant Guard. Piano, bass, drums, sax, guitar and violin! I don’t know the names listed, but they are all great players, and she herself is a slightly edgy, soft voiced, temptress! “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise”, “Day in Day Out”, “Mood Indigo” pus 9 other are just the thing for February 14th!Available on "Smash Digital" SMD002

There is significance about February 14th that you are probably unaware of. 8 Years ago to the day, I came out of Harley Street, having had my heart re plumbed!

See you tonight in the (Hedsor) Moonlight!

A Winter Ineluctability

Last night was another of Cookham’s fabulous Shirtlifters evenings of Winter Ineluctability.

This is an incredible title for an incredible annual event. A dictionary will give you a definition like this “ineluctability - the quality of being impossible to avoid or evade”. Well, some of Cookhams population did evade and avoid, but well over 100 of us didn’t! (and that is possibly a conservative estimate, for legal reasons!).

It was an evening of traditional style jazz, performed by a bunch of friends (well they were when it started) who wanted to replicate the trad jazz boom of their youth. Over the years people have asked them to play for them, and then they pay them money.

And then every year at least 3 things happen at this time of year.

1.Those who attend ineluctably usually have a terrific evening of entertainment.

2. The money people have paid them to play is distributed to a number of local charities. This year about a dozen people representing those charities left with cheques all for over £100, many twice as much and more.

3. Guest musicians and singers line up to play with the fabulous, and last night was no exception.

Over the years, the band has improved. I would say that practice makes perfect. Lets just say that they have improved!

One musician playing with them last night was one who is regularly mentioned on my blog. Saxophonist Mike Wills brought with him (and played) the lighter end of his instrumental collection. A 1925 bent soprano saxophone and going right on up to a tenor saxophone, and passing on the way a clarinet. He also owns a piccolo saxophone, a baritone saxophone, a bass clarinet and a bass saxophone! In the nicest possible way he added dimension to the band’s sound. Excellent!

One of the regular band deserves special commendation. Malcolm Wilks (on trombone) has improved to the point that I don’t think he blew a wrong not last night at all. Excellent!

Most of the band also have, over the last few years, started to sing to us as well as play. This adds variety, and thimbles. I too, have a similar collection of thimbles, but no longer the washboard! Come on, no serious trad trumpeter of the 50’s went without one!

THE Singer for the band is, of course, John Brooks. The “George Melly”, once of Cookham, is a larger than life character, (no John, no reference to the physical, but your kitchen man is quite sublime and it must be difficult to stay slim) who tells outrageous jokes, and does his best, which is pretty good, to emulate Bessie Smith. Double Entendre in spades. Net result, hilarity.

OK, for someone of my vintage, I can remember visiting the Shepherds Bush Empire and seeing the acts (who’s number came up in lights at the side of the stage) in my childhood, but that is another experience and another story. But I did enjoy singing again, “My Old Man Said Follow the Van”, I hadn’t done that in years.

This year a special guest singer was added to the mix. Two years ago, Rolf Harris temporarily joined the shirtlifting fraternity. This year Marianne Stork (English National Opera I believe) really extended the ineluctable show into vaudeville with vocal range. Terrific.

One thing I haven’t mentioned, the actual jazz content. Yes, it was there. They played the tunes that I used to play, because back in another life, I played a trad trumpet. I actually thought that Ken Colyer was some kind of purist icon!! He wasn’t that good a trumpet player, but much better than me!! He had gone to the promised land and came back with the real thing, or so we thought. Last night I knew the words to many of the songs, which is a great comfort! So much better than modern pop music. (Do they have words?). Onions! No, I’m not being rude. I think it was a tune originally played by Sidney Bechet, but Humph recorded it being sung by the “choir” of The Conway Hall in the 1950's. After that, we all did it!

OK, for all of you who managed to evade and avoid, YOU can now experience that which is lost!! Last Years evening was recorded, and the CD, is now available. And guess what, profits from that sale will also go to charity.

Cookhams fabulous Shirtlifters are a phenomena. Whilst forever improving on the musical front (arrangements no less), they have cracked the entertainment front as well. Why pay taxes for the things we need like hospice care or childrens playgrounds, when all we need to do is run an evening of ineluctability once a week. So much less painful. Well done shirts.

PS the young man in the sepia is me, when I played!!

An update on Jazz at The Hedsor Social Club.

Our regular reed section is away this Thursday, January 21st, so we have invited guitarist Max Britain to join Clive Burton on our front line.

I am also reliably informed that Ken Rankine will be back with us on bass and new hip!!

Next Thursday, January 28th, Clive will be our absentee, so joining Mike Wills at the sharp end will be that wonderful trumpet player,(who did get home after his last gig with us on December 17th, despite the snow), Stuart Henderson.

So, put the dates in the forefront of your diaries, and come out for a wonderful evening (both) for just £5 a session.

TTFN

Geoff

I almost forgot. Martin Hart, drummer extraordinaire, is performing at The Woodley Theatre this Saturday, January 16th, with one of Hedsor Jazz's favorite guitarists, Max Britain. At the moment, there are still some tickets left.

Geoff C

HEDSOR JAZZ

After a gap of 1 month, Jazz at The Hedsor Social Club is BACK.

The Clive Burton Quintet, with John Monney on bass as Ken Rankine is still down in Portland, will be there for the first time this year. Snow on snow is all very well, but it does mitigate against social events. I, for one, have missed our live jazz sessions very much, despite Arbors Jazz!

So, if you can make it, why not reunite tonight from 8.30 pm onwards. We WILL charge you our usual £5 entry fee, but it does include a raffle ticket, AND there will be a bumper crop of second hand CD's there for you to spend your pocket money on.

One WARNING. Be careful in the Hedsor Car Park. It is still slippery.

It is a strange quirk of our society that to avoid being sued, the club has instructed Jeff the barman, not to clear the snow!! So DO TAKE CARE.

See you tonight, even without the moonlight!

Geoff C

Hi Folks.

I thought I would catch up on a bit of blogging today. As yet we cannot be sure about this Thursdays Jazz at Hedsor, we await the snow tomorrow to see if all is passable. I hope that it will be, as I for one am absolutely fed up with the cold white stuff that has been around for too long now, and would like to meet you good jazz fans again!

I read in “Cookham Blogger” that Clive Davis has given up doing a blog about village life because it is taking up too much time. I know how he feels because writing even my mean blog takes an hour or so, and it’s obvious that I don’t always get a good input into it due to the time constraint. And Clive still has a living to earn! So, well done Clive for doing such a good job for such a long time.

And so to my mean effort.

I thought that as I had suggested that you all sit down and listen to recorded jazz at home whilst drinking a large scotch, I had better write up some of what I have been listening to.

The first thing wasn’t jazz at all, but I hadn’t listened to it before. Vaughan Williams “Hodie” is a Christmas Cantata, and I listened over the bleak week to a reissue on the EMI Classics label. It is a choral work with Orchestral accompaniment, with solo singers and obviously a choir. The recording was made in 1965 with The LSO, Janet Baker, Richard Lewis, John Shirley-Quirk and the choristers of Westminster Abbey, all conducted by David Willcocks. Even though an old (for classical recordings) recording, it is defiantly a vibrant recording. Written and first performed in 1954 it is still a modern piece, using old Christmas Carols, and poetry to form a magnificent celebration of the time of year (Hodie meaning “This Day”). The orchestral accompaniment reminded me very much of VW’s “Symphonia Antarctica” music, which was written originally for the Film “Scott of the Antarctic” in 51. It has that chill about it, and that air of cold awe. I can heartily recommend it, especially if you haven’t , like me, heard it before. EMI Classics 7243 5 67427 2 7. Yes really! Do they really need all those numbers to identify the work?

And so to Jazz.

Over the years I have come to realise that certain labels are a good bet. To name but one obvious one, “Blue Note”. But there is some great music, and musicians, signed with lesser known labels, and I want to write about just one today, Arbors Records “Arbors Jazz”.

I know that I have talked about some of them before, but I realise that I do have quite a number out on my shelves that have been listened to in the last few weeks, and that has been without disturbing the racks of CD’s looking for more. So, not yet put away are:-

Eddie Erickson and his International Swing Band: I’m Old Fashioned ARCD 19373. He plays Banjo and Guitar, and sings. You may not have heard of many of his stars, but Trombonist Bill Allred is a phenomenal player, and Antti Sarpila on reeds is another well recognised player originally from Finland. The music is 1930’s style, and great fun.

Duke Heitger, Berndl Hotzky: Doin’ The Voom Voom ARCD19382
Is a whole set of trumpet piano duets, harking back to Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines in flavour, but without copying. To do it properly requires great skill, and these two have it in spades. Tunes by Gershwin, Ellington, James P Johnson and Edward Elgar. Yes E E has “Salut d’Amour” played as a finale.

John Allred, Jeff Barnhart, Danny Coots: “The ABC’s of Jazz” ARCD 19371 is just wonderful tuneful swinging jazz, played by guys who don’t have to think how to, they just do! John Allred is the trombone playing son of the father on ARCD 19373. Jeff Barnhart is a great stride piano player, and Danny Cooks is a pretty good modern drummer. The style is again easy swing, The solo’s virtuosic, and the tunes are all ones you have heard before. BUT have you ever heard the clarinet solo from High Society played by a trombone before? Terrific.

Marty Grosz: Hot Winds, The Classic Sessions ARCD 19379 finds a bunch of largely New York based musicians playing “Hot Music”. Marty is a great Guitar and Banjo player, often associated with Eddie Condon style music. Hot Music? Well, Marty says on the sleeve “I’ve been working on a definition for the past sixty years and I still haven’t gotten it into final form. About the closest I have come is that you know it when you hear it” Well, you can hear it here. It is also great fun, as anyone who has seen and heard Marty Live, will know it has to be. With him (amongst a varied cast) is another real character muso Scott Robinson, who is even heard playing C-Melody Sax!

Lastly, one for the children. Randy Sandke’s “Jazz for Juniors” ARCD 19385 is a mixed mode CD which can be played on a PC as well as a CD Player. Doing so will get you the cartoons! It’s really a kind of “Peter and the Wolf” introducing young people to the instruments and the use of them in Jazz. Well thought out, and with great lyrics. Randy is a superb Trumpet player, and is joined by, amongst others, Wycliffe Gordon on Trombone and Howard Alden on Guitar.

So there you have it. Arbors Jazz, a label to be reckoned with, and certainly listened to. And there are lots more, do look them out.

First of all, Happy New Year to you all.

Sadly, the weather has taken a consistent "turn for the worst". And as I tap away on my PC, the snow, which if you recall set in on our Christmas Party Night, is still flaking it down.

I have had a discussion with our leader, trombone maestro Clive Burton, and we have decided to make life a little less difficult for everyone.

Hedsor Jazz tomorrow night, January 7th, has been CANCELLED.

We think it would be unfair on musicians and fans alike to expect you to turn out for what, in essence, is an unessential journey.

So, please tell others you know who may not read this message that Hedsor Jazz has been cancelled for the 7th January due to this white stuff that insist on making life slippery.

So plug in the Hi Fi, select your favorite tracks, pour the scotch, enjoy, and stay warm.

I really do hope that we can reconvene Jazz at Hedsor on Thursday 14th.

Until then, warm drinks, hot jazz CD's and slippers seem like a great way of life.