Swanage Jazz Festival Report Final Installment

Sunday

I went first to listen to The Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra in Marquee 1. The personnel represent the best of the local school jazz orchestras in Dorset and get together once a month to rehearse together as one band. Their set started well, as they played scores they knew well, but I thought that as they progressed the lack of rehearsal time did show. However their were some talented you musicians in there, and even if the audience is getting to be of a certain vintage, there are certainly going to be musicians in the future who will have a fondness for jazz (and Weather Report!).

Next a shift to Marquee 2 to see Mark Bassey Plays Basie.

The rhythm section mentioned above wasn’t who played the set, but this is a Quintet doing similar things in a similar way to our own Clive Burton Quintet. I got the feeling that “our” Hedsor Regulars would do just as well, if not better in Swanage as this Portsmouth (I believe) based band. Needless to say I enjoyed there set, it was a sort of familiar territory. The trombone player (Mark Bassey) had the disadvantage of shortened arms (possibly a Thalidomide casualty) and the way he overcame this problem to play the bass trombone was a great credit to himself and all who had been involved in his training.

I then repositioned myself back into Marquee 1. I had been told that I had missed a wonderful young, pretty, American piano player. So I went to see if I had been told right. I Had! Stephanie Trick, who for this set was playing with guitarist, banjoist and singer Spats Langham, violinist Ben Holder and bass player Malcom Sked was terrific in the stride, boogie piano style and she had a beautiful smile. The part set that I saw brought a great big smile to my face, and was really enjoyable. They were playing a sort of Django style music, with Fats Waller overtones. I just wish I had seen more of that ensemble, and to have seen and herd her solo piano a bit more than I did. Real Joy!

And so to lunch.

In the afternoon I took myself back to the Methodist Church to here a wonderfully amusing set called “100 Years of Jazz in 99 Minutes”. again tears of joy, they were such great fun. The very blurred sound didn’t detract too much from the performance, because that is what it really was. Everyone played every instrument you could think of. See the program intro below.

I left at the interval after they had played “Sing Sing Sing” to get back to Marquee 2 for:-

Hedsor fans will need no introduction to Tina May. She was our guest artist last Christmas (which she hasn’t forgotten), this time joined by friend and singer Lee Gibson and that rhythm section to die for!! Great fun, great songs, excellent links. Didn’t they do well!!

Then came dinner, followed by the last session of the festival, 

OK, so I was probably suffering form “Festival Fatigue” by now, but for me this terrific line up of talent was a bit of a disappointment. In essence a jam session, but I don’t think it worked. No previous discussion appeared to have been had about how who should play what. A messy intro and ensemble exit from each tune, followed by a row of solos was not a good end to a wonderful festival. 

I made the mistake of going back to my digs, and not trying out Marquee 1, which I am told was wonderful.

However, I must pay due credit and give due respect to Fred Lindup and his team for organising another wonderful jazz festival. You cannot please all of the people, (or even me) all of the time, but Fred assured us that it will be on again next year, and I have already booked next years accommodation (The Robertsbrook Guest House, thank you Clare). As I said earlier this festival, which I have been coming to for 23 years, gives you a chance to hear a great variety of talented jazz musicians playing in a wide range of styles, and in a wide variety of venues. Long may it continue.

More 25th Swanage Jazz Festival Comments and Photos

Saturday Evening

After a very pleasant meal in The Ship, my main listen of the evening was to Alan Barnes Reed Breed.

This was a well arranged ensemble of some of my favorite musicians with a rhythm section could not be bettered. 

The same can also be said of each of the saxophonists. Hedsor fans will know first hand how good Karen Sharp is, and Alan Barnes has been voted top in his class times without number. As I mentioned earlier Simon Allen is also a locally trained musician, and he is now a mature exciting saxophonist who is already very good, and can only get better. A real star in the ascendancy. Greg Abate is an American now spending a lot of his time in the UK, and is a pretty astounding alto player. Robert Fowler is someone I feel we should know better. He is a mature player (I don’t mean old!) and wasn't at all out of place at any time during this long evening set. The sound of the ensemble of saxophones was really thrilling. And as the program notes did say, the tunes played were a mixture of new and the happily familiar. The entire evening reminded me of Benny Carters's two recordings,"Further Definitions", and "Additions to Further Definitions". Best set of the weekend? We shall see!!

David Newton, who played with a number of different groups during the weekend has always been a favorite of mine, and he IS getting better. Exciting stuff from him alone. 

All together a super end to a jazz festival Saturday

And so to bed. Next time I will write up the Sunday sessions.

BUT

in the meantime, dont forget there is Live Modern Jazz of the finest quality EVERY THURSDAY at The Hedsor Social Club, and it will only cost you £6!! And you can go home and sleep in your own bed (if you want too!!).

My Thoughts on The 25th Swanage Jazz Festival.

Friday Night

I spent my Friday evening in the Methodist church. Particularly to see The Nigel Price Organ Trio with Vasilis Xenopoulos, but arriving early enough(!!) to here The Ollie Howell Quintet. Due to traffic delays, they (O H Q) were an hour late, so there set was truncated. It was nice to commence the Swanage Festival with some young musicians, who really were all performers of a high order. The acoustics in this church are very poor for music, a very blurred sound from all I heard in here, which does make it difficult to assess the music of performers you don’t know. I know that Simon Spillett said last year how difficult it was to play in there because of the indistinct and diffused sound, and it hasn’t changed!!

However the O H Q :-

 
As listed in the program notes above they had a couple of very talented players, my favorite being saxophonist Duncan Eagles. He is going to be a significant player on the jazz circuit of the future I feel.

Nigel and Vasilis? Those who come to Hedsor Jazz don’t need to be told. Despite the poor acoustics, they were superb. Exciting, innovative, all the things you know about. With Matt Home on Drums and Pete Whitaker on organ who could ask for a better way of ending a Friday night. Wonderful stuff, and with a brand new Nigel Price Trio CD just out just to remind yourself at home what you could almost hear through the acoustic fog!

the only shot I got of Pete Whitaker is blurred, sorry,!

Saturday

Saturday started with the “traditional” New Orleans street parade through Swanage. Not as long a route as before (traffic regulations cost money!) but in the sunshine it was a photogenic occasion, and with a well known face in the front line!!

The first sit down in Marquee 2 was to listen to The Clare Hirst Quintet (as listed in the program below)


Clare is married to Alan Barnes, it is (and always was) a musician with her own take on music, she was once part of The Belle Stars, and doesn’t necessarily play modern (bop) jazz. This set showed us a good competent modern (as in up to date) jazz group extending the style past bop but refraining from the avant-guard.

Next up was a walk to the Conservative Club where another young band of musicians entertained with a tight ensemble sound and excellent solos.

They are an excellent band, surprising many in the audience with their ability to sight read!! They are Manchester based, if you get the chance go and see them, you will enjoy the experience. 

The Con Club had reorganized the seating this year which made it very comfortable, and the beer and rolls were both of a high quality and remarkably budget priced, well done.

I am not complaining, because the “problem” is in fact a real joy, but it is impossible to go and see all that is on offer at The Swanage Jazz Festival.The advantage of the stroller ticket is you can wander about and catch bands or musicians that you might not know. THAT is the way they get to be know, and it is also the way you can expand your understanding of jazz and extend the people you find enjoyable to listen to. But in so exercising my prerogatives, I had to miss out the Jim Mullen Organ Trio and eat a sandwich! But I did proceed to another band new to me (except “himself”), The Bobby Worth Quintet.



All guys I have seen before, 2 local to Hedsor (Simon Allen and Paul Jordanous both came up through the Berkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra movement now known as Pendulum), the rest just famous!! This new grouping gained enthusiastic response from the audience, playing modern jazz.

Then, as now, I took a food break!!

A Short (Holiday) Blogg

Hi All,
Just because I'm enjoying the sunshine does not mean I have totally forgotten Hedsor Jazz!!

Not at all. It's just that I have just remembered to jog your memories, because some of you MIGHT have forgotten that it is there.

Yes EVERY THURSDAY top class jazz is played at The Hedsor Social Club from 8.30pm.

You will be assured to know that many of our regular Clive Burton Quintet do also play at well known jazz festivals as well. This coming weekend, I am off to the Swanage Jazz Festival, and one of our regular band (Mike Wills) will also be there, playing on Friday night in Marque 1.....with

Dave Moorwood’s Big Bear Stompers

Andy Woon Tony Davis (t) Graham Hughes (tr) Mike Wills (reeds) Perry Lock (p) John Arthy (sousa) Dave Moorwood (b) Andy Crisp (d) Judy Eames (voc)

I must admit to a conflict of interest here. He is playing at THE SAME TIME as Nigel Price and Vasilis Xenopoulos are playing in the Methodist Church. I might just have to go where the beer isn't!!

So, why not go along to Hedsor tonight and wish him well.

Oh, one last thing, Nigel Price and Vasilis Xenopoulos will be at Hedsor on August 7th to help me celebrate a birthday!! His new band "Wind Machine" will be with us!!

TTFN

Just a few of my holiday snaps!! Yes, in England!!

Last Blog before DORSET

Yes, just as the summer sun slowly fades into the west, I am going there too!!

Some will say I went West long ago, and who am I to say they are wrong, BUT…..

This week at Hedsor Jazz we have the same band as played last week, with one notable exception. We wont have the lovely Gill Cook this week. Wasn’t she good, no not a question, an out and out statement of fact! So good in fact that we have already booked her for our Christmas Special on December 18^th. Put THAT in your diary now, just to make sure you don’t book it for a pantomime or something.

Coming soon on August 7^th Vasilis Xenopoulos is bringing “Wind Machine” to Hedsor for another of our “special” evenings. Make sure your diary knows about that one too!

After August and before December we do have one or two ideas for special guest nights, keep reading the blog to find out who and when.

Dont forget that if you fancy having a guest of your choice come to play with The Clive Burton Quintet you can always “sponsor” them. i.e. agree to pay a substantial portion of their fee. Talk to Clive or me about that if you have someone in mind. Just to give you an idea, both Tina May and The Remix Jazz Orchestra were both gigs sponsored by one of you (actually two of you!).

Going back to Gill Cook, her new CD, although delayed (she had hoped to have some with her last week) will be launched at 1 pm  on Sunday 14^th September  at the Pizza Express in Dean Street, W1. Ring 08456 027017 for a reservation, or read more at www.gillcook.co.uk

A CD I have listened to this week could be one that pleases more than one type of jazz fan.

 Evan Christopher’s “Django a la Creole” was released in 2008. Evan is a very talented American clarinet player, now largely resident in New Orleans playing up to date New Orleans traditional jazz but also doing European tours from time to time with a Manouche type of group (clarinet, lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass). When done well, this kind of music swings along very nicely, with whistle-able tunes and a slightly latin rhythm, and in Evan Christopher’s case it is done very well indeed. As the title suggests, the music was inspired by the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt back in the 1940’s. Evan has a very clean rich tone and the whole CD is a delight. Freemeaux & Associes FA 505

First a little reminder that tonight 

we have that lovely singer Gill Cook coming to sing for us. 

Please give her all the Hedsor jazz support you can, we need YOU honest!!

We need you so that we can carry on running jazz events and on at least one occasion a year run an event that raises money for Cancer Research UK. We had a very successful evening doing this with The Remix Jazz Orchestra on May 22nd. Yesterday Dee and I went along to present a cheque for £620 to the Cancer Research shop in Beaconsfield.

The sequence of events:-

 Advertise, perform and collect

Write the cheque (this picture has been censored)

Give it to CRUK

See you all tonight

Geoff C

This coming Thursday is a special night for Hedsor Jazz. 

We have that lovely singer Gill Cook coming to sing for us. 

She will be accompanied by the full Clive Burton Quintet, with only a slight alteration in that Ken McCarthy will be playing the keyboard. Lucky Nigel is off on his hols to some exotic Greek Island.

I am also aware that there is an important football game being played in Brazil Thursday evening as well. I hope you choose to come and support our jazz!! If you don't, and you want to watch the football with a crowd of other people, the Garibaldi's web site tells me that they will be showing the match on their TV!.

I just hope we are all winners. With a great jazz crowd and a win for England!!


See you ALL at Hedsor Jazz on Thursday, where we will part you from £6 but give you LIVE JAZZ!

That's The Hedsor Social Club from 8.30 pm!

Morning All,

I do hope you are all enjoying the current wonderful sunshine. I have been catching up on some exterior house maintenance, and then when I feel I have been industrious enough I have been catching up on some escapist reading, you know, a book with a story line! Sadly, no matter what the weather, this afternoon I have to investigate the interior of High Wycombe Hospital!

Still until then I thought I would just mention what’s happening at Hedsor Jazz!!

Tomorrow we have another session with the Clive Burton Quintet. I do believe that it will be performing it its complete form!! So some of their arrangements of 50’s and 60’s bop and Big Band tunes will, I’m sure, be in evidence.

Next week we await with eager anticipation another visit from singer Gill Cook. She is a London based singer whom I have seen a number of times at Ealing Jazz Festivals. She has one CD out in her own name already, and she tells me there will be another one soon. SO come and hear some songs from her old album and some perhaps from her new one too. She has been with us twice before, so I’m sure we are in for a great night at the bargain price of £6 for entry.

Big bands are still around of course. We had a great session from the Remix Jazz Orchestra on May 22^nd, raising £620 for Cancer Research UK in the process. But generally there are very few full time Big Bands, mainly due to the cost of keeping them together. But when you do hear one live and in the flesh the sound can be stunning. Many schools try and encourage young musicians into playing in groups by running a big band, and they make a great fist of it usually, and of course counties often have the best young musicians form school bands, and they can be very good. This years Swanage Jazz Festival will feature the Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra on Sunday morning. I’m sure more fans than just mums and dads will be in Marquee 1 to listen.

There are still one or two Big Bands that regularly issue CD’s and still come together for certain periods of time. Recently I have raved of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and their CD “In The Spirit of DUKE” (Spartacus Records STS 017). I give that a whole hearted recommendation. They have issued a couple of other recently. One I have yet to listen to is “American Adventure” where they have added into their regular mix some very well known American musicians (e.g. Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Mike Stern and Joe Locke). That is available on Spartacus Records STS018.

Another Big Band CD waiting for me to give it a proper listen is by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw called “Scribblin’ ”.  A band made up of continental based musicians and recorded in 2012. I’ll let you know, but a listen whilst working in my garage on PC stuff has encouraged me to bring it indoors. That one is on Challege Records CR73366

But for now, tomorrow we have a Quintet. Mind you, the Remix Orchestra has asked to come again soon, they enjoyed playing in front of YOU, the Hedsor Jazz Audience. Don’t go away!!

Morning everyone.

Just a few words in plain email (which I will add to the internet as a blog!) to tell everyone that the railing painting season is over for the time being and the Clive Burton Quintet will be playing for us tomorrow June 5^th from 8.30 pm

Very soon we will have singer Gill Cook coming to sing with the Quintet (June 19^th) and I have attached a PDF file poster so that you can draw in all your local jazz fans to come and hear her if you print from it and put it up somewhere where the great general public can see it!

Talk more jazz with you very soon, TTFN

Geoff

PS, for the bloggers only set, the PDF file is a JPEG file. You can still copy and print:-

Right click and "save as" then you can print from the file saved at any size you think appropriate!