No real blog as such this week, but important news none the less.

Below is a link to the poster St Pirans school has provided for the day of jazz on September 26th. Do take note, buy a ticket for yourself and if you can, print a copy of the poster and display it so others can know of the event.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ednac6yr1zdojsf/final%20poster.jpg?dl=0

The poster design

The other VITAL piece of news is that The Clive Burton Quintet are NOT on holiday, and will play Hedsor this Thursday as usual. They deserve all your support. We are so lucky to have such a quality band to listen to every week, believe me.

Two of the different beauties of Dorset

TTFN

Geoff C

Hedsor, and all that jazz!

My last blast of a blog before travelling into lightest Dorset and slightly darker Gloucestershire and before I return to live light Cookham.

I shall endeavour to nag you from various internet connections whilst away but this week, the last from my static line!!

At Hedsor Jazz this week we have someone who has never been to Hedsor Jazz before coming to replace our regular reed section!!

 You see two into one does go!

Kelvin Christiane is another multi reed player, with a huge reputation. He has made many CD’s, and can be heard on his latest with Nigel Price. It will be really good to have him with us at Hedsor, and I do hope you all turn out to hear him. You never know, he may even sign the CD you buy from him!! Check out his web site

http://www.kcmusic.co.uk/pages/recordings.html

One of my weekends in Dorset will be set aside for the Swanage Jazz Festival, something I have not missed in over 20 years. July 10^th to 12^th, it is one of the best celebrations of jazz that I know off. Marvellous music, and in such a marvellous setting too.

http://www.swanagejazz.org/ will get you to more info about this years event. If it attracts you, buy your ticket and book your accommodation immediately!! Both get to be in short supply. There are many free jazz events, so even if impecunity is your status, do check out the program.

Also do remember that there is a steam railway line that connects Swanage to Corfe Castle, so some accommodation could be got further away from Swanage. Do check the times of the trains!! A late gig could mean a taxi back to your digs!

CD RECENTLY HEARD

Is by Christian Brewer and his Quintet. Modern, Modern Jazz, but superbly played by young jazz musicians. No, it isn’t offensive, and it is exciting, and has one of my favourite pianists is on it too, Leon Greening. (Who will be playing Readings Progress theatre on Friday, check out www.jazzinreading.com).

For a full write up of this 2006 release, see http://www.bashorecords.com/brewer.htm

I will leave you with the artwork!!

THIS WEEK AT HEDSOR JAZZ

We have a couple of guest musicians joining Clive Burton this week. 

In place of Nigel Fox, we have Ken McCarthy on keyboard. It is always a joy to have Ken join our ensemble,and as Nigel is holidaying on a Greek Island, who better than Ken to replace him. Ken will be joining the band for 2 weeks. 

Also, coming straight from Bulgaria (or is it the Ukraine?) is bass player Steve Pickings. Yes, he does comedy as well! Our regular bass player has a better paid gig in London!!

The rest of the Quintet are as normal. Well, as normal as anything led by Clive Burton can be!

As a matter of interest (OK Comment!) The Clive Burton Quintet went down well at last Saturdays day of jazz at the Flowing Spring pub near Reading.

One member of the band stayed on and played another set with The Jonathan Lewis/Stuart Henderson Sextet later in the day...see photo below!!

The Jonathan Lewis/Stuart Henderson Sextet played very tight arrangements of the Blue Note Record repertoire and were an excellent addition to the day. 

Well done Stuart for organising this day of jazz. 

Don't forget that another day of jazz is planned for September 26th at St. Piran's school in Maidenhead when "Hedsor Jazz Goes to School". There will be 12 hours of jazz all in excellent surroundings, and all under cover!! Posters will be available very soon. Any profit made will be going to Cancer Research UK, who will have a stand at the event.

That's it for this Tuesday's posting, see you on Thursday. We could do with you, and all of your extended family by the way, income doesn't quite match expenditure at the moment!!

Hedsor Jazz

This week we anticipate the usual suspects at Hedsor Jazz. After last weeks party it will be good to hear the regular band once again.

We have become used to having star guests with us, but it was the regular band that has been together in one form or another for 20 years that is the sustaining force. Without them, there would be no first class band for our star guests to come and play with. All of the invited guests we have had over the years have been surprised at the first class quality of our regular quintet, now led, as an advert for Stuart Henderson’s day of jazz says, by “Reading legend” Clive Burton. No matter who or what has been the name of the band, it has always been Clive who has led, announced, and joked with all around.

Details of Stuart’s day of jazz this Saturday can be found at www.theflowingspringpub.co.uk

Last weeks celebration of 20 years of jazz from Clive cannot go past without complementing Jan Burton on the magnificent spread of food that was on free offer last week. What a generous birthday party it was, especially considering Jan’s recent eye stroke.

 One of our "regular" star guests.. Ken McCarthy

Our "regular" pianist, Nigel Fox

I would point out that Clive was a "Reading Legend" long before he moved to Reading, and has been playing jazz for longer than 20 years!! 

CD’s to watch out for!

Two CD’s, both featuring American trumpet star Warren Vache have come to my attention recently. The first is on Alan Barnes Woodville records label, so it in two ways helps to feed Alans family because Alan also plays on it!! Called “the cobbler’s waltz” it has Warren and Alan backed by a top rank British rhythm section of John Pearce on piano, Dave Green on bass and Steve Brown on drums. It also has one of my favourite tunes “Swingin’ Till The Girls Come Home” on it! Well recorded swinging mainstream jazz on Woodville wvcd 140. It came out last year and will still be available.

The other Warren Vache CD is on the Arbors Records Jazz label, and features him playing tribute to the music of Benny Carter. As you would expect, this is another quality product from Arbors, with Warren being accompanied by Houston Person on tenor sax, Nicki Parrott on bass and vocals and Leroy Williams on drums. Great music, great recording, great tunes!

Its only recently been release and can be found as “The Warren Vache Quintet remembers Benny Carter” ARCD 19446.

Enjoy jazz wherever it may be found, but do remember to enjoy it at Hedsor Jazz FIRST!

This Week at Hedsor Jazz

We have something special, yet something also “ordinary”. We are, after all, so used to the quality of the music we have at Hedsor, that we almost take it for granted.

This week, there will be a bite of supper, a kind of ploughman’s, not enough to stop you eating your tea, but food is something we only do on rare occasions.

And this rare occasion is:-

The 20^th Anniversary of the founding of the band!

All of you who come to Hedsor Jazz will know the band as “The Clive Burton Quintet”.

20 years ago it was formed as “Keith Vitty’s Century Jazz” and first played in Bray cricket club, and then at “The Fifield Inn” on a Sunday night. Through a number of gestations, the only surviving band member is Clive himself.

Keith Vitty was a drummer, who had been a long term resident of Hong Kong. On returning to the UK he was determined to found a first class band to play “Modern” jazz. The first members alongside Keith were Clive, who always did do all the announcements, John Monney on bass, Roger Munns on keyboard and saxophonist Mike Wilson. That band was how I first knew it, playing every Thursday at The Cookham Tavern. No, don’t go looking for the pub now, it is a Costa Coffee Shop!

Keith became ill with Bowel Cancer, and eventually had to give up playing, and his place was taken by Martin Hart. Keith died in 2002.

Sundays carried on at Fifield, with John Monney on bass, but when The Cookham Tavern Closed, the Thursday band transferred to Hedsor, initially to the Garibaldi, but finally to the Hedsor Social Club. On a Thursday the bass player became Ken Rankine.

Roger Munns moved to France, and our pianist became Zane Cronje. With Zane’s death our pianist became Nigel Fox.

The Thursday Band became know as The Clive Burton Quintet, and the saxophonist became Mike Wills, who had always played with the band as a dep in the past anyway.

So there you have it. 20 years of regular jazz, the last 13 being at Hedsor. Century Jazz did make 2 recordings, one cassette tape and 1 CD. The Clive Burton Quintet also made a recording of the tribute concert to Keith Vitty at Maidenhead’s Norden Farm in 2003. This double CD album is still available.

So, I do hope as many of you as possible will come along on Thursday June 4^th to celebrate the history of “The Clive Burton Quintet” and all of the wonderful musicians who have played for us over the last 20 years. Another celebration will take place in September, when on the 26^th, Hedsor Jazz will go to School, at St Pirans! But that will be another story!

CORRECTION

Those of you who have checked your diary will have realised that I got the date wrong for the Thursday in July when there will be no jazz at Hedsor!!

It is July 16th not 18th as in the original text (I have now corrected this).

I already have an invite from my optician!!

Geoff, still, apparently, having an away day!!

What with Bank Holidays and away days, 

I haven’t yet had time to tell you that THIS WEEK at Hedsor Jazz we have that superb trumpeter Stuart Henderson. He will be playing alongside Clive, and in front of our regular rhythm section. Well, that is what I am led to believe anyway! Thursday 28^th May, your last jazz at Hedsor this month.

Do remember to put in your diary that Thursday July 16^th is a NO JAZZ AT HEDSOR day. The club has a long standing booking for the main hall. You will just have to fill up before on jazz at the Swanage Jazz Festival (July 10^th to 12^th weekend).

The away day has prevented any serious listening to recorded jazz. On Monday we attended the Tetbury (Gloucestershire) Woolsack races. A typically mad English thing, where grown men (and sometimes women) run up and down a 1 in 4 hill with a 60 pound sack of wool on their back!!

Pictures below to prove my point! One volunteer, called upon at the last minute to complete a team, even ran it in bare feet! And some people think our love of Jazz is mad!!

Hedsor Jazz Tomorrow Night………………

has a couple of personnel changes!

For once, these are ALL in the rhythm section!! Regular bass player Ken Rankine, who got his gig dates muddle up last week, will definitely be away this week, and Martin Hart will be replaced by Mike Jeffries on drums “as he is going to the North”!

As some of you are aware, I was “down South” last week, see Bridport pictures of a good amateur big band below! 

BOTH singers were really very good! Bridport is obviously no cultural desert, as it has an arts and performance centre, AND a cinema!

Whilst shopping in the market I picked up a superb CD by The Vic Dickinson Septet. Some of the tracks were in my collection by 1955! The rest are new to me, but all were recorded in 1953/4 and generated the name “Mainstream”. I believe it was John Hammond himself who coined the phrase that this music was in the “mainstream of jazz”. This American Vanguard edition has been remastered in 20 Bit quality form the original analogue tapes. I had the original 10” LP’s for “Jeepers Creepers” and “Russian Lullaby”, and the sound quality has definitely been given a lift. It is wonderful jazz, light, swinging, with few superfluous notes (listen to Sir Charles Thompson on piano for instance. You know the note is coming, and it does, in just the right place!).

If you can find a copy I recommend it without reservations. 

"Vic Dickenson Nice Work" Vanguard 79610-2

Talking of reservations, make sure you keep September 26^th free in your diary. The arrangements for our day of jazz (Hedsor Jazz goes to School) are coming on very well. There will be wall-to-wall jazz in St Piran’s School, Maidenhead, from 11am ‘till 11pm and it will cost you £35 each. 

Our superb cast has been added to in the past week. We now have trumpeter Steve Waterman coming to be part of Gill Cooke’s set. 

Very soon I will have full details in glorious Technicolor to hand out, but for now, save the pennies for this day of jazz. Some of the profit from it will be going to Cancer Research UK, who will have a stand at the event.

TTFN

A Reminder

This week at Hedsor Jazz we have a “Special” for Election Night. 

You can vote with your feet for American Saxophonist FRANK GRIFFITH. He will be playing alongside our regular trombonist Clive Burton, and both will be backed by our equally regular (in time!) rhythm section!!

It is hoped that Clive’s wife Jan will be back with us this week too. Last week she very sadly had a eye stroke, which will need future treatment. She cannot drive at the moment but in the meantime she really wants to get back to us at Hedsor Jazz. She has been very touched by all the kind messages and cards that have been sent to her, and wishes to thank all who have been concerned.

SO two reasons to come out to us on Thursday. The election result will wait, but don’t forget to vote!

After the election results are announced, you MAY need some music to play at home to cheer you up OR to help you celebrate!!

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

This week I have listened to a stunning CD by Vibraphone player Robin Beaujolais called “Mind the Gap” With him are Robin Aspland on piano, Simon Thorpe bass and Winston Clifford drums. Its on Stay Tuned Records as ST009. It was released in 2013 and is that fine mix of good tunes (including 2 by Wes Montgomery, 3 by Roger himself and that lovely tune by Thad Jones “A Child is Born”). There is close interplay between the Quartet, if you have yet to have neither Roger Beaujolais or Robin Aspland to play at home it would make an excellent purchase. It is well recorded and a very good addition to your collection, especially if you like vibes!!

OK VOTE GRIFFITH ON THURSDAY Usual start time and fees apply!!

OK, so the blog has been missing for a week and a bit!! OK I’m sorry, but I didn’t feel like doing ANYTHING, as I had a trapped sciatic nerve!! SLOW improvement is now taking place, and I can now access my keyboard!!

So to things jazz, and Hedsor Jazz in particular.

Clive Burton, our regular member of the brass playing fraternity, is blowing away next Thursday (30^th April) and in his (brass) place we will have a first appearance at Hedsor of trumpet and flugel horn player LESTER BROWN. He comes highly recommended by our reed section, so it should make for a good evening.

Now what do You expect of our election night? Like us at Hedsor jazz, ”they” have elected  to hold this election (as all the others!) on a Thursday. Some competition eh?

You will still have time to come to Hedsor Jazz and vote for FRANK GRIFFITH!

You can also put posters up for him if you like, because Frank, who is the Director of Performance at Brunel University School of Arts is coming to play for us at Hedsor on election night!!

Frank is an American Saxophonist of great repute, having had a couple of recent collaborations with singer Tina May. There may even be CD’s for sale, no doubt autographed by Frank!!

It is a great credit to the stature of Hedsor Jazz that musicians of this calibre want to come and play for us. So when you have crossed out your democratic rights (or do I mean exercised them with a cross?) you can come and while away the election night with us. Coalition? Collaboration? Now That’s Jazz,

HEDSOR JAZZ!!

I mentioned a CD in my last email. OK I didn’t blog, but from the confines of my laptop, I did mention in my round robin nagging email that I was about to listen to a Harry Allen CD new to me. Now I have!

One or two of us saw saxophonist Harry Allen at Marlow URC a month or so ago. Here he is recorded in Copenhagen in July last year with pianist Jan Lundgren, bassist Hans Backenroth and drummer Kristian Leth. And very good they all are. A very melodic sound, which is highlighting the compositions of Johnny Mandel. 3 of the 4 musicians were born in 1966, and the drummer in 1973, yet they play with a maturity that belies there years. And they are playing in a style that goes back to a much older generation. Swing and melody are paramount. There are 3 tunes that you will know, and perhaps a couple that you don’t. “Suicide is Painless” was the theme tune to MASH! A good mainstream buy: Harry Allen/Jan Lundgren Quartet “Quality There” is on STUCD 14142 from Stunt Records.

A great night in prospect!!

Yes, this coming Thursday we have award winning saxophonist and author, the authority on British Jazz Legend Tubby Hayes, Simon Spillett coming to play for us at Hedsor Jazz. The day after Simon’s long expected book on Tubby is published, Simon will be with US.

At long last! Simon Spillett's biography of British Jazz Legend Tubby Hayes will be available from April 15th.

”The Long Shadow Of The Little Giant: The Life, Work and Legacy of Tubby Hayes” is available direct from Equinox Publications www.equinoxpub.com

Sadly this means that NO COPIES will be available to buy direct from Simon on Thursday due to publishing rules.

But he will be playing alongside The Clive Burton Quintet, which this week will again see drummer Mike Jeffries in it, AND a guest bass player!

A little further away, but another exciting saxophone event will take place at Hedsor Jazz on ELECTION NIGHT! May 7^th!!

American Saxophonist Frank Griffith will be joining The Clive Burton Quintet for a night of jazz that will take away the taste of politics and to take your mind off of the result. Friday will be soon enough for that!!

So do come along to Hedsor Jazz, the best kept secret in jazz!! We are still here EVERY THURSDAY, and have been for 13 years!!

8.30 pm start, £6 entry. For those who have never been before, find us next door to The Bourne End Garden Centre in Hedsor Road, Bourne End, Bucks, SL8 5ES

In another place(!) on Saturday (18^th April) there will be a concert led by Laurie Holloway & Friends in Windsor Parish Church in order to raise funds for the church organ. Tickets are £12 (box office 01753 743915) or on the door on the night. Windsor Parish Church is in the High Street near the Guildhall.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the blog. I do add to it every now and again, and don’t always tell you!!

THIS WEEK AT HEDSOR JAZZ

With our regular piano player Nigel Fox still on his holidays it will be a delight to have back with us (as last week!) Ken McCarthy as his replacement. We are fortunate indeed to have 2 such fine piano players who are keen to come and play for us at Hedsor Jazz.

I don’t always get a lot of advance notice for some of our star guests, but I do have it for one, who is coming on a very significant day in May.

And one May has had him arrange music and accompaniment for her as well!

Now there are 3 May’s here!! The date in May is the 7^th.

In my electoral area one of the candidates is Teresa May MP, who came and gave out the raffle prizes at one of our Cancer Research fundraising concerts a few years ago!!

So, that’s 2 May’s for our general election night!!

The third is May, who has also been with us in the past is Tina May, and it is she whom our guest for election night wrote scores for.

Our guest is American saxophonist Frank Griffith.

 Frank Griffith (right) with Duncan Lamont (centre) and John Pearce

The CD for which Frank wrote the arrangements is Tina May’s “My Kinda Love” (HEP CD2101) and on the cover of said CD is another link to Hedsor Social Club!! The CD features some of the music of Duncan Lamont!! So if ever supporters should go and buy a CD it is this one. All three musicians have played Hedsor Jazz at some time in the not too distant past! AND it is well worth buying too. One of the songs featured on this album is Lamont’s “Manhattan in the Rain”! I can strongly recommend the album.

So, when you have voted for the candidate of your choice, come and vote for the music of all our choices, Modern Jazz, with Frank Griffith and The Clive Burton Quintet. Put it in your diary NOW.

Another CD recently added to my collection has people on it who have (sadly) never been to the Hedsor Social Club!! “Humphrey Lyttelton in Canada” on the Sackville label (3033) has some 1980’s Humph in fine form, with saxophonist Jim Galloway, guitarist Ed Bickert, Neil Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Most of the tunes will be familour to Humph fans, all having been featured at some time on earlier recordings by the H.L Band! It’s a terrific addition to the catalogue!!

It’s wonderful to be able to have vibrant jazz to play at home, but it is better to listen to vibrant LIVE jazz! So do come and join us at the Hedsor Social Club. You know it makes sense!! 

Life is a bit busy at the moment.....

But Thursday Night is ALWAYS reserved for Jazz at The Hedsor Social Club, (otherwise known as Hedsor Jazz!!)

This week it is the regular Clive Burton Quintet, yes, all our regulars are in the same place tomorrow night!! 

It is the usual £6 to get in, and the usual voluntary excess to get out!!

Then of course you have our world renowned raffle!! He do we do it? And all included in the price too!!

So why not come and enjoy Maundy Thursday at Hedsor.

Looking further ahead don't forget to reserve September 26th as a jazz day!! That's the day Hedsor Jazz goes to school!! Much more later, but it WILL be a very special day, with all of your Hedsor favorites coming to a school near me!!

Until then, let Hedsor Thursdays keep you sane!

An artists impression of our regular drummer, who's new CD is still available!!

Time flies and it has past the time for a few words about Hedsor and Jazz. 

So, OK this is LATE!

The Good News is that you haven’t missed anything. The Clive Burton Quintet WILL be appearing at The Hedsor Social Club, as usual, tomorrow evening. The music starts at 8.30 pm, and we will still let you in for just £6. Those of you who have been before will realize that there is a small (voluntary) sum to be contributed before we let you out!!

CD Review

I haven’t written anything about Jazz on CD for a longish time, so lets catch up on a wonderful box set released in 2001!!

OK I know I’m quick of the mark, but sometimes nostalgia drags you back to things of yore!

The yore is of times further ago than 2001 too. Proper Box 24 is a 4 CD set of Louis Armstrong recordings from the 1940’s. It is a gem. The booklet on the early life of Louis is almost worth the cost of the box itself, it is so informative and well done with lots of photos, but the deep joy must be reserved for the music itself. It is all presented in date order, ending up with the 2 concerts that went on to launch The Louis Armstrong’s All-stars, the only medium he used for touring and his music ever after. The Louis Armstrong All-Stars became the USA’s musical ambassadors to the world.

One or two things to highlight. Most of the material is Louis with an orchestra, generally showing his ability as a soloist, the orchestra largely not having in it anyone who could outshine Louis!

In 1946 he recorded some small group tunes again, some even under the heading of Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven! It is very interesting to hear the “prequel” to the All-Stars this early. On some tracks the trombone is played by Vic Dickenson, whilst on others it is actually Kid Ory!!

He remained the leader of a big band, and it is interesting to note that buried in some 1946 recordings is tenor sax player Lucky Thomson, a wonderful star of early bop, who sadly did not live up to his nickname.

Come 1947 and the famous New York Town Hall concert is represented (I think all that is available is here). Louis was still touring with his orchestra at the time, and the ensemble (Jack Teagarden, Peanuts Hucko, Dick Cary, Bob Haggart and Sid Catlet) were brought together by Bobby Hackett and rehearsed by him for the big man to be able to just fly in and play the night!! He can clearly be heard, but sadly, the sleeve notes give him no credit!!

The recordings are generally very listenable to and it is a purchase well worth making. It is still listed on Amazon at £13.73!!

Whatever else you do (think of the scope!!) don't let Live Jazz die. It, and the musicians who play it, need an audience, that's YOU!!

“The Away Road”

The new CD from Martin Hart

I have now had time to listen to Martins new CD, and “now’s the time” to write a bit about it.

Firstly it contains 7 tracks, and all the tunes have been written by Martin.

Secondly the music is divided into 2 different ensembles, a Septet, and a Quartet.

Anyone who has been to Hedsor on any of our jazz nights will have heard most of the musicians before as they are all regular favourites of ours at Hedsor Jazz. The cast list is as follows:-

The Quartet: Alan Grahame vibes, Ken McCarthy piano, Nick Pugh bass, Martin Hart drums.

The Septet: Stuart Henderson, Miles Hart trumpet and flugel horn, Mike Wills saxes, Clive Burton trombone, Nigel Fox keyboard, Phil Berry bass, Martin Hart drums

Musically my lasting impression of this collaboration is of rich harmonies. Whether it be the Septet or the Quartet the music is conveyed with a really rich sound. I was particularly impressed by the sound of the Quartet. With fewer people it is harder to convey that rich musical sensation, but here they do so really well. The Septet has an advantage in having more people to make up that richness and sounds, surprisingly, much more lie a big band.

It was also interesting to note that there is an 8-month gap between recording the 2 different groups, the Quartet being recorded earlier in 2014 than the Septet tracks.

For those of you who wont know the capabilities of “our” regular musicians be assured that in their individual ways they are all superb. Usually we are aware that Nigel Fox is a Bill Evans devotee, but here the tune that Martin has dedicated to Bill Evans has Ken McCarthy on piano! Stuart Henderson has long been a favourite trumpeter at Hedsor, and on this CD he again shines through. However, Martin has a homegrown trumpet player (who has appeared once or twice at Hedsor) in the shape and sound of his son Miles. Listen out for his muted solo on “The Last Goodbye”

All the musician, so well know to us at Hedsor, are well represented with solo space on these recordings. The recording itself is of good sound quality. I know some of you who read this will have some of the recordings I’ve made during live Hedsor Gigs but this is definitely a recording of real studio quality. So, even though you will not know the tunes before purchase, you will be able to have a recording of the kind of music we have offered to us each week at Hedsor in fine sound quality for the first time in a some of years (The Norden Farm Recording of the quartet under another name – Century Jazz, were made in 2003!).

One last comment. The final tune is entitled “Zane at The Hedsor Palisades”, which has puzzled me no end. I think it must signify a retreat, as according to Wikipedia “A palisade—sometimes called a stakewall or a paling—is typically a fence or wall made from wooden stakes or tree trunks and used as a defensive structure or enclosure”. So a retreat from a defensive wall. Why? Because, just as the full ensemble are getting going (with Mike Wills on clarinet), the band are faded out, and quickly too! I think that is a shame!

Ah well, you can’t have everything.

But you can have this CD, no doubt signed by some of the guys on it, especially if you come to it’s launch at the Hedsor Social club on Thursday this week, March 5^th.

It will enable you never to miss the sound of Hedsor jazz, even when you are on “The Away Road”.

Geoff Cronin

Better Late than Never

But better never late! 

Oh well, almost on time!!

Tonight at Hedsor we have the Clive Burton Quintet, with a welcome return of our regular saxophonist Mike Wills, whom we all think of as one L of a player!! He is back recovering from another bout of railing painting, one of the drawbacks of being a saxophonist living in Oxford!! It is such a fine community!

In place of our regular drummer, Martin Hart, who is saving himself for his CD launch next week, we have our regular deputy drummer, Mike Jeffries.

Next week, March 5th, we do of course have the launch party of Martin's latest CD, "The Away Road". See poster from the last blog.

It promises to be both a special and a splendid night. All of the musicians taking part have played at some time or another at Hedsor, so having the launch party at The Hedsor Social Club is a no brainer. I have now heard the CD, and I will let you know my thoughts on it before next week. The Clive Burton Quintet haven't recorded under their own name in a studio for a long time, but the core of the Septet tracks are The Clive Burton Quintet. On that basis alone I hope you will all rush out and buy a copy.

In anticipation of more time in order for me to get my review of it down in words, below is a "view" of the case.

Those with good eyesight may spot why we think Mr Wills is on L of a player.

See you tonight for more Clive Burton Quintet!

CORRECTION!!

The date for John Coverdale is of course 

THURSDAY February 19th!! 

I really should use more fingers!!

As promised a bit more information about Martin's CD launch:-

Quite a cast, so come along and enjoy an evening of top class jazz for just £6. Rumour has it that there may even be a small buffet at half time!!

NEXT WEEK (Feb 18th) at HEDSOR JAZZ we have joining Clive the top flight guitarist 

JOHN COVERDALE.

Remember, Hedsor Jazz is now in it's 13th year. How do we do it? Well, without YOU we wont be able to, so tell your friends. We don't intend to keep Hedsor Jazz as the best kept secret in jazz, honestly!!

HEDSOR JAZZ

We will have the regular Clive Burton Quintet with us this week. 

BUT keep an eye out for some new news coming soon. Put September 26^th in your diary NOW! Yes it is a Saturday, but this year, it will be a SPECIAL Saturday. 

Before then we will definitely be having more special events at Hedsor. On March 5th we have the launch of Martin Harts latest CD. Just watch this space, and whatever else you do:-

Keep live jazz ALIVE.

Martin Hart in full flight

OK, My Apologies!

No Blog last week. I had a particularly debilitating infection, and for 3 days ran a temperature of 101 deg F! Yes, in F!! My Mercury thermometer was old enough to only measure in F. For those too young to know what the norm is for human temperature in deg F it is 98.4

However, handling a glass mercury thermometer whilst being unwell as a great way of ensuring newer technology, as I managed to drop it into the (empty) bath. OK (again!) Mrs Cronin went and purchased a modern replacement which will give me results in Centigrade.

I observed when reading the instructions for this new battery powered device, that one should discard it after 3 years as it will be unreliable after that time!! Such is progress. I can now be told if my temperature is normal, or I am running a fever via a series of bleeps, but only for 3 years. My mercury thermometer might have been old technology, but it had let me read how ill I was for at least the last 30 years!

But less of this and on to things JAZZ.

At Hedsor Jazz this week we have a resumption of normal service. The Clive Burton Quintet will be back with both Mike Wills as our reed section, and Martin Hart as our percussionist! Many thanks to Mike Jeffries for his great work in the drum chair for the last 3 weeks. Many thanks too to Vasilis Xenopoulos for being our guest saxophonist last week.

I was very sad indeed to miss his night with us at Hedsor. If you did too, you can catch up with him at The Oakwood Theatre, Woodley, on Saturday (7^th Feb). With a bit of luck I will be allowed out to that as well. I have a ticket!!

Being unwell I have had to miss (for the first time ever!!) The Evening of Ineluctability with Cookham’s fabulous Shirtlifters! I still have the (souvenir?) ticket in my wallet! Did any Hedsor fans go?

Did I listen to any recorded jazz during my away from it all days?

Well sadly, not a lot. I now realise that you have to be in recovery mode to do more than absorb daytime TV! Yes, I slept a lot too!

But there is one CD that I did play that I may also have mentioned before. A privately produced CD that I think I got from saxophonist Frank Griffith. I reproduce the artwork for it below, but “The Strayhorn Project’s” “Muliticoloured Blue” is well worth seeking out. It was recorded in 2003, live at “The Fiddler’s Elbow” in NW5 and the band consists of Steve Kaldestad on tenor sax, Phil Lee on guitar, Dave Whitford bass and Stu Butterfield on drums. My copy of the CD is labelled as GWB 445, so maybe you can get it somewhere.

But if you can your resourcefulness will gain you a treasure. If you left click on the jpeg you will be able to read the tunes and the sleeve notes, so you will know that the prospect is good. They are great  Billy Strayhorn tunes. The bands performance does the material proud, and you will enjoy the individual and collective work done by the band on tunes familiar and tunes less familiar. It is a gem of an album.

Well, it’s almost time for another sleep. I have actually been out today for the first time in about 10 days (apart from trips to the medics). I am working on being with you at Hedsor this week.

Don’t forget, every band needs an audience to keep music alive. Do your bit to keep live jazz alive at The Hedsor Social Club by coming to see the band every Thursday from 8.30pm ‘till 11pm. And it is STILL only £6 to get in! There IS a small voluntary charge made to let out!!