JAZZ TONIGHT AT HEDSOR

Yes, there WILL be jazz tonight at Hedsor, and I'm sorry for the late blog info It is due to entirely foreseen circumstances!!

Due to entirely unforeseen circumstances our drummer Martin Hart will NOT be able to play for us this evening. He has unfortunately had the index finger of his right hand lacerated by a stray cat!! In his place will be Mike Jeffries.

Please take note of one of our forthcoming "Special" evenings. On May 12th we are doing a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK, and have as our star guests saxophonist Karen Sharp and trumpeter Stuart Henderson.

JPEG of the poster is below.

More next week so as I'm in a rush, 

I'll see you tonight in the.....................Hedsor Social Club!!

Geoff C

Coming to Hedsor Jazz THIS WEEK

Over the past few weeks we have had some exceptionally good sessions at Hedsor Jazz, with a wonderful mix of guest musicians. Some came simply as deps for others who were/are on holiday, some came as additional featured guests, but whatever the reason we have had some fantastic sessions.

Musicians come to us because they enjoy playing jazz at the quality level that Hedsor Jazz always produces. Without exception, they all want to come again.

And this week is no exception. Mike Wills is away, so we have a dep!! That dep is none other than Simon Spillett.

OK, so he only brings ONE reed instrument, a tenor sax, BUT…… it might be the one that used to be owned and played by Tubby Hayes. Simon is the world renowned expert on Tubby, but without doubt Simon his own man.

With him on Thursday we will have the rest of “our own men”! Clive Burton of course on Trombone (now with improved teeth fixative!), Ken Rankine bass, Nigel Fox keyboard and Mike Jeffries on drums (I think Martin is still negotiating the Bay of Biscay).

So, for just £6 you get to hear wonderful jazz, you get free parking, free raffle ticket at entry, and beer at club prices. Now try THAT at Ronnie Scott’s. A friend went last week, and a Bacardi and coke plus a tonic water cost £15!! On top of the entry charge, they had to make that last all evening!

CD Recently Listened to

Most of the music we hear at Hedsor is 1950’s style bop, with occasional excursions into more modern styles, or perhaps we hear some hints of swing. Many years and another lifetime ago I used to play trumpet in a trad band and I still have an appreciation of the tunes and well played traditional style jazz. Sadly today more often than not you hear that kind of jazz played by people and bands who have been playing the same notes and telling the same jokes since 1956!! But when played with thought and expertise, it can still be exciting and very enjoyable.

I have been listening to a double album from Proper Records titled “Chris Barber, Memories of my Trip”. Issued in 2011 it was to celebrate Chris’s 80^th birthday and it has an extremely wide selection of music and musicians, all playing at some time since 1954 with Mr Barber. I recommend it to all jazz lovers, because the list of guests is mouth watering. Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Healey, Van Morrison, Andy Fairweather Low, Keith Emerson, Edmund Hall, Trummy Young, Mark Knopfler and more.

The double album is a real adventure in Jazz. Give it a go PRPCD073.

THIS WEEK AT HEDSOR

As ever, Hedsor Jazz will be bringing you interesting and invigorating modern jazz music this Thursday. 

Last week we had with us that fantastic drummer Julian Bown, who is a real find. He had been with us once before though! We WILL have a guest this week who hasn't!!

THIS week we have our regular deputy drummer, Mike Jeffries, so you could compare the differences, (but isn't that somewhat rude?). 

Also this week we will have a guest piano player WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO HEDSOR JAZZ BEFORE!! 

A recent email from our Oxford branch explains all:-

HI Geoff

Happy Easter!

This is just to let you know that we’ve got a new guest at Hedsor this week – my friend Rory McInroy, all the way from Carterton (near Brize Norton) who’s a very fine pianist and will be depping for Nigel.  He’s got a website at http://www.rorymcinroy.com/ if you want to check  him out.

All the best

Mike

Obviously we also anticipate having our regular front line of Clive Burton on trombone, and Mike Wills on various reed instruments, and Ken Rankine will be playing his upright bass! So Quintet!

So more excitement, and we bring you these great musical experiences for the measly sum of just £6, and with the added bonus of free car parking. Try that anywhere in London!!

What with it being Easter, and having had the clocks go forward on Easter Sunday, (did that catch YOU out?) I haven't yet had time to consider CD's. If time allows, I may be erudite about a DVD before too long though. 

In the mean(Easter Egg crunch)time 

TTFN

Geoff C

THIS WEEK AT HEDSOR JAZZ

I am pleased to say that our redoubtable leader, Clive Burton, has recovered from last Thursdays bout of nastiness, and will lead his quintet this week at The Hedsor Social Club. As I understand it, it will be the regular band, but with an as yet unnamed drummer, both Martin and Mike, our regular percussive persons, are having another holiday each!!

Having said “we missed you last week Clive” I will say that it was a really enjoyable session, not BECAUSE Clive was missing, but because Martin Nicholas joined us at short notice to play his part in the evening entirely on clarinet. The overall sound of clarinet, and either alto or tenor sax played by Mike Wills, playing mostly tunes associated with Benny Goodman made it a very pleasant night out.

A recent pleasant evening from earlier in the month did get recorded for posterity. The evening was with Nigel Price and Robert Goodhew. If anyone would like to listen to this do follow the link to my DropBox folder, where all of the music is there in MP3 format.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wwjif2ticlvdmb0/AADHQtMHEyFuLqNI5dfOXMTCa?dl=0

This link will lead you to a folder that contains both the music and pdf files to enable you to make a cd cover.

RECENT CD LISTEN

Sweden has produced some extremely good jazz musicians. One of them is trombonist Nils Landgren, who is good not only in jazz trombone form, but as a classical trombone player as well.

Leonard Bernstein was a classical music conductor, and writer of orchestral works of extreme perception. Combine the two, and add a voice from “Manhattan Transfer” and you have an enjoyable hybrid recording. “Some Other Time” is their tribute to Leonard Bernstein. The voice is that of Janis Siegel and this new release is truly delightful. Most of the music is taken from “West Side Story” or “On The Town” but the last track is from the Mass that Bernstein wrote in 1971, “A Simple Song”. As a piece of music it isn’t simple, I once tried to read the words to the song whilst the late dear Zane Cronje played the melody behind me, and this we did in public!!

It is a hybrid album, but don’t get scared off by that. Some of the time (!) Nils is accompanied by bass and drums, some of the time by a small symphonic ensemble. Not all the tracks have the added voice of Janis Siegel and I would point out that Nils does sings on some of the tracks and pretty well too. The recording is of Hi Fi demo quality, and the whole thing can be got at from the record label ACT under number 9813-2. This is a very recent 2016 release that I would recommend you try. 

I think this is a very appropriate message for today!

So far this week I have had very little time to write about jazz events coming soon, or about CD’s recently listened to.

Hedsor Jazz is in it’s usual place, and it would be very nice to have some of the crowd who turned out for our special evening last week come to one of our “average” (*) evenings!

Now wasn't THAT special. Our two guests, who had never met before (!!) played superbly, and they did attracted a bonar crowd (OK I did use to listen to “Round The Horne”). I was very impressed by their shear ability to play in harmony together, first time off. AND it must be mentioned, our regular guys played superbly as well. It is always better for player and punter alike to have a nice large audience, everyone enjoyed themselves, and it showed.

(*) Those of us regulars who come most weeks are used to the quality of the playing of our regular Hedsor Musicians, and it does spoil us, especially when we hear those less practised in the art of playing jazz trying to do so in public and for money!! We have maintained that high quality and that accessibility for 14 years.

So this week, we come back to our usual Quartet. Don’t forget to have your requests ready. They say they are happy to have requests, but as yet I have only heard John Lewis’s “Golden Striker” quoted (by everyone!) and they say don’t know it!

Last week I mentioned the Chris Barber 1959/60 album compilation from Lake records. HIS band played an arrangement of “Golden Striker” in 1959!! And they were a TRAD band (but a very good one).

The Band

 Nigel Price

 Robert Goodhew

 Nigel Fox

 WHO?

So there you have it (or not!). The only thing I can add are some photos taken last week by Geoff Swaffield on his Iphone!! Next weeks blog may well find a link to the recording I made last weeks, so watch this blog space.

HEDSOR JAZZ

This week (Thursday 10^th March) we are having one of our “Special” jazz nights.

With our regular reed section away on “business” we have recruited a young saxophone player to play the tenor sax in his place. Robert Goodhew is one of this countries rising stars, with a wonderful tone, and a melodic method to ballads.

BUT we are “gilding the gingerbread”, as my mother used to say, because we have a guitarist coming to join the quintet, who may still be a rising star, but has risen a long way already. I have already introduced him at a concert as “the best guitarist in the country” but since then he has got even better. So tomorrow night we will have NIGEL PRICE with us as well. Star on innumerable CD’s, both in his own name and on others artist’s recordings Nigel is a delight to listen to.

Our start time is 8.30pm, but to get a good seat (or any seat at all) do come early, the bar is well stocked! We are applying our normal admittance price of £6, but we will be passing the hat round for additional funds to help us out on this one.

There is some free car parking at Hedsor (if you haven’t been before), so the whole evening is so much more enjoyable than traipsing up to London to Ronnie Scott’s, and so much cheaper too. The drinks are at normal working mans club prices, so you can afford to bring a friend as well!!

OK our entry fee of £6 may seem a long way removed from the 7/6p that I used to pay to get in to “The White Hart” at Southall, but I did used to go there on a Wednesday night for that sum to see and hear the Chris Barber Band with its original lineup including Lonnie Donegan and Ottilie Patterson! But that was in  1955! 

This week I have had some of my memories of the band revived with a LAKE Double CD release entitled Chris Barber 1959-1960 (although the back cover says, in error, that it is 1957 –58!). These recording don’t have that original rhythm section, and the sound has become slightly more polished.

There is much that has been released many times before, and by LAKE! But there are some tracks well worth the purchase price for their rarity. Three of the tunes on the second CD were recorded in Detroit during the Barber bands tour of the USA. They were recorded without the bands knowledge, and although the recording isn't as good as the studio versions, they are very “live”, which always gives an added vibrancy to a recording. Listen out especially to Monty Sunshine in “Saratoga Swing”. Mentioning Monty Sunshine reminds me that there are 4 tracks that have him playing soprano sax on this release, something I never actually saw happen!

There are also a couple of tunes with Mr. Barber playing with some members of the Clarence Williams Washboard band, although sadly not Mr Williams himself.

Another tune in the album is a version of  John Lewis’s “Golden Striker”. I really must let the Clive Burton Quintet hear this, as they seem to manage to quote from it most weeks but have NEVER played it all the way through!!

Well there you have it. Jazz Today (an original recording label for the Barber band before the label got changed to Nixa) and Jazz Tomorrow!! There could even be some jam!!

This Week at Hedsor Jazz

We will be welcoming back our revered leader, trombonist Clive Burton, and we will be getting a deputy bass player in the shape (and sound) of Steve Riddle. As far as I am aware, the rest of the cast is as usual.

You might like to hear Clive in a new venture on a Sunday Evening. See advert below.

Last week we had a super session with guitarist John Coverdale alongside Mike Wills.

For those of you who would like to hear it all again (or who missed it first time around), follow the link to my DropBox folder where you will be able to download the complete event in mp3 form, and if you wish to burn the 2 CD’s to keep it for posterity, there is even artwork for the cd sleeve as well!!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ljwukewdehmy1pp/AABMZQYZlOgi54Ti6VF39jM2a?dl=0

Next week we will have another super guitarist alongside Clive, and with an additional guest, saxophonist Robert Goodhew. Do not miss this gig!! It will be rather special.

For now that is enough of me. TTFN

Geoff C

THIS WEEK AT HEDSOR JAZZ

We have a slight change to our personnel!! OK, you are used to the occasional absence of a player due to certain community service necessities, but usually, the leader of the band has managed to be with us. This week, due to the need to attend a funeral in Lyme Regis, Clive Burton will be absent. His place wont be taken! But in his place we will have guitarist John Coverdale augmenting the rest of the band.

We do see and hear John from time to time at Hedsor, and it is always a joy. Anyone who heard his part of the St Pirans Day of Jazz in September 2015 will remember it. He did lead from the front that day, and it was some of the best improvised jazz of the day.

Live, unrehearsed jazz, is a living creation, a pure art form that truly entertains. It is unpredictable, but often exciting, so do come along on Thursday and help to be part of the creation. Yes, if you are there you will be part of the creation! Musicians respond to the audience they play to. In a room the size of Hedsor, more audience will mean more excitement!!

Don’t forget we have another guitarist coming to entertain us on March 10^th. Nigel Price will be joining our quintet, with Robert Goodhew as our reed section.

This week I have listened to one or two CD’s that are new to me. A couple I had looked forward to playing, only to be mildly disappointed with the result. One that I had put aside thinking, “well, I’ll have a listen but I don’t anticipate too much” has in fact brought a real smile to my face. The sad part is that because “the others” had taken up listening time, I haven’t yet heard all of this one!

“This One” is by a lady singer that I had not previously heard of, Zoe Francis!

It is her second CD, and with her on it are Jim Mullen guitar, Stan Sutzmann tenor sax, Gareth Williams piano, Mick Hutton bass, and Enzo Zirilli drums. I really feel that although these musicians are renowned for their individual jazz ability, this time the sum of the total is greater than the individual parts. So far I have only heard two tracks, but it is a CD I am anxious to get back to. Zoe herself doesn’t sound like Billie Holiday, but certain parts of her phrasing do remind me of Billie. Zoe has a much brighter tone to her voice than BH, but her timing and feel for the pace of the music is superb.

The recording is a “live” one (not one from beyond the grave!), and is a very good recording with only a slightly muddy sound from the piano. It was recorded at London’s 606 Club, and I think all the musicians are all playing a little out of their comfort zone. This, as is often the case, leads to some very interesting improvisations.

“The Very Thought of You” was recorded in 2014, and is available on Diving Duck Recordings DDRCD023

This Week at HEDSOR JAZZ

We have our usual assortment of music and musicians(!) and I think we are back to our regular line up. 

Martin Hart will again be on drums after a 3 week gap where his spot in the band was very ably taken by Mike Jeffries. Ken Rankine will be dropping in from Portland to play bass, and the front line, complete with teeth and glue will be Clive Burton and Mike Wills. AND of course, and always to tumultuous applause, we have Nigel Fox on keyboard.

Two things of note for future consumption. Below is a poster for our concert on March 10th with guitarist Nigel Price, and you will see that we will also have saxophonist Robert Goodhew joining our front line. Actually he will be completing our front line alongside Clive, as Mike Wills seems to be in love with the railings around Oxford! Must ask him what colour paint he uses.

Another future date for your diary concerning "our team", or some of them anyway, takes place in Marlow Jazz Club. Anyone who came to the day of jazz at St. Pirans School last September will remember the super set given by Martin Hart and Mike Wills in their tribute to Benny Goodman. I am delighted to tell you that you will have another chance to hear that concert at Marlow Jazz Club on April 12th with exactly the same personnel as before. 

Above is a cutting from Michael Eagleton's Marlow Jazz web site 

http://www.marlowjazz.co.uk/FEBMAYEVENTS.pdf. 

Close inspection will reveal that the photo of the band was taken (by me) at the St. Pirans event. I did make a recording of this set available to Michael and I am delighted that he has now booked the band for his club.

That's probably enough for you to digest on any given Wednesday. I suggest coffee and chocolate digestives should now follow. See you all Thursday.

Geoff C

Jazz at The Hedsor Social Club

IMPORTANT UPDATE

In my earlier blog bit this week I asked you to make sure you had the evening free on Thursday March 10th . At that time I could not confirm who our BIG NAME in jazz  was going to be. NOW I CAN!!

He has been to Hedsor a number of times. Tonight (Feb 10th), he is at Ronnie Scotts, but on MARCH 10th he will be with US at Hedsor.

NIGEL PRICE, ace guitarist, and in my view one of the best jazz guitarists in the world will be with us again at Hedsor Jazz. He is much sought after, and will again be at the Swanage Jazz Festival in July. You can hear him, talk with him and buy CDs from him much sooner at Hedsor Jazz.

Nigel on a Previous Visit to Hedsor Jazz

This is a brief resume of his career:-

"NIGEL PRICE - who led his organ trio to pick up the 2010 Parliamentary Jazz Award for “best jazz ensemble” is one of the most highly regarded and in demand guitarists on the UK jazz scene today.He spent three years with UK funk legends - the James Taylor Quartet, placed third in the 2014 British Jazz Awards for “best guitarist” and is also a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s, where he has played over 400 times.

His blend of flowing bebop lines, deep blues feeling and mastery of

chording has made him instantly accessible and popular with jazz audiences".

Hedsor Jazz is building a great reputation for first class jazz sessions.

For Nigel, the evening will be at our normal start time of 8.30pm and our normal entry fee of £6, and you may even win a raffle prize!!

He will of course be accompanied by our own Clive Burton Quartet!

Hedsor Jazz

At least you do get a blog this week! 

I’m having serious trouble shaking off this cold, now in its second week, and I am using it as an excuse to be lazy (no rude comments please)!

At Hedsor this week we have another relatively normal week (well for band personnel anyway). It will be Mike Jeffries last week as a dep for our “regular” drummer Martin Hart, so do come along and listen to him again, I know from a number of comments I have received how much you have enjoyed him being with us.

Our regular bass player will be back with us this week. Sounds like Ken Rankine had a good time last week with some well know BIG names in jazz.

Talking of Big Names in jazz we hope to bring you an “interesting” evening on March 10^th. Keep the night free, as you may well be able to welcome at least one of our favourite stars back again.

No, not THEM, although it does show that we do sometimes mix in elevated company!

Due to this infernal cold I haven’t done so much CD listening as usual. Continual blowing of nose, followed by a cough, does rather interrupt the flow of the music. BUT I have been aimed this week at an extremely good streaming audio jazz site. The kind of music is a bit more traditional than that which I listen to these days, but when traditional jazz is played well, it is still very entertaining. Why not give it a try yourself .  

http://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/

There are 2 channels to listen to at any one time and the standard of play is superb. Some of the names are also very well known, and the performances appear all to be live, (that means with an audience)!!

Don’t forget that my recordings of January 28^th are still available for you to download with my DropBox link, this week I have added the track listings in as well.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7fhkczch7d2y619/AAAzT-2Usd77rzp9xZxyKziFa?dl=0

Happy computing, but live jazz is at The Hedsor Social Club!!

Hedsor Jazz and all that!!

After the “excitement” of last Thursdays birthday celebrations, we have an even more exciting evening to look forward to THIS WEEK.

Joining Clive Burton and the almost regular quintet is the internationally acclaimed saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos. Anyone who has heard him before will realise what an exciting player he is, and how much he is in demand, but due to our long standing association with him at Hedsor, he is pleased to come and join us at less than normal commercial costs!! So, for our normal admission price of £6 you will be able to enjoy an evening of wonderful jazz. No food this week, but you do have the prospect of absolutely wonderful music.

 The “almost regular” part of our quintet this week is that drummer Martin Hart is being replaced by Mike Jeffries. Martin will be absent for about 3 weeks as he has had to suffer another holiday! No, not to my favourite place (Dorset), but South Africa, not a place I (or the Harts) have been to. Martin may return with a new insight into rhythms and possibly another illuminated shirt!

So, how have I been entertaining myself on the home Hi Fi front this week?

First of all, I must say I was greatly entertained by another compilation by Lake Record of Bruce Turner recordings that I found on Spotify. 

The 2 CD set entitled “The Bruce Turner Jump Band” has much that I already have more than once (I have LP and earlier CD versions of much of the Jump Band, a great favourite of mine in the early 1960’s), but one or two additional tunes are worth the search.

Two ACTUAL CD’s that I have listened to this week hark back to jazz from an earlier decade, the ‘50’s.

The first is from 1953, and is a purely pleasurable listen. Originally issued on LP (12” vinyl, grooves, with a small hole in the centre), now I have it on 12cm CD!! I must admit, it is not a new release, it was first “digitised” in 1993, but “King of Tenors – Ben Webster”  is just straightforward well played quality “modern” jazz. 2 slightly different ensembles accompany Ben, but just to say on the same record you get Benny Carter, Barney Kessel, Oscar Peterson and Harry Edison, you will get to appreciate the quality of the players. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, see me after school for further lessons. One of the highlights of this release is that it contains Ben Webster’s version of “Danny Boy”. The CD can still be purchased, certainly second hand, for around £5. Verve 519 806 – 2

The Second CD probably needs more of an introduction. Some of the more mature jazz fans amongst you will already know it, but on December 8^th 1957, CBS Television broadcast live a program called “The Sound of Jazz”. It was a milestone in television history. CBS gathered together a cast of the best jazz musicians available at the time and for around 50 minutes a sort of history of the music was presented in glorious black and white. There is a DVD of this broadcast (I have it in my collection), but before the broadcast they assembled the musicians for a rehearsal in a studio and recorded the results. The sound quality of this if definitely superior to the TV sound, and this was issued as a CD in 2000 by Sony Music as a Legacy recording.

For me the whole effort is summed up by Billy Holiday singing “Fine and Mellow” with “The Mal Waldron All-Stars”, who in effect were Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Doc Cheetham, Vic Dickenson, Mal Waldren, Jo Jones, Danny Barker and Jim Atlas. To really appreciate what mainstream jazz is really about, go find and listen! There is plenty of other fine music on this CD but “Fine and Mellow” is the best 6 minutes 19 seconds you will ever experience! Columbia Legacy CK 66082

By the wonders of modern technology the Video of the broadcast can be had from You Tube       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMkHxEyXV5Y    but don’t tell anyone I told you!!

See you for the Sound Of Hedsor Jazz, Live, on Thursday January 28th

IMPORTANT

I have just been reminded that today is an important day in the life of one band leader!! 

At Hedsor Jazz tonight, there will be some food at half time to help that band leader celebrate that event, so do please come and help eat it!!

Sorry it is short notice, but better than no notice!!

You MAY know who!

A short blog about our Jazz at Hedsor. I hinted last week that we were working on a few “names” that you might like to have performing at Hedsor jazz. I can now reveal that we have Vasilis Xenopoulos coming to us on January 28^th.

It will be great to have this young “jazz great” with us again. A firm favourite with me, and I think many others of you as well. He now has 2 CD’s to his name, and many jazz festival appearances too, the regulars amongst you wont need to be told what a great night it will be. He will be joining the full Clive Burton Quintet, so we will have two saxophones to harmonise together! 

I have prepared a poster for this event, which will be at our normal admittance price of £6 and our normal start time of 8.30pm. I will send out a copy of the PDF file for the poster in my friendly nagging emails, if you could print one off and display in a public place near you I would be most obliged.

CD reviews later in the week, but it is a busy week for me, so they may be much later in the week.

I have been reminded that it is time to nominate your favourite CD, musician and band in this years Parliamentary Jazz Awards which will take place at the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion on Tuesday 10 May 2016. Details are below.

 

 Entries are open to everyone, and forms can be completed online from the JazzUK website at www.jazzuk.org.uk. The final deadline for entries is 12 noon Thursday 18 February 2016.

 The Parliamentary Jazz Awards is organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG), co-chaired by Jason McCartney MP and Lord Colwyn, and supported by music licensing company PPL in conjunction with JazzUK, Jazzwise, and the Musicians’ Union. 

 The categories for the 2016 Awards reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene and include:

•    Jazz Album of the Year (released in 2015 by a UK band or musicians)

•    Jazz Vocalist of the Year (UK-based vocalist who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (UK-based musician who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Ensemble of the Year (UK-based group who impressed in 2015)

•    Jazz Venue of the Year (including jazz clubs, venues, festivals and promoters)

•    Jazz Media Award (including broadcasters, journalists, magazines, blogs, listings and books)

•    Jazz Education Award (to an educator or project for raising the standard of jazz education in the UK)

•    Jazz Newcomer of the Year (UK-based artist, musician or group with a debut album released in 2015)

•    Services to Jazz Award (to a living person for their outstanding contribution to jazz in the UK).

 

 PPL has been supporting the awards since 2005. APPJAG has over 100 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords, across all political parties. Its aim is to encourage a wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the industry and issues surrounding it, as well as promoting jazz as a musical form, and to raise its profile both inside and outside of Parliament.”

So, go nominate, I have!!

Geoff C

January 12^th 2016

Another week, another blog from Geoff.

Our regular jazz haunt at The Hedsor Social Club will be back in use again on Thursday, with the Clive Burton Quintet almost as usual.

Both our regular pianist and our regular bass player will be away this week, but I am assured deputies have been put into place. Rumour has it that they may be Ken McCarthy and John Monney, but who turns up may surprise us all!!

We are on the hunt for some special guests (in addition to special deps!!) to lighten our January and February, but as yet I cannot confirm who they are (I do have their names written down!!). However DO rest assured that Hedsor Jazz will be with you throughout 2016, bringing you terrific quality live jazz every week.

Having last week discovered and reviewed a Tony Coe CD that was new to me, these past few days I have been going through my existing collection of Tony Coe recordings.

So, this week here is a 1997 recording, released in 1999, that if you don’t have it already, is another “must” for your collection.

“Jumpin” on Zepher Records ZECD25 not only has Tony Coe, but Alan Barnes and Warren Vache in Septet form with Brian Lemon on piano, Dave Cliff guitar, Dave Green bass and either Allan Ganley or Clark Tracey on drums. The recording is excellent, beautifully crisp, and the tunes from a variety of great jazz musicians are wonderfully played, apparently in someone’s front room!! Well the sleeve notes lead you to believe this!

Jay McShann’s “Jumpin the Blues” kicks off the set, and Coltraine’s “Giant Steps” and Tadd Dameron’s “On a Misty Night” are tailed by Ellington’s “The Jeep is Jumpin’” It can still be obtained from http://secondhandsongs.com/release/96457

There is so much good jazz out there to listen to that was recorded in the past.

Another, this time a double CD, to pass my ears this week has been a compilation called “The Best of Barber, Ball and Bilk -  Boaters. Bowlers and Bowties” takes me back to my days before and during my National Service in the RAF. But it IS still surprisingly good jazz. Innovative tunes as well as warhorses. Barber playing “King Kong” stands out for me. The recordings are pretty good too, many in genuine stereo, when in my day (no, it IS still my day, but perhaps a little bit later) they were all on mono LP’s, some of which are still in my loft! 39 tunes in all.

For those with a taste for nostalgia, BUY it from https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002G7XAZC?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Or buy it anyway to make you realise again what a good singer Ottilie Patterson was.

I have never forgotten here appearing with Barber (to whom she was married a the time) at Hammersmith Town Hall, in a black dress with a long skirt, and amazing everyone when she lifted her skirt to show long bright red boots! In those days (c 1960), that was NEW!

OK, I wonder who will be wearing the boots on Thursday, why not come and see!!

Happy New Year to all our readers!! You will be relieved to know that we start our 2016 season of Thursday Night Jazz THIS WEEK on the 7^th of January. The Clive Burton Quintet will be shaking off the results of the Festive Season at Hedsor from 8.30pm. This week we will have a deputy bass player. Come and say “Happy New Year” to John Monney, in place of Ken Rankine who will be playing with Enrico Tomasso in Ealing!!

Many of you will know John from previous appearances as a dep at Hedsor, but did you know that he used to be the regular bass player with the forerunner of the Clive Burton Quintet, a band called “Century Jazz”, which was led by the late Keith Vitty on drums. Clive is now the only member left of that original band.

Record Review

Did that benign bearded gent with a red outfit deem it fit to leave a jazz CD or two behind him in December for you? No? He didn’t for me either! BUT I have acquired a gem of a recording from 1998.

Tony Coe is one of Britain’s most identifiable saxophonists. He came to fame at the age of 18 when he was recruited into the Humphrey Lyttleton Band in 1957. He left that band in 1962 and founded the Tony Coe Quintet with trombonist John Pickard. They played the style of jazz that we hear on a Thursday, modern jazz with a trombone saxophone front line. He has gone on to play many different styles with many different people, winning international awards in the process.

Tony’s sound and phrasing are both unique and exciting. He always offers new insights into a tune you may have know for years (have a listen to “Love for Sale” , or "Willow Weep For Me" when he was with the Humph band around 1960), so I was delighted to discover a recording of his in quartet form recorded on an obscure Swiss music company label, in England in 1998. With him are Brian Dee on piano, Matt Miles bass and Steve Arguelles drums. Another international link can be found on the record sleeve!! Apparently this Swiss company is registered in Jersey!!

It is a gem of a find, some great tunes, and some great playing. Tony plays not only tenor sax, but soprano and clarinet as well. Back in Humph’s band he used to do some wonderful stuff on alto sax as well but doesn’t seem to have played it recently, mores the pity. I heartily recommend this if you can find it. It IS still around. Zah Zah Records CD ZZCD 9802 published by Guild Music Ltd.

Tony is now 81, and lives in Canterbury, and that, last I heard, not in the best of health. If you get a chance to hear him live take it. He is a British superstar.

See you all on Thursday.

Geoff

At Hedsor Jazz this week, for one week only, we are BACK TO NORMAL!!

We welcome back our recently irregular regular reed section, Mr Mike Wills!! He may still be trailing cloud of Australia behind him, but I doubt if he will be playing a didgeridoo!!

 Mike Wills, with John Coverdale, who was with us last week!

Sadly I have another commitment this Thursday, so I wont be part of the welcoming party, but do go along and for the immensely small sum of £6 you can welcome him back.

He will be with us the week after for our Christmas party on December 17^th, but we will have additional guests, including one of the UK’s most talented singers, Sarah Moule. With her, and another first time visitor to Hedsor, will be trumpet professor Steve Waterman.

Steve Waterman

An earlier start time of 8pm, and a slightly higher entry fee of £10 will give us the means of enjoying all the music and a half time buffet!

CD

It is a well known fact that I like lady singers, and last evening I sat down to watch a DVD, part of an album release, by a young singer that I hadn’t heard of. I should have done, as about 8 years ago she was voted as a BBC Rising Star.

Polly Gibbons is now in her 30’s, and the album I have watched (but not yet listened to) is called “The Many Faces of Love”. The DVD bit was recorded in Beverly Hills, California, although she is a native of Suffolk UK and the daughter of a pig farmer! She also has 6 sisters and a brother!

The DVD on the album was a live show, presenting some of the material from the CD (on Resonance Records RCD 1022), plus other music from her repertoire. With her on a couple of tunes is guest pianist Roger Kellaway, as well as the quartet on the album CD.

She is very good!! She has a big voice, and knows exactly how to sing a song and how to interact with her fellow musicians. On the basis of my watch of the DVD part of the album I can only heartily recommend it to all those of you who like lady jazz singers of a robust nature. There is plenty of evidence for her on YouTube, so do at least go and check her out. With some good fortune (which we all need from time to time) we should hear more from her in the future. I didn’t expect to enjoy the DVD, thinking it would be too glitzy, but she has certainly made an impact on me!!

So, until our Hedsor Christmas party, where we will also have a guest barmaid, I will say farewell!!

This week at Hedsor Jazz we are delighted to be able to welcome back guitarist John Coverdale as our guest.

I am still vividly remembering his appearance with The Clive Burton Quintet at St Piran's on September 26th. He appeared as a guest, and played amazingly. He held centre stage for about 1/2 hour and sadly I didn't get to record it! It will be a delight to welcome him back, so do come and enjoy a very talented musician.

Dont forget to get your ticket for our Christmas doo, £10 including light buffet, either from Dee on a Thursday (only 2 before the event! Scary eh, Christmas is very coming!) or from Cookham's Stationery Depot in the Parade.

CD 

I am in the process of listening to a new CD by Colin Town's Mask Orchestra. It is a 2 CD release, and I havent yet heard it all, but what I have heard so far is magical. 

It's a cross between an orchestra suite and a set of jazz pieces for a large band. All the tunes are originals, and all are inspired by works of stage drama. The quality of the players in the orchestra is terrific, and include Henry Lowther, Peter King, Simon Allen, Alan Skidmore and of course Colin Towns himself at the keyboard. All the music has been composed by Colin Towns, the CD notes and production are first class, and as I have said at the top, I think it's magical. It isn't Bop, it isn't 50's Modern jazz, but it IS very good!!
It's on Provocateur Records PVC1044