Geoff’s Blog, and if you read this straight away on Tuesdays, then Tonight (August 23rd) at Marlow there is some local jazz for you. Vasilis Xenopoulos (a Cookham resident!) is playing alongside Nigel Price at The British Legion Hall as part of Michael Eagleton’s program of concerts. Do refer back to last weeks blog for more detail of his Autumn program, but tonight the evening starts at 8.30pm and will cost you £10 to get in, just as it will in October when Vasilis and Nigel play Hedsor Jazz, (that’s on October 20^th).

Coming to Hedsor Jazz THIS WEEK (Thursday August 25^th) we have another influential jazz saxophonist. After a break at least as long as the covid one, we have a return of alto player Peter Cook. Peter has trained many of the saxophonists you listen to, being Head of Jazz at The London Collage of Music (https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/pete-cook). Also see his web page at 

http://www.petecooksax.com/Site/Welcome.html 

He has a cool pure “Paul Desmond” like approach, which I’m sure you will appreciate, and on Thursday he will be partnered by that super trombone player Nick Mills. Our usual trio will be backing them.

 

Looking back on last weeks concert, what a super evening it was! The combination of Alan Barnes, a saxophonist I have listened to for over 20 years, led by our local trumpet star Stuart Henderson was superb.

 As many of you know my wife and I have recently celebrated 63 years of married life, and I had to mention to Alan that this was as long as he had been around! Yes, he was born in 1959! And long may he continue. He has given so many of us so many happy musical memories, and also many cd’s to keep the memory alive when we are at home. His version last Thursday of Duke Ellington’s “Isfahan” just added to the memories. Superb. 

If you look on Michael’s Autumn program (in last weeks blog) you will find you can hear Alan there again in November.

Some pictures from last Thursday are below.

 

However if you want to listen to Alan again before November 15th, then go to The Wooburn Festivals 30^th September jazz festival dinner, where Alan will be laying alongside pianist David Newton. They shared the same room at Leeds where they both studied music and they have played together many times since. You can check out their Wooburn Festival appearance at https://www.wooburn.com/jazz.html

With the cost of everything going up, we do hope to keep our entry fee at Hedsor Jazz to just £10 per head. That could be made more certain if a few more people came to each concert. We are attempting to raise our profile, and we do now have a miniscule place online in the Bucks Free Press. Do let people know and check it out for yourself by going to

https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/local-events/?_evDiscoveryPath=/event/1286013-hedsor-jazz

If you click on “more info” you can to get to my blog! A full circle from here!

That’s it for now folks

Has the weather broken, or is it just the economy?

Anyway a few lines to let you know of who and what we have at Hedsor Jazz this week. If in doubt we do have air conditioning!! 

But we also have that wonderful saxophonist Alan Barnes coming to us this week, see poster art below.

 

Alan has been one of the mainstays of British jazz for over 40 years, producing music to listen to at home via his record label, and working hard to maintain his family (he will always tell you how much he needs your money to support it), playing live gigs everywhere. He is always producing faultless music linked with good humour. Do take a look at his web site https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/

I have chatted with him many times; he was the president of Swanage Jazz Festival for most of its life. On one occasion I was invited to look after a pram load of his daughter whilst he and his wife were playing a gig at Swanage! She of course is now in her 20’s!

Alan says he has never been invited to Hedsor Jazz and didn’t think we could afford him anyway. Well, now he has been invited, he IS coming and he will get paid!

SO why not come and see and hear for yourself what a wonderful player he is. Mind you, I guess most of you readers will know of his ability anyway. But as an added incentive this Thursday we will have a light buffet at half time, just to keep (his?) energy levels up!

Last week we had a return visit by saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr and trombonist Mike Innes. They produced some wonderful music and played some great arrangements.

One has to wonder at the rapport they have with each other. The truth is they have known each other since they were both 10 years old, so it isn’t just that they can read the score with pin point accuracy and timing!

Pictures of the evening are below.

Also worth a mention is Marlow Jazz’s winter program. Do take a look at the jpeg below, but you can also check it out https://www.marlowjazz.co.uk/

Their next gig is Tuesday 23^rd August with Vasilis Xenopoulos and Nigel Price. Two of my favourite musicians, I have already asked Michael for a seat at HIS gig. We have them coming to us at Hedsor on October 20^th    

Looking further ahead for Hedsor Jazz, August 25^th sees a return of saxophonist and lecturer Peter Cook, who is coming to play alongside that adroit trombonist Nick Mills. Peter was a music tutor at Brunel University and taught Vasilis for a short time before Vasilis went of to gain his MA at Berkley Collage USA. Peter is now Head of Jazz at The London Collage of Music https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/pete-cook

A bit if brief blogging today. The sun is shining (again, wow) and soon it will be too warm to sit at my office desk. SO for better or for worse (and for me that was 63 years ago yesterday!), here is a brief reminder of what to expect this Thursday at Hedsor Jazz, and a quick look back at  what we enjoyed last week there as well.

Thursday August 11^th

Coming back to Hedsor again this week we have that world class combination of saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr and trombonist Mike Innes, all backed by The Martin Hart trio. If you have missed their previous appearances at Hedsor do try not to miss this week. You will not be able to hear any better quality modern jazz in quintet form than this combination. They are well worth turning out for.

Car Parking at Hedsor.

Of late The Hedsor Club has had an early evening football game in the adjacent field and car parking has been a bit of a problem. I have been in contact with the Hedsor Club and have had an assurance back that the situation will improve. Below is a portion of the clubs reply:-

“We have already spoken to the footballers about this issue. We have told them that they will have to change their night if this continues. The last two Thursdays they have had a pre season friendly. Also last week the opposition brought two teams - so it was all a bit manic. 

However there are no more games planned for Thursdays now - only training. We are going to use the field to overspill the footballers cars. Might make them more focused on getting the ball in the net.”

A great response from the club who obviously appreciate our custom. Thank you Hedsor Bar.

Last week (photos below) we had the very unusual chance to listen to 9 different reed instruments. No not all at the same time, we only had two reed players, (Mike Wills and Mark Aston). But what an opportunity it was to listen to such a variety of reed combinations (no, I am not referring to bamboo underwear!). There was also a mix of tunes played, from those of the 1920’s to one recently written by Mark Aston in classical baroque style.

In the photos below see if you can recognise the C Melody sax. This was once very popular in the 1920’s but is rarely played now. I once had the privilege of listening to American saxophonist Scott Robinson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Robinson_(jazz_musician) playing his, and talked with him afterwards about it. He has issued a CD where all the tunes are played on a C Melody sax. Last week, only some of the tunes played utilised this instrument!

So thanks again to Mike and Mark for bringing and playing such a range of instruments, and for making it a great musical experience and not just a history lesson!

 

 

 

 

Dont forget that on August 18^th Hedsor Jazz brings you one of the best, if not the best, jazz saxophone players in the UK. Alan Barnes (above) is coming to Hedsor Jazz, and will be playing alongside Stuart Henderson. It is Alan’s first visit to Hedsor and you never know, he might enjoy it enough to come again. But YOU have to make him welcome on this his first visit!

 

As the cartoon says, “That’s it for now folks”

 

Geoff 

 I now have the details for our concert on August 11th so I can not only let you have those detail, I can make a correction to our event on September 1st (accompanying Lester Brown it will be Mike Wills not trombonist Nick Mills). So, I have produced another poster for you to print off and put up within public view, see jpeg below.

If you come to Hedsor tonight you will find one on your table!

Another Tuesday, and another blog from Geoff

And the weather hasn’t got any cooler.  I would love to be able to say “I Think Its Going To Rain Today”, but  maybe I’ll just play the tune instead (its part of the Randy Newman Songbook, and a great tune that I first came upon on a Chris Barber LP called “Battersea Rain Dance” back around 1965).

What a terrific night we had last Thursday. An evening of celebration for Alan Grahame, which was full of joy, and for the first time in 3 years, Hedsor Jazz was full of people too. You would never credit that it was Alan’s 95^th birthday, and yes, I have ask him to place his booking for the 100 with us already.

The music was marvellous, and the people who came to play for Alan could have bankrupted us if we had had to pay them. Alan has been in the business a long time, and not only knows a lot of musicians, but has also raised a family of musicians himself!! Some of the photos are below. I just hope that we will be able to book some of the guests ourselves in the future. Our good friend Duncan Lamont Jr opened the first set and Alan’s daughter Lisa opened the second. She had taken the night off from a West End show to do so. But they were helped out by Ray Wordsworth, Art Theman, Steve Waterman, Andy Crowdy, Nigel Fox, Stuart Henderson and Denny Islet Jr sang for us as well. During “The Peanut Vendor” ALL of Alan’s family came on, as Lisa said “to hit something” with Alan's grandson Barney on drums!

 

Some of you missed it! But we have got some wonderful gigs lined up for you over the next couple of months.

August

4^th Two Saxophonists for a tenner! Mike Wills and Mark Aston

11^th Still to be finalised.                          

18^th As this evening is very near to my birthday I have invited Alan Barnes to come and play for us. He was complaining to me that he had never been invited to play at Hedsor, so now he has!  He will be alongside trumpet ace Stuart Henderson, a regular Hedsor contender. A light buffet will be available at half time.

25^th That super trombone player Nick Mills will be with us for the first of a 3 week stay and this week he will be alongside saxophonist Peter Cook. Pete is Head of Jazz at The London Collage of Music

September

1^st Nick Mills returns to play alongside “our” trumpet man Lester Brown

8^th This time another of my neighbours is coming to play, saxophonist Alam Nathoo. Alam hasn’t played at Hedsor before and he is coming to keep trombone man Nick Mills company. Check out Alam’s web page https://alamnathoo.wordpress.com/music/

I used the phrase “another of my neighbours” as Vasilis Xenopouls is now a Cookham resident and he is coming to play for us on October 20^th. Guitarist Nigel Price is also coming, and we are trying to persuade Nigel to come and reside in Cookham too!

Cant wait until October, Vasilis and Nigel are at The Marlow Jazz Club on Tuesday August 23rd

A Quick Plug for the Wooburn Festival, check out https://www.wooburn.com/jazz.html

Also do check out Pangbourne Jazz Clubs coming event, and read the writup on both Alan Grahame and “our” Ken McCarthy!  https://mailchi.mp/jazzinreading.com/pangbourne-jazz-club-april-2018-jim-6139060?e=9ec6209932

See you all at Hedsor Jazz. We always start at 8.30pm. We are always at The Hedsor Bar, Hedsor Rd, Bourne End SL8 5ES and it's only £10 to get in. 

Good Morning England,

NO not another message from a Prime Ministerial candidate, just Geoff’s Blog!

Most of us have no say in who runs our country for the next couple of year, but you do have a say in what you actually listen to and how you pass your Thursday evenings. This week I do hope you vote with your feet for Hedsor Jazz, as it is going to be rather a special evening. Hedsor Jazz is going to say “Happy Birthday” to a very special vibraphone player, who passed the 95^th year milestone in the past few days. SO on Thursday this week, July 28^th, we will have Alan Grahame, Duncan Lamont Jr. Stuart Henderson, Ken McCarthy and Martin Hart, now thankfully recovering from covid 19, all joining with some of Alan’s friends from his career in music, plus his daughter, an alto player usually seen in the Jools Holland Orchestra, all coming to play at Hedsor. There will be a buffet, so do come along. Entry will still only be £10 a head and it will be an 8.30 start as is our norm. But do come early. I think we will have enough seats for everyone, but maybe not a table space for everyone’s drinks!

 

Alan Grahame earlier this year

Last weeks concert, featuring Stuart Henderson and Mike Wilkins, was another very enjoyable evening, with some great arrangements being rapidly read. Mike Wilkins seems to be getting used to us, as he was playing better this time than when I last heard him at Hedsor. I’m sure we will see him again.

My photos of the evening are below.

 

You might like to look more closely at the last photo, provided by John Dutton. Yes, Stuart did play one solo on his flugel horn BUT with it UPSIDE DOWN!!

Last week I never did get around to writing more about my Swanage Jazz 2022 experience. However, a short (5 minute) compilation is now available on YouTube that gives you at least a flavour of what it is like, and maybe wet your appetite for next years festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVv6e2H3iFY

As I mentioned last week I enjoyed greatly the Nigel Price Saturday gig in the Molem Theatre. Vasilis Xenopoulos, who was part of that concert, has since told me that to make it an economical event, after a couple of hours having a late lunch drinking a cold lager and downing a sandwich, he travelled back home (to Cookham!!), via a gig in Romsey, near Southampton, that evening! 

The discussion I had with him really makes me wonder how much longer we can go on enjoying live music of any sort, but perhaps jazz in particular, with so little financial resource going into this form of art. All around us we see organisations that promote and support artistic endeavour struggling to keep going. Will it ever be that top quality jazz can only be performed by people who come from a wealthy background where they, the performer, doesn’t actually need the income from his performance? Most musicians travel many miles to play for us. We all enjoy the rich mix of talents, be they performed in a jazz festival or in a small club like Hedsor, but with fuel costs hitting all of us, even a ten mile journey will cost the musician about £10. So enjoy it all whilst you still have the opportunity. Hedsor Jazz charges £10 entry, yet most of the musicians travel more than ten miles to play for us! 

 

I am, and “it”, is back, it being this blog!

Although most of this edition will be me writing about my Swanage Jazz Festival 2022 experience I must first tell you of some necessary changes to this coming Thursday (July 21^st) Hedsor Jazz gig.

We had planned for Duncan Lamont Jr and Mike Innes to be with us this week, but “other” circumstances have prevented this. In their place we welcome back Trumpet maestro Stuart Henderson. He will be partnered by a young saxophonist we have had twice before, Mike Wilkins.

Also, on his return from his hols, drummer and band leader Martin Hart has now sadly tested positive for covid 19, so he will not be with us this week.

Even though our program this week is not as planned we hope you will support Hedsor Jazz, and don’t forget that Thursday week (July 28^th) we celebrate vibraphone and percussionist Alan Grahame’s 95 years with a gathering at Hedsor Jazz of as many of his long term colleagues we can get in! AND still it will only cost you a £10 entry. We anticipate having a light buffet that evening so do put it in your “must do” diary.

Now to my experience of Swanage 2022.

On the whole it worked well. I personally could only manage to reach 2 different venues, but over the 3 days I took in 7 concerts plus taking the walk alongside the New Orleans style street parade. I will scan in the details of those I got to see, but my general appreciation was that they were all VERY enjoyable.

Two downsides. Not having the marquees on the field facing the sea as in most of the festivals 25 plus years meant that the ability to meet socially was greatly restricted. The concert venues I visited had seats in rows. Very comfortable, but it made strolling between gigs very difficult if not impossible.

The other downside has more to do with the town’s traders than of the jazz festival. It was very difficult to find hot food after about 4 pm. Yes, plenty of fish and chips was obtainable, but I was surprised that so many cafe style eateries seemed to close at 4pm.

If like me you haven’t travelled far afield in the past 3 years, travelling this year you will find everything much more expensive than 3 years ago. As I was in Dorset I took in visits in the area to friends and relatives which meant I stayed in 3 hotels in 7 days. All charged near to or over £100 per night, breakfast was averaging £9 per go! Plus of course fuel at around £2 per litre, or in old money not, far short of £10 per gallon! I am very glad my Volvo did 63 mpg on diesel.

Will I go again? I have already booked my accommodation for Swanage Jazz 2023 starting on July 7^th!

Below the program I experienced. I will try and get you the marching band experience another time.

 

I may try to comment on the actual music I heard later in the week when the weather is cooler, but until then

 

Goodbye

 This blog update will be brief. I am setting off for Dorset, and for next weekends Swanage Jazz Festival, but will just remind you of a splendid Hedsor Jazz gig coming up this Thursday. 

Two wonderful saxophonists that I will be disappointed to miss, but there you go, I have tickets booked for Swanage!

So on Thursday you can listen to Mike Wills and Ollie Wilby on reeds, and we the safe return from Covid of Ken McCarthy on keyboard, plus the every lovely (brace yourselves) Peter Hughes on bass, and as Martin is still on HIS holidays, Mike Jeffries on drums. 

Ollie you may remember is usually at Hedsor alongside trumpet man Ian Smith, this time he will be allowed more time to shine! Usually Mr Smith is the one who does all the talking. Dont forget, some of his Radio speaking is still available on the BBC Sound app.

The pictures below, of last weeks set, which I missed in order to experience the "new" Heatherwood Hospitals day surgery unit, have been provided by Geoff Swaffield.