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

This week at Hedsor Jazz

We are pleased to welcome back one of Britain’s best tenor saxophonists, Simon Spillett.

Simon and his Quartet at St Piran's

Simon is an award winning musician, and a great friend to Hedsor Jazz (as we are to him!!). It will be great to hear him paired again with our own Clive Burton on trombone.

Do join us in this celebration of post war modern jazz, and YOU can then say you have gone for a burton!! Music starts at 8.30pm if you have paid your £6 to get in.

We are only 3 weeks away now from our Christmas Party on December 17^th. Tickets are now available at £10 each, and as is now usual, this price will include a light buffet supper. We start at 8pm on such occasions, just to give you more time to eat!!

Our guests this year will include two superb musicians who have never been to Hedsor Jazz before. Singer Sarah Moule and trumpeter Steve Waterman. Our regular bass player has been urging me to get Sarah along to Hedsor now for some months. She sings regularly with big band “The Sound of 17” for which Ken Rankine plays bass, (and has done so for many peoples lifetimes)! Sarah has a number of CD’s to her name, and also a number of YouTube appearances, try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99qFjZQg42Y for starters.

For those elite who got to The St Piran’s Jazz Day you will not need to be told of Steve Waterman’s ability, as he was with us that day. For those who weren’t there (shame on you) don’t miss him again when he is playing so near to us and for so little an entrance fee. He is more than just good, he is the professor of jazz trumpet at Trinity Collage of Music!!

Until Thursday, drive (and walk) safely, after Thursday…….just carry on doing the same!

Geoff C

Another week, another chance to listen to Jazz at The Hedsor Social Club.

Despite the gloom and sadness caused by recent atrocious events, one bright spot every week is our gathering together at Hedsor, and listening to The Clive Burton Quintet and talking with each other about almost every topic under the sun!!

This is another week where our regular reed section goes walkabout, and in his place we have someone who has only been to Hedsor I think once before! He hasn’t been mentioned in my blog before either, so I guess I was painting railings when he was at Hedsor. Martin Nicholas I’m sure will be an asset to our evening, and I am looking forward to hearing him. I am told he likes playing the clarinet as well as a saxophone, which will be nice to hear.

Last week “I trailed my coat” about the guests for our Christmas Party on December 17^th.  Neither of our two guests has appeared before at Hedsor, and I am very excited to confirm that Singer Sarah Moule and trumpet star Steve Waterman have both agreed to be with us at our party.

I have a number of Sarah’s CD’s but have never heard her “live”. She is a tremendously talented singer. On her 2014 CD (cover below)  she sings the words of the late great Fran Landsman, and on this cd (“Songs from the Floating World”, Red Ram Records RAM002) she is accompanied by her husband pianist Simon Wallace. Also with her on various tracks of this release is among others another of my favourites, Nigel Price!

Our other guest you would have seen at the day of jazz at St. Piran’s School in September. Steve Waterman was alongside singer Gill Cook on that occasion and I thought it would be a treat to get him to Hedsor Jazz. Especially as he may well play alongside Sarah. He should fit in with our regular Quintet very well. Steve is professor of Jazz Trumpet at Trinity College of Music in London and visiting Jazz Trumpet specialist at The Royal Northern College Of Music and The Welsh College Of Music And Drama. He is also a very nice man!!

Here is a link to his website:- http://www.swjo.co.uk/about.html

 Steve Waterman alongside Gill Cook at St Piran's

So book your ticket, there will be some for sale this Thursday at £10 each. Do encourage others to venture out and enjoy good music, buffet food and great company on December 17^th. A poster for our party is reproduced below. Do feel free to download the artwork and print and display somewhere near you.

One further advance notice. On Thursday November 26^th we have as our special guest saxophonist Simon Spillett, so do come, and if you can, bring another along as well!!

In THAT way, we will keep live jazz alive at The Hedsor Social Club!!

HEDSOR JAZZ TODAY

I my be wrong, (but I think your wonderful), but I also think that today's version of The Clive Burton Quintet will be back to normal!! An original, guest free night! Well, that may be so, but you never know. The fact that we are a regular weekly jazz club does sometimes encourage some well know jazz figures to come and sit in, so there is always a level of expectation.

We are working hard to get some special guests to our Christmas party on December 17th. We are aiming for 2 who have never played at Hedsor before!! Watch this space. But keep your eyes on the road and your nose to the grindstone. You could possibly also get your backs to the wall, but I'm no athlete!!

Sorry for the brief blog, but it has been an amazingly busy week, and I'm just off out AGAIN!! Yesterday I was with the Great and the Good at St Clement Danes School Remembrance Day Service in Hertfordshire.

Don't forget we can only keep Hedsor Jazz alive every week by having an audience. Now THAT is up to you!!

TTFN

Geoff

After last weeks Halloween inspired evening, this week we have Guy Fawkes!! 

However, this week at Hedsor we do return to something like normality!!

We welcome back after a 3 week break (must be long railings!), our regular reed section, Mike Wills. Not that it will necessarily be the “regular” Clive Burton Quintet. Regular bass player Ken Rankine is accompanying singer Sarah Moule in London this week, so in his place (from last week in the audience) we have Steve Riddle.

Mentioning last week, it was good to see drummer Malcolm Potter again after about 8 years, back at Hedsor as a short notice dep for Martin.

Thinking again about last week I must say that I thought Tracey Mendham played the best I have ever heard her. Her tone was amazingly big, and due to Clive’s arrival being delayed, Tracey started off the evening without him, or the PA, and her self assurance and slightly different choice of tune was a real bonus. Her singing towards the end of the second set was also a revelation, and deserved the applause she got from the audience. Well-done Tracey. She mentioned to me afterwards that she has had a number of appearances recently with The Humphrey Lyttelton Band.

CD’s Listened to This past week.

I have been impressed by two this week, both on the Linn label. Now Linn are a renowned manufacturer of quality turntables, and all of their CD releases are of the finest recorded quality, and that is true of the two I have heard this week. I would point out that I do listen on reasonable quality equipment (Roksan Kandy KA-1 Amp, Marantz Signature Cd player with Cambridge Audio interconnects and Rega Jura speakers), and these two recordings sounded wonderful.

The first is by a gentleman singer that I haven’t listened to before, Joe Stilgoe. He accompanies himself on the piano, but has added a number of great British jazz musicians in this album mostly of his own songs called “New Songs for Old Souls”. It ranges from small group to Big Band, and although I am not generally a fan of male singers, I think this one makes for a refreshing 48 minutes. His style is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra in 1940’s,50’s mode, but almost all the tunes and lyrics are by Joe himself.  Well worth listening to, and reading some of the thought provoking lyrics reproduced in the booklet too. Linn AKD 484 if you want to refresh YOUR Hi Fidelity listening.

Also on the Linn label is a new release by David Newton, a great Scottish born pianist and one of the best in Britain. Here in trio form with Matt Skelton on drums and Tom Farmer on bass they play a selection of tunes made famous on the silver screen. It isn’t often you get to hear these tunes other than in their original settings, and the re-workings of “Chariots of Fire” and “Wouldn’t it Be Loverly” are worth the purchase on their own. But there IS much more to this trio CD than just those two tunes. The album is entitled “Big Screen Take One” and the CD number is Linn AKD 504. It will sound terrific on your Hi Fi too.

HOWEVER, the BEST Fi to listen to is LIVE MUSIC. Become and Audience, then the music will be able to continue!!