July 9^th, and A Little Light Bloging

As I wasn’t able to be at Hedsor last week.

I was away at a family funeral in Winchester, staying within sight of the Cathedral. It was a necessarily sad, but equally nice, occasion, set in a beautiful location.

Chesil House, the location for the funeral service:-

Winchester Cathedral, as viewed from our hotel:-

I am told that Hedsor went well, and that Duncan Lamont Jr was up to his usual (high) standard. The pictures below are provided by Peter England. I understand that the attendance was pretty reasonable, seeing it was a General Election night.

Thanks to those who did turn out, especially to the musicians who played. With Martin indisposed, the drum chair (stool?) was taken by Mike Jeffries, and that bass player in the picture is Tom Mark. Ken McCarthy, back from his granddaughters wedding, was on keyboard, and the guitarist (a first visit to Hedsor) was Russell Jarrett

 

Coming this week (Thursday July 11^th) we have trumpet star Johnny Thirkle, who will be paired with saxophonist Alam Nathoo. Martins place will again be taken by Mike Jeffries. So, our usual high Hedsor Jazz quality will not be at risk.

 

I will be off on the following day to the Swanage Jazz Festival. This is something I have done every year for over 30 years. However I am beginning to wonder if I need to do that anymore, as many of the stars of The Swanage Jazz Festival come to Hedsor. Alan Barnes, Nigel Price, Vasilis Xenopoulos (to name just 3) will be at Swanage, and will be or have already been to play at Hedsor Jazz this year. So our jazz quality is pretty good.

If you don’t already do so, come and support us. It’s a lot cheaper that a weekend in Swanage!

OK, no sea, but we are very near The Thames! 

 Martin Hart

I have learnt today that Martin has had a fall and has broken 2 ribs. I'm sure we all wish Martin a speedy recovery.

At Hedsor Jazz tomorrow his place on drums will be taken by Mike Jeffries, whom we must thank for stepping in at short notice.

Geoff

July 4th. Another Week for Hedsor Jazz

But for once it’s a week that I wont be able to attend! 

Funerals are something that are fundamentally unplanned, and so it is with the one I shall be attending in Winchester on Thursday. Unplanned, but inevitable since birth, and as usual expected by very few! So this Thursday evening I will be staying within site of Winchester Cathedral.

 

I will be voting before I go, and it seems that the election had booked most of our planned jazz musicians! However, saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr has come to our rescue and will be bringing with him guitarist Russell Jarrett for our gig on July 4^th. Usual start time of 8pm. So if you can, do join our jazz party (dedicated to providing a refuge for jazz lovers. It’s clearly in our manifesto!) and come and make Hedsor Jazz an election (night) winner. Ken McCarthy will be back with us. Last week he was giving his granddaughter away at her wedding in Kent. What a lovely thing to be able to do! So welcome back Ken. And thank you to Nigel Fox, who has depped for Ken for the past 2 weeks. We are very lucky indeed to be able to listen to 2 such great jazz pianists at Hedsor Jazz. Thanks again Nigel.

Last week (pictures below) we had Steph Pirrie singing and trumpeting her way through our evening, backed by Nigel Fox on keyboard, and her husband Al Pirrie on bass, with a returning from holiday Martin Hart on drums. Steph brought with her a young saxophonist, Noah Smith, who everyone should look out for because a number of us think he has a real talent. His solos during each tune played were a magnifying glass for the tune and it chords and harmonies. I just hope we can have him back and then allow him the space to extent his improvisational skill and our understanding of the tunes he will play. That, by the way, is another reason why keeping Hedsor Jazz alive is important; it allows that creative space for jazz musicians to play the music they love with others of like skill and mindset.

 

Coming on July 11^th (I may be able to come to this but I travel to Dorset next day) we have a planned visit from Alam Nathoo in support of trumpeter Johnny Thirkle. Johnny is in great demand in the popular music world, and it may be that at very short notice he will have to be substituted, but he does like coming to play for us at Hedsor when his touring schedule allows.

Johnny Thirkle

 

Alam

Do look back at previous blogs. I have published our gig list for July and August, but if there are personnel changes and I can let you know in time I will post them on this blog. I will be away first at the Swanage Jazz Festival, and then for a few days in Dorset to catch up with friends and family in the area.

Safe journeying

 

Geoff C

SUMMER

We are actually getting two or three days of warm yellow light, which I understand is called sunshine! It wont last, The Swanage Jazz Festival is coming up (July 12^th – 14^th), and thereby hangs a risk to our summer!!

Last Thursday’s Hedsor Jazz was one of those events both remarkable for bad and good reasons.

I had anticipated seeing both Ken McCarthy and Martin Hart, but no, pianist Nigel Fox, and a drummer I didn’t know where busy setting up. At about 7.45 Esther Ng arrived, bass and all, so we did had a trio, but where were Mike Wills and Sue Greenway our front line guests for the evening?

At 8pm (our usual start time these days), Nigel handed me his phone, and it was Mike on the other end of it, speaking from The Radcliffe Hospital A&E in Oxford!

He had been taken ill whilst driving himself and Sue to our gig! His pacemaker had triggered, and fortunately Sue had managed to stop the car and call an ambulance. He was OK, but apologising for missing our gig!!

Fortunately I had Alam Nathoo’s phone number on my phone, and as he now lives within walking distance of Hedsor Bar I gave him a ring, hoping he might be free. I interrupted his evening meal. Yes he was free, and yes he would come. By 8.45 he was playing the fourth tune in our first set, the first 3 tunes being provided by our trio!

I must say we are extremely grateful that Alam dropped every plan he may have had for his evening (including that of digestion) and came to us and played spectacularly for us.

I have since been in touch with Mike’s wife Sam, and Mike is OK, but still in The John Radclife Hospital waiting to see what the cardiology department want to do with him. He has no phone reception there, but via email he has said he will let us know when he can what the next step will be. Needless to say I’m sure we all wish him a rapid recovery, and look forward to hearing the arrangements he must have made for the tunes he intended to play at Hedsor that night. Sue Greenway was obviously upset by the events of the aborted journey, and we wish her well as the trauma of the evening diminishes and we look forward to seeing and hearing her again at Hedsor Jazz before too long.

Musically the evening was absolutely amazing. I think everyone rose to the occasion and played with diminishing socks returns! Thank you again trio, Nigel Fox, Esther Ng and Stephane Booroff drums. My photos of the evening are below:-

Coming this Thursday, June 27^th, we have husband and wife team Al Pirrie on bass with trumpet player and singer Steff Pirrie, together with saxophonist Noah Smith. They are backed by Nigel Fox, again on keyboard, and I understand that Martin Hart will be back from another holiday to be our drummer. Pics below are from Stephs first visit to Hedsor Jazz.

 

Now the election night (July 4^th) has caused us some problems. I myself have to go to a funeral in Winchester, which starts at the unusual time of 6.30pm. SO after a quick vote, I shall be off to Hampshire. However, it seems that almost every musician in the country has a gig that night, including those we had advertised, but we do have a full evening of Jazz at Hedsor provided by Duncan Lamont and he thinks he can fix a very nice guitarist called Russell Jarrett to come too. Our trio will also have voted by then, and will also come out to play! I will be doubly sad to miss them all.

Do look back at the posters for July and August. Dorset beckons so newsy blogs may shrink a bit for a week or two. 

However some very special music will be played at Hedsor, so don’t miss a note.

 For Geoff’s Blog this week, it will be a short “What’s on at Hedsor Jazz” message!

With the addition of posters for July AND AUGUST!!

This Thursday, June 20^th we have the combined saxophone talents of Mike Wills and Sue Greenway, backed as usual by the Hedsor Jazz Trio. Mike used to be a regular at Hedsor as our reed player with The Clive Burton Quintet. A well respected player and arranger, both he and Sue come from Oxfordshire and they have played Hedsor Jazz a number of times together over a number of years. It will be a very enjoyable evening of tunes old and new, all played on a variety of reed instruments.

Last week at Hedsor Jazz (my pictures below) we had a stunning evening of saxophone and trombone from Duncan Lamont Jr and Mike Innes. Their ability to sight read in time and in harmony together with absolute perfection is just amazing. It was just sad that our audience appeared to be away on holiday, which was disappointing for everyone!!

Those who were there were treated to some special talents.

 

Below are jpegs of both the July and August programs for Hedsor Jazz. Please print them off and distribute to friends and neighbours. We need to encourage new audience members and from recent experience at The Cookham Festival, even none jazz lovers have been astounded by the skill of our jazz musicians. So invite someone to one of our Thursdays and they may come again.

 

AND at Hedsor you can talk to the musicians, try that at The Royal Festival Hall or the O2!!

 OUR SUMMER PROGRAM

 

 Geoff’s Blog, which does rather stress all about the jazz at Hedsor Jazz!!

Because those of us who go think it’s all rather good!

Coming this week, Thursday 13^th June is that world class combination of Duncan Lamont Jr and Mike Innes

That’s a sax/trombone combination, playing in front of the Hedsor Rhythm Section, with Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Martin Hart on drums.

We haven’t had that paring for some months as Duncan has brought us some other great players to keep him company, but when he comes with Mike Innes, you know the arrangements are going to be superb, and the playing, as mentioned earlier*, will be  world class. Unconvinced, then come and tell me I’m wrong. Pictured below is the pair last time they were at The Hedsor Bar in November 2023

Last week we had a return of the young trumpet player that Duncan introduced us to earlier this year, Matt Hill, and so good is he that we have now had him back to Hedsor a further couple of times. Last week he was accompanied by saxophonist Martin Dunston who played tenor and soprano sax and flute.

 

It was a joyous evening, made even more special because one of our club members celebrated his 90^th birthday at Hedsor with his family. Brian had played the trumpet in his earlier days (having been coached at on time by Kenny Baker) and at the end of the evening he and his family came to the front to be photographed with the band.

Jazz at Hedsor isn’t just about the music, it’s about the friendships we create through our common appreciation of jazz well played. The fact that we have been doing that for over 20 years does make Hedsor Jazz very special.

 

Coming in the next few months we have plenty to keep you entertained, always with a great deal of top class jazz. Do especially reserve August 15^th as top British saxophonist Alan Barnes will be paying us a visit.

 

Sooner than August, coming next week June 20^th we have lady Saxophonist Sue Greenway. She is coming from Oxfordshire to be alongside someone who used to be “our” saxophonist, a founder member of the Clive Burton Quintet, Mike Wills on saxophones multifarious! Perhaps then 2 tenors for the price of a ten pound note!

 

At the end of the month (June 27^th) singer/ trumpeter Steff Pirrie is coming. That name familiar? Well her husband will be right behind her, as he is often behind our quintet, as Mr. Pirrre is bass player Al! They will also be bringing with them another talented young musician, saxophonist Noah Smith.

 

By the end of June we will be able to share with you who is coming to play in July, and perhaps next week we will be able to tell you more about July as well as August!

 

We have jazz at Hedsor EVERY THURSDAY. Come and join us.

 

*do look back on previous blogs, I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before!

 

Good Morning England!

 So what does Hedsor Jazz have for YOU this week?

Well we will be re-joined by a pairing that worked for us very well in April. Mat Hill and Martin Dunston, trumpet and saxophones respectively.

Mat surprised us earlier in the year when Duncan Lamont Jr first introduced this young trumpet player to us, and we were all delighted with his mature playing. He really did look very young and I wondered if he was legally allowed to drink the pint that seemed to be nearby. But he was, and all was, well, legal!

So we booked him again for April (11th), and this time he was paired at short notice with Martin Dunston. It was a magical evening  (and pairing) so we have invited them both back for this Thursday June 6^th. A very auspicious date! I do hope you will be able to tear your selves away from the D Day commemorations, and come and listen to a fine pair of talents. 8pm start, usual £10 entry fee.

Last week we had another of those wonderful sessions where two relatively local talents are combined into one wonderful performance. Trumpeter Stuart Henderson came from Reading, and was joined by Alam Nathoo on tenor sax who now lives in Bourne End! Yes, he walked to Hedsor Jazz! And home again afterwards!

Some remarkable jazz was played, and Ken McCarthy had the broadest smile I have seen on his face for weeks. Some of the improvisation was amazing, and with the return of Steve Riddle to us on bass and Martin Hart on drums it was a very enjoyable evening of jazz.

My pictures of last week are below.

 

One future Hedsor Jazz evening to remind you of. Make sure you reserve it in your diary because on August 15^th we have a return of saxophonist extraordinaire Alan Barnes. Over the past few years we have been fortunate in getting Alan to come to us at least once a year, and August 15^th is this years date. I don’t need to go on about his abilities as a jazz master, he has been written about numerous times, but do come and support our presentation of him at Hedsor Jazz. Take a look at his website for more about one of Britain's most famous jazz musicians  https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/

 

Alan Barnes at Hedsor in 2023

 

 

If you look back on last weeks blog you will see our listing for all of June, and we will have July for you very soon, just keep an eye on this blog, usually updated each Tuesday.

Coming to Marlow Jazz Club on July 11^th you will have another chance to hear Vasilis Xenopoulos and Nigel Price. Both great supporters of Hedsor Jazz, they will be at Marlow  in a weeks time. See poster repo below:-

Well that's it for this week, see you ALL very soon,

Geoff C