Another Tuesday, another Blog with news of Hedsor and all that (other) JAZZ

Coming to Hedsor Jazz this week we have that super saxophonist Sue Greenaway, and as promised, I can now tell you that she will be playing alongside the trumpet of Stuart Henderson. Rest assured, Stuart will also be holding it! Add in Ken McCarthy on keyboard, Peter Hughes on bass and Martin Hart on drums and you know it will a great evening of well played jazz. Later in the blog you will find an updated list of who is playing at Hedsor Jazz up to Feb 24^th.

 

My photos from last weeks session with Lester Brown and Duncan Lamont Jr are below, and you will see that we also had that fine bass player Andy Crowdy in the band. It used to be asked “What do you do during a bass solo”?.....and “talk” was the usual answer, but not so when the solo capability is of the standing of Andy Crowdy. He really became a third member of the front line, excellent stuff.

 

Exactly the same rhythm section was playing at Woodley last Saturday when Martin brought Steve Waterman to the Oakwood Theatre. 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 Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama. That quality shows. It could have been a bit one sided, as a solo trumpet is a lonely instrument to listen to for an evening, but thanks to Andy’s solo ability, the bass was able to feature in a number of exchanges with the trumpet. It was a great evening.

The next Oakwood Theatre presentation will be in May, when saxophonist Karen Sharp will be the featured guest.

At Woodley, I was able to pick up 2 more of Steve Watermans CD’s from the early 2000’s. I had already the 2003 recording called “Stablemates”, but he also had with him the 2005 “Our Delight” album, and the 2008 album “Night Lights”. All three albums are of a similar nature, Steve being accompanied by such excellent British jazz names as Alan Barnes, Dave O’Higgins, Clark Tracy, and Mark Nightingale to name but 4. Over the three albums the music of Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Tadd Dameron, Herbie Hancock, Gerry Mulligan and Chick Corea is explored, and explored very well indeed. See the artwork below; they are all on the Mainstem label.

 

Jazz Angels treasurer John Dutton has now had his long awaited open heart surgery, he was operated on at 8am today. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

Future Hedsor Jazz Gigs:-

All the gigs below start at 8.30pm and the entry charge is £10. We would ask all our patrons to ensure they are clear of covid before coming to Hedsor Jazz. ALL of the musicians who come to play have promised to have a lateral flow test before coming to Hedsor.

This Week Jan 27^th        

Stuart Henderson trumpet + Sue Greenaway  reeds+ Peter Hughes bass + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

Feb 3^rd         Mark Aston reeds + Lester Brown trumpet + Peter Hughes bass + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

Feb 10th      Stuart Henderson trumpet + “Tolly” + Peter Hughes bass+ Ken McCarthy keyboard + Martin Hart drums

“Tolly” is the stage or short hand name for a great saxophonist. His full name (if you should choose to use it!) is Anatoliy Vyacheslavov

Feb 17th      Frank Walden reeds + Lester Brown trumpet  + Terry Davis bass +  Ken McCarthy keyboard +MIKE JEFFRIES  drums

Feb 24th      Al Nicholls reeds  + Max Brittain guitar + Ken McCarthy keyboard + Terry Davis bass +  MIKE JEFFRIES drums

As you can see from the above list, Martin is taking Brian for a longer than usual walk!! But he had bought him a new harness for it!

 

 

A Brief Blog today

Just to remind you that we do have jazz at Hedsor Club every Thursday and this week it is “our” Lester Brown together with saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr. in front of “our” rhythm section.

Also this week on Saturday 22nd at Woodley Martin Hart is bringing Steve Waterman to play at The Oakwood Centre from 7.45pm. Well worth checking to see if they have a spare ticket, I bought mine a month ago. (https://www.woodleytheatre.org/). If you remember Steve played a blinder at Hedsor and it seemed like a sensible thing to book to see him again so soon. He is a remarkable player, check out his web site here https://www.stevewaterman.co.uk/

Last weeks Hedsor Jazz had another brilliant trumpet player. Our session with Stuart Henderson and saxophonist Kelvin Christiane was another very enjoyable session of great swinging jazz. Great tunes and Hedsor Jazz always has a great friendly atmosphere. Such events can really pull you though the gloom!

My photos of the session are below.

 

Don’t forget that we would love you to come and experience it all for yourself, but we do ask that you pass as clean an NHS lateral flow test before coming. All of our musicians have promised to do that too. With the spacing and care provided by Hedsor Club it is as safe at Hedsor Jazz as we can make it.

Looking forward to next week we welcome back Sue Greenaway, a very talented lady saxophonist from Oxford. I need to confirm with Martin who is going to be on the front line with her. Mike Wills may be, as he tells me his broken wrist is mending very well, but it still makes washing up a task too far!

This is NOT a photo of Mike Wills!

Looking even further forward to July 8^th and a restart of the Swanage Jazz Festival is promised. www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk

I have taken the opportunity of reserving my accommodation already, and the tickets for the festival will be on sale from this coming Saturday. So far there will be Nigel Price doing his Wes Montgomery session, and Simon Spillet with a big band playing the Tubby Hayes Book again (back in 2015 at St Piran’s School in Maidenhead we heard him do this with Stuart Henderson’s band). There will also be a lady singer I have only heard on CD. Jo Harrop is billed to be at Swanage too. I’m looking forward to that as her recordings show she is a singer of considerable promise.

Jo Harrop

 

I just wonder if by July we will be able to sit and listen (and drink beer) without our facemasks on!? I think it’s worth at least planning a bit further ahead than next week in order to get ones mind set back to a more normal level. I do feel that most people have forgotten what it is to go out! Have we been so brainwashed with the fear of covid that we now only watch a screen (large or small) from the viral security of our home?

 

Now here’s a thought. 

Was Boris being brave, and showing us the way ahead after all?

 A Blog a Week helps you work, rest and   ??? SLEEP, well maybe!

But our return from Christmas, considering the apprehension provided by covid, was a really good evening.

The attendance was, both in the number of those attending and in the adherence to the rules on mask wearing , was pretty good.

It was also a jovial evening.  I think everyone enjoyed the company of like minded jazz fans after the break for Christmas

Our band for the night also played really well. Mark Aston was a little hampered by the loss of one of his spectacles lenses as it had decided to go its own way, but as I have already commented to him, his playing has improved over recent years. I think his playing now, to use an old phrase, makes you prick up your ears! The sound from his vintage baritone sax is what live music is all about. Lester was his usual self playing trumpet and singing to prove he can! 

So a good start to 2022. Pictures below.

Also good for 2022 was the news than Jan Burton was returned to her own home that afternoon after her long stay in hospital following her stroke. She is making good progress and is very pleased to be home. She is getting about indoors with the aid of a Zimmer frame and her speech is much improved.

Covid

I would remind anyone who is contemplating a trip to Hedsor Jazz (we are planning to keep going every Thursday, see last weeks blog for a listing for January) that you must be covid free and to have passed a lateral flow test within the previous 36 hours. We have the assurance of all the musicians who will be playing for us that they will adhere to this requirement, so we hope all those coming will do so too.

Coming to us this week (January 13^th) are trumpeter Stuart Henderson alongside saxophonist Kelvin Christian. Our bass player this week will be Terry Davis. Keyboard and drums are as usual Ken McCarthy and Martin Hart

A Recent CD Listen

Once upon a time I used to play a trumpet, not very well, but I enjoyed it anyway! One of my partners in crime (well we were probably committing some sort of crime on the tunes we played) was a pianist. Often we would play together, just the two of us. I became very aware that this wasn’t easy, especially in public!

Over Christmas I acquired a double album of 2 great jazz individuals who joined together in public and played trumpet and piano together rather well. “Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller In Harmony” is the name of the album on the Resonance Label  (HCD2060) and it really is an example of how it could and should be done. They show excellent rapport between themselves as  these live recordings from 2006 and 2007,only recently been released, prove.

Sadly both musicians died young (Hargrove in 2018 aged 49 and Miller in 2013 aged 58) and these recordings just emphasis what a loss it was for the jazz word.  The album contains mostly well know tunes played without rehearsal, and they sound fresh and spontaneous. 

Jazz at its best.

 

G C

January 3^rd 2022

First, Happy New Year to all our readers!!

A Year for hope that some sort of normality and stability will return that enables us to all make plans to meet each other and to enjoy music and each others company.

Also Happy Birthday to Hedsor Jazz’s Band Leader. Our drummer Martin Hart is 83 TODAY.

On this 3^rd day of a new year I am already being asked what the plans are for Hedsor Jazz. Well, yes, we do have plans, but we are also aware that many people are concerned about any sort of social gathering.

First of all then our “plans” for each Thursday at The Hedsor Club for our jazz sessions are thus:-

Please ensure you are free from covid infection by taking a lateral flow test before you come. Only come to Hedsor Jazz if you pass as clean using the government approved test kit.

Test may also be ordered online for postal delivery.

We have contacted all the musicians who will be with us in January and February and they have all agreed to abide by this requirement, and we would ask you to do the same. 

No, we won’t ask for proof, only an honest response to this requested test, and also a sensible approach to the usual social distancing measures that are by now a normal part of our lives when you are at Hedsor Club.

The gigs lined up so far this year are:-

January  6^th      Lester Brown trumpet + Mark Aston reeds

              13^th     Kelvin Christiane reeds + Stuart Henderson trumpet

              20^th     Lester Brown trumpet + Duncan Lamont jr reeds

              27^th     Sue Greenaway reeds +  ?*

*? We are unsure who she will have alongside her. As I write, “our” Mike Wills has a broken wrist!

February 3^rd     Mark Aston reeds +  Lester Brown trumpet

             10^th     Stuart Henderson trumpet + “Tolly” reeds

             17^th     Lester Brown trumpet  +  ? we hope!

We anticipate that the drummer for all these events will be Martin Hart and the keyboard player Ken McCarthy. A variety of selected bass players will be there as well!

Whilst on the subject of bass players many of you will know that for many years Ken Rankine was our regular bass player. Sadly he left in September 2016 to join that great orchestra in the sky, but he left his bass behind. For many years Ken was great friends with saxophonist Willy Garnet, and acted as an uncle figure to Willy’s son Alex, also now a renowned saxophonist. Alex took charge of Ken’s bass and had it overhauled and refurbished, and it is now in use as the house bass at Ronnie Scotts!

Ken Rankine

Willy Garnet

It is his upright bass that is in use at Scott's, not the electric one seen in the above photo.

Ken’s sister Linda gave me this news at Christmas time with obvious pride in her voice. So often we take bass players for granted, but Ken was a great player. He taught me to listen to the bass, not just in their solo spots, but to listen all the way through a tune at how they support and propel the music forward.

Resent Recordings from Hedsor Jazz

I have collated all the recent recordings I have made at Hedsor Jazz into my DropBox as one listing. Please use the following link, all others are now inoperative.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ocu5evtwvoo93no/AACupgEyWXQMS5j05DpSbdOMa?dl=0

Please only use the music for your own enjoyment and not for any other reason.

As that cartoon often says, "that's it for now folks"!!

Geoff C

Good Morning England

This may be the last blog before both Christmas and New Year, so here is wishing you all a safe and jolly festive time.

Later down in the blog you will see my pics from our concert on December 16^th, sadly the last Hedsor Jazz concert for 2021.

It was one of those concert of jazz at Hedsor that everyone should have been at. The combination of 3 residents from Speen was dam near perfect. In front of Martin Hart, our regular band leading drummer , who has lived in Speen for many years, was trumpeter Johnny Thirkell. And alongside him was tenor saxophonist Frank Walden. Both also now resident in Speen. With Ken McCarthy on keyboard and Terry Davis on bass we had a terrific evening of jazz, with an interesting choice of tune and slightly more adventurous arranging. It was led on the night by Frank Walden, and it really worked.

You may notice from my photos that John Thirkell was playing a trumpet with a black finish to the bell end. I had a chat with him about this after the show and he explained that it had been made for him by a F1 motor racing design engineer who had a theory about the need to stiffen the output end of a trumpet for greater volume. The black finish isn’t a coating, but carbon fibre. The Trumpet was made especially for John, and is truly unique. It also sounded superb. John promised to come (with the same trumpet) to Hedsor again next year.

And so to our plans for next year. You will be pleased to know that we do intend to carry on as and when allowed into 2022, and have already paid in advance our room rent for the year.

SO far we have the following musicians earmarked to come:-

January  6^th     Lester Brown trumpet + Mark Aston reeds

           13^th     Kelvin Christiane reeds + Stuart Henderson trumpet

           20^th     Lester Brown trumpet + Duncan Lamont jr reeds

           27^th     Sue Greenaway reeds +  ?*

*? We are unsure who she will have alongside her. As I write, “our” Mike Wills has a broken wrist!

February 3^rd     Mark Aston reeds +   Lester Brown trumpet

            10^th     Stuart Henderson trumpet + “Tolly” reeds

            17^th     Lester Brown trumpet  +  ? we hope!

Throughout the year we hope to have some other great and well known musicians playing for us at Hedsor, depending on what virus lets us do w h u AND on audience numbers.

We are grateful for all who have supported us since were able to restart live jazz at Hedsor in May, but we could do with at least another 20 people coming to be the audience. In the past few weeks we have had a few new attendees’ but also we have lost a few who used to be regulars. So if you enjoy your evenings of jazz at The Hedsor Club, tell your friends.

CD’s for your Santa Stocking

Of recent weeks I have listened to 3 new issues from the label “Lateralize Records”.

I mentioned one a few weeks ago, “The Heart Wants” by singer Jo Harrop. This month I have listened to two more from the Lateralize stable.

Like Hedsor Jazz Lateralize found that they hadn’t anywhere for their signed artists to play live jazz so they set about recording and issuing an album that has a number of different artists on it but playing tunes written largely by British artists. “British Standard Time” (LR013CD) is the result. If you look them up on the web you will be able to sample some of this album for yourselves, but it is surprising to hear well know tunes played in a different way from the original.

Two stand out for me. I have always been a fan of the U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for” and here it is sung by Jo Harrop. Her clarity of diction does mean that for the first time I can understand what the song is about!

Also sung by Jo on this compilation is “As Long as He Needs Me” from “Oliver”. Back in the 1960’s I saw this sung live on the West End stage, and it was really good the have a revived version.

Other singers sing other songs! One is used to hearing “Mad about the Boy” sung by Noel Coward, but to hear it sung by Carroll Thompson kind of wakes you up!

On the whole a good CD to make you realise there is more than one way to....no, not kill the cat, but to sing a well known song. Do take a look and a listen at https://lateralize.bandcamp.com/album/british-standard-time

I have really enjoyed the listen and the sound quality is excellent!

Comments on the third listen from the me will have to wait for their place in this "jazz from geoff" blog as I’m as yet unsure if jazz and harps go well together, so more on that later after a longer listen.

For a parting shot though I will say that I will look forward to hearing more from Jo Harrop. 

One final note. Together with the raffle run on December 16th and the sale of CD'd I was able to pay in to CRUK in Maidenhead a further £70, which make a total raised for CRUK by you good people of Hedsor Jazz since September of £250

Now what was that about stockings?

Jo Harrop

She has been know to sing alongside Nigel Price!

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS ISSUE

 Most times I write it is only information about what is next happening at Hedsor Jazz. That in part is still true, but sadly due to events completely out of our control, I have to tell you that our Christmas Party Event for December 23^rd has been CANCELLED. Please tell others who may not get a nudge about my blog first hand

We took this decision based on the information we have at the moment regarding the virulence of the new corona virus strain. I felt it safer to cancel our party as it was so near to people travelling to relatives and friends for Christmas, perhaps in different parts of the country, only a day or so after our party and therefore unwittingly spreading the virus.

So let me just say a big SORRY to both Sarah Moule and Duncan Lamont jr who would have been our Christmas guests. I know they are disappointed just as I am at not being able to put on this gig at this time. HOWEVER, we will put it on at a suitable time in 2022.

We ARE NOT going to cancel this coming Thursdays gig, and we do plan to resume on January 6^th. We have bookings through into February 2022.

But we would like you to be perhaps more careful within Hedsor Jazz than we have been in the recent past. Please bring a mask and wear it when away from your table. We are not going to ask for proof of vaccination, or of testing, but I do recommend that you get 3 vaccinations, as it seems at the moment that that will give you 70% protection from serious illness. 

Again, because of the need to restrict close contact within Hedsor Club we won’t be providing food. There will be no buffet this week as we had hoped.

There will be a Christmas Raffle during the interval though, so do come prepared to buy tickets, as all the money raised from this raffle will go to Cancer Research UK. We have already raised over £180 for CRUK from the sale of CD’s. Many thanks to all who purchased one or more.

So having got the negatives out of the way we are going to offer you something rather special by way of JAZZ this Thursday, December 16^th. On trumpet we will have an internationally renowned player who has been on more than 20 number one hit records, Johnny Thirkell. Alongside him will be tenor saxophonist Frank Walden, another session player who has been to Hedsor Jazz before AND has also played alongside Johnny Thirkell before as well. Usual start time of 8.30 and our usual entry fee of £10

I don’t have pictures from last weeks Hedsor Jazz to show you, as for the first time since we got back to jazz in May I wasn’t here!

The pictures below will show you a small sample of the chaos our house was suffering last week. The boiler was being replaced and the project was providing our plumber with a number of problems. He finished the installation at 6.45pm on Thursday. The house was then being warmed, but we then had to have our hot meal of the day and learn the new programmable system courtesy of “Nest”! I decided I needed my brain to have a holiday and the rest of me to have a Scotch, so I stayed in our new warmth.

After all the negatives and problems of the past year can I say thank you to all who have supported Hedsor Jazz since we reconvened in May. We have had some marvellous jazz. We aim to have more marvellous jazz in 2022 too. Keep an eye on the blog. If we can keep it going with all of us taking sensible precautions then we will.

Can I then take this opportunity of wishing you all the finest seasonal greetings. Have a happy and safe time full of joy this Christmas.

Geoff

Ho Ho Ho! 

A short bog today as we are in the midst of muddle. Our 20 year old boiler is being replaced by a new combi boiler, and chaos reins!

Last week we had a return of the Clive Burton Celebration Quintet.  A night to remember, AND a night to remember both Clive, and some of the tunes he liked to play.

Pictures below

 

News of Jan Burton.  She has had her operation in The John Radcliff Hospital following on from her recent stroke. She will shortly be moved to Newbury for further rehabilitation then hopefully she will be able to return to her own home. She is slowly regaining some use of her right side, so good news.

Gil was also with us last week, and there is good news about him too, he is still cancer free! He will need some further surgery at some future date, but he is still able to enjoy Hedsor Jazz, and all that goes with it!

As mentioned last week, we have that swinging tenor player Al Nicholls playing for us this Thursday (Dec 9^th) at Hedsor Jazz and he will be playing alongside guitarist Max Brittain. Another great night of jazz music to look forward to. Do check out the link in last weeks blog for a 25 minute session of Max at Marlow.

Talking of Marlow, Marlow Jazz has just issued it Christmas Greeting with an update for its coming events, see jpeg file below.

Our Christmas Party is still planed for December 23^rd. In view of the present circumstances surrounding covid 91 we will limit the numbers to 45, so please ensure to let Tracy know you intend to come. If I get the time I will print some tickets as your place marker. Entry will still be £10, with a buffet and with a raffle to raise funds for Cancer Research UK with a the prize of a Christmas Hamper. Start time will be at 8pm to give you that bit of extra time to enjoy yourself!

On the Cancer Research front, this week I have paid in another £115 from the sale of CD’s, at Hedsor Jazz see receipt below.

 

More Blog may follow when my circulation returns!

But for now listen to Jamie Cullum - But For Now Lyrics - YouTube

The blog this week is slightly later than usual as I’m trying to fit everything in with domestic events! DECORATING!!

So, it will be looking back on last Thursdays evening of jazz at Hedsor, and looking forward to a few more!

Those of you who were there last week will realise that our evening with trumpeter Steve Waterman and saxophonist Kelvin Christian turned into a magical event.

Now and again with music, and particularly with jazz, an evening turns into something greater than the sum of the parts. People interact, excitement is generated and Magic happens. Last week was definitely one of those evenings.

One of those taking part as a player said at the end of the evening “That was something special wasn’t it”!

One of the audience said “That was the best jazz gig I’ve ever been to”! 

It WAS a great evening!

Steve is a brilliant trumpet player; after all he is the professor of jazz trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music.

Kelvin has been to us many times before, and we have heard some special things from him in the past.

They have played together before.

BUT the integration with our rhythm section on the night last Thursday was total!

Almost from the start of the evening we all new it was going to be special, but for me two tunes stand out. Ken McCarthy’s feature “The Surry with the Fringe on Top”, which was sprung along nicely on the strings of Peter Hughes bass (but not his braces), and Kelvin’s version of Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”. He simply built it! Statement after Statement to a final hiss. 

Sometimes we take for granted those who perform for us on a regular basis. Ken McCarthy every week, “Come Rain or Shine”, always put in a class leading performance and Kelvin, who doesn’t come quite as often, but has often come to us at very short notice and has sometimes baled us out at the last minute. Last week he showed us that he is a saxophonist with enormous talent who should be known better than he already is.

I took few snaps, but one or two are below.

Special praise must go to Peter Hughes braces, a new pair I understand!

So, lets take a deep breath and prepare ourselves for next Thursday.

December 2nd.

And it will be “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet” which means a return visit by Lester Brown and Mike Wills. That will be an excellent start to Hedsor Jazz’s in December.

We had hoped that in December we would be able to celebrate Alan Grahams 94^th year in a proper fashion, but sadly it wont be able to be done in 2021. At some time in 2022 when Alan is well enough to appreciate being appreciated by his many friends, including us at Hedsor, we will do it!

So the rest of December now looks a bit like this:-

December 9^th saxophonist Al Nichols will be our featured guest alongside guitarist Max Brittain do check a 20 minute video of him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyiHvfQK1vA performed I think in Marlow's Christ Church in 2019

December 16^th  Someone who hasn’t been to us before. It is another trumpet player, someone who has played on over 20 number one hit records with bands and groups you will certainly have heard of, and he is coming to Hedsor!

 Who is it?  Johnny Thirkell. Click or copy the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thirkell 

He will be with saxophonist Frank Walden, someone he has played with before and who has also been to Hedsor Jazz before.

December 23^rd  Our Christmas Party.

Now at his time we are assuming the government and covid 19 doesn’t cancel Christmas, so we are going to squeeze another ½ hour into our party night and start the evening at 8pm.

Our guests will be singer Sarah Moule and saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jr. There may be others, but “That’s Jazz”!

News of Jan Burton

Jan was moved last night from The Royal Berks Hospital in Reading to The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Here she will undergo an operation to improve the blood supply to her brain in order to help prevent further strokes. She was moved at midnight, and arrived in Oxford at 2am!! The move has immediately improved her mobile phone reception! She was able to tell me this morning that she is slowly improving her leg and hand movement. When she has received the treatment in Oxford, she will be moved again to Newbury for rehabilitation. The final objective is to get her well enough for her to be able to live at home again. Well done Jan, and well done The NHS too.

That’s about it for today, see you ALL on Thursday! After the paint has dried!

As last weeks blog was a little on the long side, I thought I would keep this weeks edition a bit shorter!

Coming to us at Hedsor Jazz this week we have Steve Waterman. 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. He will have with him a saxophonist we know quite well, Kelvin Christian. Will the event be an education? You will just have to come out to see. 

Whether you are educated or not by the experience I am convinced you will be entertained. Steve is a great player. He has been to Hedsor Jazz at least once before and appeared at the One Day Jazz event at St Pirans School in Maidenhead alongside singer Gil Cook.

Perhaps this week too you could give a thought to Gil, who has been a Hedsor Jazz supporter for many years. He won’t be with us this Thursday as he has to undergo further tests to establish if his previous cancer has returned. Like last week, thoughts and prayers again please.

Last week Gil was enjoying with all of us the return of “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet”. It was good to have Mike Wills back with us again, and a splendid evening was had by all. When Mike was with us week in and week out we tended to take him and his playing for granted. Talent like his should never be taken for granted, and the Oxford Jazz scene keeps him well occupied these days.

 My pics are below.

December beckons and we will see a return of “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet” again on December 2^nd.

We hope also in December to see vibraphone player and onetime TV musical director Alan Graham with us again. It could be on December 9^th when we will also have that big toned tenor sax player Al Nicholls with us.

On the other hand, it could be that Alan comes to us on December 16^th; all depending on how well his recovery goes (he recently had a small op.). We do really want to celebrate with him his 94 years!

Our Christmas Party will be on December 23^rd. Celebrating Christmas with us will be the renowned singer Sarah Moule. Do check out her website https://sarahmoule.net/about/, there is music to sample on it.

 

She will be accompanied by saxophonist Duncan Lamont and possibly a few other jazz friends as well.

All the concerts at Hedsor Jazz are performed in The Hedsor Club, Hedsor Rd, Bourne End, SL8 5ES. They start at 8.30pm, and our entry fee remains at £10.