Friday, January 30, 2009



A Great Night Out

Last night at Hedsor, we had one of those great evenings. We filled the bar with people, and they had all come to listen to a couple of musicians who had never played together before.

Simon Spillett we have enjoyed many times at Hedsor, the last time for our Christmas Party. Reading based trumpet player Stuart Henderson had been once before.

Bringing them together for the first time caused one of those jazz reactions akin to a school chemistry experiment. Yes, ignition and explosion. One of our regular attendees actually exclaimed, “How can those 2 play an unaccompanied duet like that when they have never met before”! I think the answer is that they are both individually superb musicians, and together they worked that old jazz magic you always hope to experience, but don’t always get.

Another (newcomer) to our Hedsor Experience said “This just shows the advantage of the live jazz experience over the recording”. Which is what I have been trying to say for years!

I wont just go on and on about the two at the front, because our regular rhythm section of Zane Cronje, Ken Rankine and Martin Hart all played extraordinarily well too. It is a fact, that the chemical reaction will excite all the particles!

You weren’t there? That warm sofa grabbed you? Shame! I’m sorry you missed it. Our gain was your loss.

The next local live jazz is on Tuesday at The Bourne End Community Centre. I don’t know if the evening will explode, and neither do you. BUT, it might, and if the sofa wins you again, that will be another excitement missed wont it?


Simon Spillett has 2 CD’s out on the Woodville label. “Introducing Simon Spillett”, and “Sienna Red”.



Stuart Henderson has one on his own label, “Standard Lamp”. I have yet to play it, and will let you know in a later blog what its like. Looking at the sleeve, I can see that there are 2 other players on it who have played Hedsor before, both Tim Best and Peter Billington have played keyboard for us at different times. Stuart also has a “my space” address:

www.myspace.com/stuarthendersontrumpet

Enjoy, and help to keep live jazz alive, become an audience!

Geoff C

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