Thursday, March 12, 2009

Time for a little light nagging

But only a little!

Tonight at Hedsor we have the regular Clive Burton Quintet. That makes it two weeks running!

I know we don’t really appreciate our regular band, and often look for the star guests, BUT our regular band are just as much stars as any guest could be. We see them often, and if not contempt, familiarity does seem to breed less heightened expectations. But anyone who was there last week, and heard the wonderful harmonies produced by the band must realise that they are a really special and talented bunch. And Mike Wills solo on the first number was blistering, absolutely!

We all too often take them, and our ability to hear them, for granted. I used to live in Hammersmith, and in the days of touring American musicians, I could walk to the Odeon (as it was then), and could hear them all. One weekend it was lovely and sunny, and therefore I couldn’t be bothered to go. I could do it again some other time. Unfortunately for me, Louis Armstrong didn’t go there again, and I missed out. I had taken too much for granted.

So, take advantage of the jazz events we put on at Hedsor. Don’t take the talent and experience there every week for granted. Like Woolworths, when its gone, its gone!

Next week, we do, however, have a guest. As Mike is elsewhere, we have a return visit of trumpet man Stuart Henderson. An all brass front line playing bop, put it in your diary “must do” list and come out!

Coming Soon. The Cookham Festival Jazz Concert, will have the complete Vasilis Xenopoulos Band playing Cookhams Pinder Hall. The date is SUNDAY 26th April. Tickets £8 each from The Stationary Depot in Cookham (01628 531178).

The Stationary Depot will also be doing the ticket sales for our next Jazz for Cancer Concert. May 14th at Hedsor (yes, it’s a Thursday). We will be in the big room, with lots of guests and a finger buffet, all for £10. Do support this event, all the profit goes to Cancer Research UK, most of us have been touched by this illness at some point.

CD Review Time


In line with my thinking about our Hedsor Quintet I listened this week to a truly wonderful release from EMI’s Blue Note catalogue.
“Sharp Shades and Fingersnaps” is a compilation of tracks on 2 CD’s from Blue Note releases of the 60’s. The tunes are largely familiar to us from our Thursday sessions. Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie”, Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and 17 other tracks are all here, in wonderfully clean sound.

An added bonus for me are the excellent sleeve notes, complete with small reproductions of the original album covers. It came out a couple of years ago, but should still be available. “Music from EMI 00946-355221-2-9” is the number. Yes, I know, you’d think they had given you the combination to their safe wouldn’t you!

Another great oldie that I had missed first time round is “Jazz Giants 58”, a reissue of an LP, with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Harry Edison, Louis Belson, PLUS Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, and Ray Brown. All true alumni. The ballade medley alone is worth the purchase. Released last year, “Verve 0602517621329”. No that isn’t my telephone number, but it is close!! It has many of the same numbers.

That’s it for now folks

TTFN

Geoff C

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