Monday, June 26, 2017

Hedsor Jazz had a very enjoyable session last week with Frank Griffiths playing some wonderful music with our Hedsor Special rhythm section of Martin Hart, Ken McCarthy and John Monney, augmented again last week by guitarist John Coverdale. And as prophesied we did get some awful puns from Frank! The audience did start off a little on the thin side (numbers only, nothing personal!), and as Frank said, "we are now going to play "Tea for One", but, by mid session it had grown (just like in middle age!).

At the end of last weeks session we didn't have our guest musician arranged so it couldn't be announced, but I can now tell you that it will be saxophonist Kelvin Christiane (see this link for more info and some of his music) 


He was with us late last year, and it should be a really good session. 

We will have with us again Ken McCarthy on keyboard so do come along this Thursday and feast your ears on some lovely live music.

OK Glastonbury we ain't, but then, you can get very close to the musicians, and even get their autographs and you don't need a special pass to do it,

just £7!!

Clive may well be with us Thursday, however he is having his first new formula chemo today, so he may need the rest.

One piece of advance notice. On Thursday July 27th at Hedsor we are helping vibraphonist Alan Grahame celebrate his life in music, and we anticipate a very special gala evening. There will be a limit on the number of tickets to be sold for this gig as he is inviting many lifelong friends from the music business to join him and our Hedsor rhythm section to help him celebrate. So put July 27th in your diary now and when tickets are available (possibly by next week) make sure you buy yours asap!!

TTFN    Geoff C

Monday, June 19, 2017

Our sessions of past few weeks at Hedsor Jazz have been different from our normal sessions of the past 15 years.

We have always had guests, sometimes surprise guests, who have “sat in” on the night. For variety, we have always invited different musicians to join with our regular Clive Burton Quintet every now and again, but recently, due to Clive’s fight against Lymphatic cancer, our regular patterns have been disrupted in order to give Clive the time and space that he needs.

I personally think we have kept our music program at a very high standard and I hope we will be able to maintain that standard and that variety.

Last weeks session alone was worth our car park fee!! For your £7 entry Simon Spillett played some magnificent stuff. I for one, don’t take Simon coming to Hedsor for granted. He is a world class award winning player and a great friend to Hedsor Jazz. You will not get that kind of value, that quality and that consistency anywhere else and we Hedsor Jazz is STILL a regular weekly jazz venue.

There being a sort of law, often associated with clods of earth, that not only has Clive been less available, but our regular reed section has been unable to come during this same time period and indeed won’t be with us much again before September. But it has been Hedsor Jazz’s policy to always have at least a Quintet and it may be that this week we will again have the pleasure of guitarist John Coverdale  to help us in this aim.

As our main man this week we will have American saxophonist, now resident in the UK, Frank Griffiths. (He is also renowned as the teller of terrible jokes!). He is a great player though and well  well worth that £7 entry fee. He has also recorded recently with another of our previous guests, singer Tina May and he MAY (ouch, just practicing terrible jokes!) have a few of his CD’s with him, which I’m sure he will be able to pass into your hands for a small fee! 
http://www.frankgriffith.co.uk/


We have another change this week, and also for the next couple of weeks, in the form of Ken McCarthy. Ken was with us last week, and indeed often drops by to sit in. However our regular pianist, Nigel Fox, is taking a few weeks holiday to entertain his sister who is over from France and for the next three sessions at Hedsor Ken will be our pianist.

If all of these changes were not enough there is another change this week. The Red box will be run by ME!!

Do bear with us during our difficulties. DON’T take live jazz for granted, do please keep supporting it, not just at Hedsor. But if you want jazz to continue YOU must continue to be an audience, and SOMETIMES you might need to be asked to help with the chores as well.

Recordings

Live stuff that took place long ago is still around to be listened to. In doing some research on the Lennie Best Quartet, who were regulars at The Bell in Maidenhead back in the 1970’s, I came across a link to some tremendous free to download recordings. Check the link below



So whether it’s the weather (too hot, too wet, too cold, or just British) keep listening and supporting our minority interest……JAZZ

Monday, June 12, 2017

Hedsor Jazz His Week

May NOT have the dramatic end result of a hung parliament. I know many of you did vote for Lester Brown and doing so you did have a great night out. Pity Mrs May wasn't with us this time! 

With two brass players in evidence I had to request "The St. James Infirmary Blues". They did well, Clive and Lester, but did not surpass my favourite version, that of Bruce Turner (the dirty bopper!) with Humphrey Lyttleton's band from the Conway Hall LP recorded on September 2nd 1954. This was such a favourite of mine that I wore out the first LP and purchased a second. I now have it on CD as well.
Even this CD is now 17 years old. Calliagraph CLGCD 038

I remember discussing with Humph some years after 1954 (at a Brecon Jazz Festival whilst he signed my copy of his latest LP with Buddy Tate) why he wasn't "now" using CD's. He said he wasn't sure if the technology would last. Well, it might not be the only music technology around, but it has lasted, and I for one am glad that much of H. Lyttletons output is now on CD.

The last 2 weeks of innovative jazz at Hedsor has had some of it recorded on my mobile phone. Yes really new technology! If you would like to hear some or all of the last 2 weeks music again I am making the recordings available via BlogSpot and mp3. They are in mono (well it was my mobile phone!), but will bring you much of the feel of those 2 nights. Sadly the Lester Brown session I only recorded the second set. Look for the links at the bottom of this blog page. I will leave them available for one month, so if you want the recordings get downloading now.

Now THIS week (Thursday June 15th) we have another treat. A man making a name for himself as an author, jazz reviewer, and most importantly of all as a jazz saxophonist. A great friend to Hedsor jazz Simon Spillett will be with us again. This one you will have to hear live because I wont be recording it (he has a contract!). So if you want to hear it you will have to be there, helping to keep live jazz alive.

No matter how good the great recordings of the past have been, or how often you can listen to them again and be transported back to, well 1954, NOTHING is as good as experiencing the music as it is created!

And for our entry fee of £7, which includes car parking and a raffle ticket too, that is a steal. We are TOO generous.

You COULD pay more!

https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/4081-sunday-jazz-lunch-simon-spillett-quartet-celebrate-tubby-hayes#

The link to my DropBox recordings made at Hedsor is

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d4cuk7wgcmrd32b/AAD8WPbJaJ0YJ0OUC3PzhYbZa?dl=0

Dont forget, this link is only available for 1 month.

Monday, June 05, 2017

GOOD MONDAY EVERYONE

As we all know a significant event is coming this Thursday. 
It's ANOTHER chance to VOTE, perhaps with your feet!! 

You will be accompanied to and from your booth of choice by 

The Clive Burton Quartet

The previous 15 years of the Clive Burton administration has been one of outstanding achievement. Hedsor Jazz's financial record is also one of outstanding generosity. 
Last week alone we donated £300 to Cancer Research UK. 


AND we have continued to bring great music and musicians to YOUR local musical amenity EVERY WEEK !!

We need you to vote this week and every week for 
HEDSOR JAZZ

This is not a party political communication. 
Its a PARTY communication! Come to OURS!!