Jazz, Hedsor, and THINGS!

Having had a stuttering of last posts last year, welcome to the first post of 2018.

Our first gig last week was an excellent start. Our guests, saxophonist Duncan Lamont Jnr and guitarist Max Brittain combined with deputy drummer Mike Jeffries, John Monney on bass and Nigel Fox on keyboard to give an evening that could have been advertised in a number of different ways. Sadly I didn’t record it, and kick myself for not doing so. Duncan’s concept of using tunes requested by famous “Desert Island Disks” guests in the first set, and then canvassing the audience for their essential recording/tune for the second was a great idea, and he linked it all together with what I can only think of as a cabaret act, brilliant! One of two tunes did stretch the musicians a bit, but the bands rendition of the requested “Stolen Moments” was very well done. It had been requested by Jan, as she was sitting next to me I could read her request. Well done all.

Looking back even further our Christmas gathering was brilliant and very well attended. Tina May struck just the right approach, using a number of Christmas orientated tunes to engage us in the festive spirit, and the Duncan Lamont Duo adding just the right instrumental approach.

Photo's courtesy of Geoff Swaffield 

You may think that I have been ignoring the elephant in the room.

Hedsor Jazz has suffered significant loss during the last couple of years, and with our beloved Clive Burton passing away in October after 9 months of illness and Glenn’s tragic and sudden death in December adding to our loss of Ken Rankine in 2016 has had a significant impact on me, and I am sure many of you as well.

Jan Burton wants Hedsor Jazz to carry on, and so does Martin, who had already taken up a leading role in the band immediately after Clive’s passing. I think this is something we all want. Our friendships are as important as the music we promote.

It will not be the same, and we might find the inevitable changes forced upon us may not always be what we would have chosen. It will be different, but it will be to the same high standard. Hedsor Jazz will carry on. Jazz Angels (the underwriters of Hedsor Jazz) have already paid for the room rent for all of 2018 as a sign of our desire to do just that. Please be patient as we transition. It will become a butterfly in the end!

Glenn’s funeral last Friday was a lovely event. Martin and Miles with their different spoken tributes were both very brave and very eloquent and as a jazz family we at Hedsor Jazz will continue to hold them in thoughts and prayers.

The funeral reception (wake?) was held in an old Baptist Church that I hadn’t been inside for over 50 years. A youth club I used to help run would come out of London to Woodrow High House near Amersham, (then run by the London Association of Boys Clubs), for an Easter Retreat every year, and would travel en mass for Easter Sunday in what was an original Baptist Chapel in the same building. The minister at the time was always very inventive in his presentations. At one time bringing in a live cockerel, another time leading in a live donkey, all to illustrate his points! Coming in the back door for a sad social gathering it was all quite a shock! Another shock was finding in that gathering my old dentist!! It is a small world really.

This Thursday “The Clive Burton Celebration Quintet” with guests, vocalist Alison Bentley and her partner guitarist Kevin Armstrong will provide our Jazz Content at Hedsor. Usual entry of £7 and usual start time of 8.30pm.

It is after all the beginning of another year at Hedsor Jazz. It would be good to see you all again.