Good Morning Readers and a happy St Georges Day to you all. Jazz wise, today sees the reopening of Dawkes refurbished facility in Maidenhead.   Dawkes is that renowned musical instrument shop specialising in all things blown. Have a look at https://www.dawkes.co.uk/ This reopening is being enhanced by “our” Hedsor Jazz Hon. Pres. Vasilis Xenopoulos, so I wish Dawkes and Vasilis all the very best for an enhanced future. The future for Hedsor Jazz this week also contains Vasilis, as he is helping us on Thursday (25th April) to celebrate Hedsor’s fallen angels, those past members of our ..read more

Blog Time again, and updated info for Hedsor Jazz. We are trying (very!) to establish a Facebook page that is actually ours, and manageable by Jazz Angels (the power behind the bank account!). At the moment as far as I can see, you can only get to it if you use the Microsoft search engine (Bing) and ask for Hedsor Jazz, NOT Hedsor Jazz Club. If you use any other search engine at the moment you will get the Facebook Page for the Hedsor Jazz Club, which isn’t anything like up to date. Please find Hedsor Jazz and “like” us, and it may well help us solve all our problems. Yes, just like Facebook h ..read more

 Ken McCarthy Having only yesterday written in this blog that Ken McCarthy was looking forward to being with us at Hedsor Jazz again this week, and playing keyboard for us again next week, I have to report a setback. Ken was readmitted yesterday to Harefield Hospital, and having spoken with Ken’s wife Maggie this morning, he is today having another operation to remove what the medics described as “debris” from his upper body area. Maggie has asked that we offer up a prayer for Ken as he undergoes another stay in hospital.  I will say “Amen” to that. Harefield Hospital is run by ..read more

JAZZ FROM GEOFF It’s been nearly a week now, and Cookham Bridge has remained OPEN!! What a joy. 5 months of closure, and a good ½ hour diversion meant getting to anything in Buckinghamshire took just too long. Now, for me, Hedsor Jazz is just 10 minutes away! And achievable on roads nearly wide enough for 2 cars!  I heard on the news today that a road in London (Old Oak Common Lane) was going to be shut for 4 years!! A typical 1½ hour diversion then being required! What do our elected representatives think they are doing!! I quote from the search engine:-  Old Oak Common Lane runs ..read more

Geoff’s Blog and Hedsor Jazz are very linked, but not joined at the hip. Today I will write about Hedsor Jazz, and I will try and tell you what is on, but first I MUST bring you some good news. I have spoken in the past few days on the telephone to both Ken McCarthy and Geoff Swaffield. AND they are both slowly getting better. Ken has had some surgery, and he still has to undergo some tests and a further recovery period, but he hopes to pay a visit to Hedsor soon, just to be with us as part of the audience. He is still determined however to get back to HIS role in The Hedsor Jazz quintet just ..read more

My blog this week, with news of Hedsor Jazz, is being written a day earlier than usual. A life in retirement seems to have more things that need doing than one when working for a company! First, who is on at Hedsor Jazz this week? I am delighted to say we welcome back two friends from the Oxford jazz scene. Our one time regular reedman Mike Wills and that delightful lady saxophonist, Sue Greenway. Sue and Mike at an earlier Hedsor Session They will be accompanied by Hedsor Jazz’s trio of rhythm makers, including this week, Alan Berry on keyboard. Be prepared for some activ ..read more

So, lets start this blog by telling you who is coming to play for us at Hedsor Jazz this week, Thursday 7th March 2024. It will be that wonderful saxophonist Frank Walden. Frank at Hedsor earlier this year Frank has relatively recently moved into the same village as Martin Hart, and since he first found Hedsor Jazz he has enjoyed coming to play for us , and we have certainly enjoyed him coming. He is a very gifted young player, and if you haven’t yet caught one of his Hedsor Session, you really should take this opportunity of coming out to hear him. He was going to be partn ..read more

 Welcome to another week of looking forward to Thursday   THURSDAY, where there will be another session of HEDSOR JAZZ This week, Thursday February 29th we welcome back that wonderful swinging saxophonist Al Nicholls.  The saxophonist founder of the band “Blue Harlem” he will be booting us along at Hedsor Jazz alongside a regular trumpet playing visitor, Lester Brown. Lester was with us only 2 weeks ago, and then I thought he was playing better than ever. We also have coming this week a bass player new to us at Hedsor Jazz, Tom Mark. The info about him from a Google search says ..read more

 Geoff’s Blog, with news of Hedsor Jazz First, what a super session last Thursday was. Both Mike Wills and Lester Brown pulled out all the stops and I do believe it was the best I have ever heard them play! Two of Clive Burtons favourite tunes were played in the second set, and “Cantaloupe Island” and “Jeannine” were both played to perfection. Our new finish time of 10.30pm was also taken advantage of, as many stayed behind just to share the joy!! Last week we also welcomed  Nigel Fox on keyboard, and he will be with us again this Thursday. Our drummer was Martin Hart and our bass pl ..read more

This week, my blog contains something for you to mull over, as well as an indication of what you can come and see this week at Hedsor Jazz. As you may know Hedsor Jazz is supported and organised by Jazz Angels, and Jazz Angels recently had a meeting that led to the following discussion document. Since it was issued (29.1.24) we thought it would be a good idea to circulate it more widely to gain reaction, and to perhaps find that all important manager for the project. So please read on. Jazz Workshops, a discussion document At our last Jazz Angels meeting during our discussions on sponsorship a ..read more