I’m slightly disappointed that next month's Herts Jazz Festival doesn't include as venues The Peartree on Hollybush Lane; the Doctor’s Tonic on Church Road; the Cork at Howardsgate; or even the Parkway Bar on Parkway. Not only would these establishments attract a few film trivia buffs as the pubs were used as locations for recent Simon Pegg film The World’s End filmed partly in Welwyn but the jazz connection could have been roped in at least by amiable extension. Pegg is the son of a “jazz musician and keyboards salesman” the two professions being separate entities, apparently, although that’s not always the case.
The Herts Jazz Festival is almost a homage, accidental like the best sort, to pub-jazz, the kind of music that used to be played in the back room of any self respecting pub in greater London before satellite TV ruined everything, a time when the game of choice was darts, the 'food' of choice pork scratchings, and nobody seemed to mind as long as the music was acceptable. That spirit has been revived recently at least its blues-rock wing has by the appearance of the redoubtable Major Surgery on CD at last, one of the most inspired reissues of the year to date www.marlbank.net/reviews/832-foul-group-practices
Not everything is pub-jazz at the Herts Jazz Festival in September but if it’s not in strict generational terms let’s say most of the acts come pretty close. On paper, as reported in these pages when the line-up was announced, it’s looking like the best yet, with the Stan Tracey octet, Tony Kofi, Georgie Fame, the Jason Yarde/Andrew McCormack Duo, Django Bates Belovèd Trio, Kenny Wheeler Quintet, Iain Ballamy, Don Weller, and a tribute to JJ Johnson and Kai Winding included in the line-up put together by drummer Clark Tracey and his wife singer Sylvia Rae Tracey, doyenne of the Scottish Rae jazz clan. The festival runs from 20-22 September at the Hawthorne Theatre, Campus West, in Welwyn Garden City. Pull in at the Peartree for old time’s sake. SG
Tickets www.hertsjazzfestival.co.uk
Don Weller pictured