EDITORIAL

September sees the start of another season of jazz concerts - the 26th Season of our Stafford Jazz Society. I say "our" for it is our Society. We are a membership-based organisation and your membership is so very important to its future. Never more so than now with the introduction of Admission Charges replacing the weekly tray collection. I remain confident this new method of funding our concerts will be successful. It is driven by our desire to see our bands and musicians more fairly rewarded and that surely is long overdue and essential. I also believe it is how a modern organisation should operate. If not a "dinosaur", we had become something of an anomaly among similar art organisations!

Of course the discounted admission charge for SJS Members now makes joining the Society very cost-effective. The £1 weekly concert saving will quickly offset the annual subscription charge. Members should use this as a recruitment tool and I hope they will. Note: Weekly raffles will continue to be held.

I would like to use this Editorial to sincerely thank the Stafford District Arts Council. We are a long-standing member organisation and receive considerable financial benefit. For example the SDAC awarded us £500 towards our January to May concerts this year and a further £500 towards our hugely successful Staffordshire Youth Jazz Festival. The money is channelled through to successful applicants via SDAC from Stafford Borough Council therefore our gratitude needs also to be extended to our local authority and it is.

Historically each new jazz season seems to start with low attendances. It is as if it takes a month to re-discover us after the long summer break. This is always disappointing not least for our visiting bands. I hope to see us start well this year. We have some very attractive bands in prospect and they all deserve our support. See you on the 2nd September?

THE CLIVE WEATHERER MBE MEMORIAL TROPHY

The SJS Award that acknowledges "Long and Distinguished Service to Stafford Jazz Society" will again be balloted for in November. The current holder of course is Shirley Ollier a most worthy and very popular first recipient!

It is now time to start considering which SJS member should be the next holder of this Award. Ballot Forms will be on the information table throughout November - make sure you use your vote.

FRET AND FIDDLE SWEEPS THE BOARD IN SJS ANNUAL AWARDS!

Fret and Fiddle who play Gypsy swing style music. They are a local band with Salene on Fiddle ("An outstanding musician") Andy on Guitar and Mandolin and Mike on Double Bass. Their repertoire includes a lot of Grappelli and Reinhardt music. They will be receiving the 'BAND OF THE YEAR' trophy when they visit us on 23rd SEPT.

If you like exciting music, then be there. You're in for a treat!

SJS ANNUAL AWARD 2006-2007

Many will fondly remember Clive Weatherer MBE who died a year or so ago. Clive was a founder member of The Stafford Jazz Society, a Vice President, Committee Member and certainly one of the Society’s most keen and generous supporters. Being blind for most of his life he loved music particularly jazz and was a familiar figure at our last venue where he sat just inside the door with his faithful guide dog Falstaff.

The Committee decided some time ago that there should be an annual award in his memory – the question was – for what should it be awarded?

The first thought was that it be presented to a SJS Young Jazz Musician of the Year, linking it in with our annual Staffordshire Youth Jazz Festival. Soundings on this idea however were not favourable since there was no wish to introduce a competitive element into the Festival and we respect that.

Following consultation with SJS Members last season it was clear there was positive backing for an Award that acknowledged and rewarded those musicians that had given long and distinguished service to the Society – something along the lines of a life-time achievement award.

Your Committee has therefore decided that this will be the criterion for this new Award. The Committee has further decided that THE CLIVE WEATHERER MBE MEMORIAL TROPHY will be an SJS Committee Award rather than a full vote of the Membership. It is hoped Members will not feel excluded by this procedure but it was felt that an historical perspective will be necessary in making the decision and officers and committee members are probably more qualified than many in terms of years of SJS membership to make those judgments. Members can certainly make their own suggestions and recommendations. These would be warmly welcomed and I suggest they be passed to Committee Members.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2007

It was decided that due to rising costs of Bands that a charge will be put in place at the start of next season's concerts, which begin in September. The admission charges will be £3 for Society Members and £4 for non members.

The Stafford Jazz Society Annual Awards

The Ken Rattenbury Memorial Trophy for:
BAND OF THE YEAR 2006 to 2007
Fret and Fiddle

Previous winners:

The John Moore Memorial Trophy for:
MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2006 to 2007
Ralph Allin

Who will be playing on 25th NOV.
"Again, another fine fiddle player."

WWW.FRETANDFIDDLE.CO.UK

Previous winners: