AUTUMN SHUTDOWN
Despite my apprehension and concern that nothing would ever work again after I had stripped my studio to redecorate, things all went surprisingly smoothly and, but for a personal tragedy (see below), I am back up and running again, with my studio all bright and clean

LOOKING AHEAD
Looking ahead is pretty difficult right now, On November 10th Eleanor collapsed while shopping and struck her head very badly. To cut a long and awful story short, she had emergency brain surgery in the early hours of the 11th , and sadly, at the time of writing (Nov.24th ), she still has not woken. The Doctors say her prognosis is very poor, and, if she wakes, there will be permanent brain damage. We are all numb with shock.
Inevitably this has impacted severely on my recording and CD production activities. Already one CD is badly delayed and one recording session has had to be cancelled. I have tried to look ahead to Keswick and Bude next year but it is too soon even to contemplate what I might do then.
I hope, in time, to get back to something approaching normality, but I think it is almost certain, even in the long term; I will not be able to maintain my recent output of around 30 CDs per year. For one thing, whatever the outcome for Eleanor, I will, for the foreseeable future, have a home to run as well as my business – but time will tell.  

So far, of the bands I recorded at Bude, I think there will be new CDs from The John Maddocks Jazzmen and The Dave Donohoe Band with Cuff Billet. One or two other Bude sessions could also prove fruitful.
As soon as I can I will start production of the CD for Dennis Armstrong's Great Northern Jazz Band – an excellent band whose CD I greatly regret delaying.
All being well I am booked to record Richard Leach's 7 Stars of Jazz in December and Maddocks/Huxley Reeds United in April 2005.
It was a big disappointment to have to cancel the recording of Dave Moorwood's Big Bear Stompers – a very exciting band which I was very keen to record. However, hopefully there will be other opportunities next year.

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CASSETTES
You will see from the note on the front page of the Newsletter that I have ceased cassette production. I took this decision with much regret because I know there are a few customers who, for various reasons, prefer to buy cassettes. But when the total sales of any given tape rarely make it into double figures (which is now the case) it's just too uneconomical to continue.

WEBSITE
Don't forget to visit our website at www.jazz-at- peksound .co.uk. You can hear short sound-clips of all the new and recent releases.

Finally I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and I wish us all a Happy and Peaceful New Year with plenty of good jazz.

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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Previous editions of the Newsletter are accessible here:-

Newsletter Number 34
Newsletter Number 33
Newsletter Number 32