On behalf of everyone at Jazz in Reading we should like to raise a glass and extend our best wishes and thanks to John Calvert who has recently announced his retirement from the ‘hurly-burly’ of promoting jazz in the “Li’l Ol’ Hall” at Goring-on-Thames.
John has clocked-up twenty-plus years as the promoter of the ‘Gap Gig’; a remarkable achievement in the fickle world of running jazz clubs. During that time every great name in British jazz and quite a few from abroad, have played to sell-out audiences in the congenial surroundings of Goring Village Hall, including a young, then unknown, pianist/singer by name of Jamie Cullum.
To borrow a remark from Ian Shaw, ‘People like John provide the glue that holds the British jazz scene together.’
If anyone would like to continue John’s legacy at Goring, he would be delighted to hear from them via email on jcjazz@btinternet.com
Thanks John and every best wish for the future!
