Jazz pianist with dementia uses Gumtree to recruit band members

Edward Hardy, 93, received over 80 responses from people wanting to jam with him at his care home in Somerset.A World War II veteran and talented jazz pianist has been enjoying playing the piano after posting an advert on online marketplace Gumtree asking for people to visit him in his care home in Somerset to play with him.Edward Hardy, who has been playing piano in jazz bands for 40 years, stopped playing after moving into a home because of his dementia, but found he was missing it too much.One of the care home staff helped him place an advert to ask if anyone wanted to join him for a jamming session and he was inundated with offers.Mr Hardy said: ‘It is amazing so many volunteers have come forward to help me make music and it is marvellous that I have also been reunited with my old band.‘I have missed playing and when I do play now it makes me feel better and young again.’Mr Hardy has already enjoyed sessions with a saxophonist and double bass player, but was even more astonished when three of his former bandmates that he used to play with got in touch, and whom he hadn’t seen for 30 years. The original jazz band are now in rehearsals for a reunion a show at his care home in Wookey, Somerset, next year.Saxophonist Jezz Jackson admits that he’s amazed how Mr Hardy can play along despite his illness.‘Ed was born in the 1920s and has lived through all the major eras of music so this was also a special opportunity to perform with him,’ says Jezz. ‘Ed really inspires me with how he has remembered to play music and play it so well and it’s like everything comes back to him when he’s on the piano. It’s truly amazing to see the response.’Watch the video below to see him jamming with fellow musicians.

This story originally appeared on www.mirror.co.uk via SWNS.