JAZZ IN JERUSALEM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 84, 19 January 1928, Page 2

JAZZ IN JERUSALEM.

NEAR THE ANCIENT JAFFA CATE Once more the do mid of music is heard in Jerusalem. The harps may still he hanging on the willow trees m Babylon; I*ie trumpets of Jericho have rusted away; the cymbals and psalter are mute; but the sound of the saxophone blends with .the braying of donkeys, and King Jazz has a place within the boundaries of the ancient city. The principal place where jazz is heard is near Jaffa Gate. There an open-air dance hall is located. A large enclosure, thickly covered with grape vines, through which the starred Palestinian heaven may be glimpsed, is prettily decorated with lanterns and set back from the street to ensure privacy. There is a clearing in the centre for the dancers, while tables about it in approved cabaret style, and a jazz band which, if not quite as efficient as the hands of New York, is at least sufficiently effective, judging from the look of enjoyment in the faces of the patrons. And if, musically speaking, there is discord in Zion, there is also harmony. Jazz flourishes in Jerusalem, but grand opera also has its enthusiasts. In Tel Aviv local singers have banded together and formed a. company, which gives onera in a most acceptable manner. It has been announced that Heifetz has ambitions to establish a, coii-j servatoire in Jerusalem near the University.