JAZZ CONCERT

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26560, 24 October 1951, Page 3

JAZZ CONCERT

CAPACITY AUDIENCE IN RADIANT THEATRE

The Christchurch Jazz Society had a capacity audience for its concert in the Radiant Theatre last evening. Playing standards comparable with the society’s earlier concert were reached only on a few occasions, and the greater part of the audience sat quietly throughout.

No doubt meant as an encouragement to the performers, there was a great deal of heckling, rather like the organised' disruption at students’ revues. The stamping of feet, a necessary part of listening to jazz on a large scale, was not unduly disturbing, except in the slower numbers, when half the audience stamped to the beat, and the other half to the off-beat. Enthusiastic but unmusical people stamped willy-nilly, careless of the beat. Every fast and dexterous passage from the timpani section inevitably brought an outburst of such expressions as ‘‘You’re killing, me,” and "Oh, man.” Every now and then an enthusiast would forget himself and introduce a more homely note with "You beaut.” Far from" arousing the ire of more placid listeners, such interjections were generally approved. Some members of the audience remarked on the performers’ casual approach to their playing. Light conversation was general on the stage during most items, and it was not uncommon for a player to put one hand into his pocket after completing a solo passage and turn his back on the audience to chat with other men who had nothing to do at the time. Peter Davey gave several masterly performances on the alto saxophone, and he amused the audience with some mild clowning between items. The best pianist was Brian Worsfold, who displayed a rather inappropriately sensitive style in some numbers. It was a pity he did not play more often. Gerald Marston and Doug Kelly performed with equal facility on their trumpets, and Shirley Williams and. Coral Cummins each sang several times.