Polished Trad Jazz From Dutch College Band

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31023, 31 March 1966, Page 14

Polished Trad Jazz From Dutch College Band

Only towards the end of its concert in the Majestic Theatre last evening did the Dutch Swing College Band achieve the buoyancy, the “controlled abandon” associated with traditional jazz at its best.

The six Dutchmen, who appeared during the Pan Pacific Arts Festival last year, inevitably invite comparison with two other trad bands with which Christchurch is especially familiar—those of Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk.

By the Englishmen’s standards they are a little stolid. Many of their numbers seemed over-rehearsed, and improvisation, while generally satisfying, tended to be unadventurous. In short, their feet were for most of the evening kept too firmly on the ground. If the band needed more lift, it had plenty of polish. Its best musicians are Ray and Dickie Kaart: on the trombone, Dickie produced some suave legato, as well as more lugubrious sounds, and his tuba solo, in a drinking song the band picked up in iiunich, was a fine virtuoso performance. Ray’s trumpet playing was pleasing throughout, and he managed some tricky mute-changing in “My Love Has to Stay Here.” Two changes have been made in the band since its last visit Bob Van Oven returned home from Australia and took up his old job on bass (his “slap” playing is expert), and Peter Ypma, a competent drummer, has replaced Lu Ssanet. Banjo spots by Arie Ligthart were particularly well received by the audience. The leader, Peter Schilperoot, produced his most interesting effects on the soprano saxophone. With the elatin't his tone was rather thin, this being accentuated by his reliance on the upper register to the virtual neglect of the “chalumeau” compass of the instrument.

Highlights in the first half were a cool “Birth of th

Blues” and a bird-like piece for South American instruments. Real excitement, however, was generated by the final numbers—“ Get Going,” “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise,” and ‘‘Tiger Bay.” A pity the band took so long to warm up.