Introduction by Ken Avery

Jazz as an art form grew out of dance music: all the great players of yesteryear did their fair share of playing danceable tempos in dance halls, cabarets, nightclubs and during the Prohibition period in dimly lit speakeasies - places where the gangsters gathered and bootleg liquor was dispensed in tea cups. 

Al Capone and some of his cohorts were keen on jazz and used to hire players like Bud Freeman and Eddie Condon.  Bud Freeman tells the story of how nervous he was playing to a ringside mob of gangsters armed with guns.  One of the other players in the band told him – “Don’t worry Bud.  No one here will shoot you, unless he’s been ordered to, and gets paid for it.”

The great jazz performers served their musical apprenticeships playing dance music, but satisfied their need to express themselves more individually by introducing jazz improvisations and innovations wherever the opportunity occurred. Not all the men in every band would have been able to do this, but those few with the talent for breaking away form the written notes would experiment with different combinations of instruments, try different approaches to old tunes or compose new ones.  Sometimes, after the ball was over and the dancers had gone home, the really keen musicians would return to the bandstand to play for their own satisfaction till the small hours of the morning. 

I’ll never forget one night in the late 1950’s when we were booked to play for a Greek ball in Wellington’s Winter Show cabaret.  The job was supposed to be from 8pm till 1am.  Jack Friedlander secured the engagement and led the band from the piano chair.  Geoff Mechaelis played alto sax, I played tenor, Doug Brewer was on string bass, but I can’t remember the drummer’s name.  We had no trumpet player, because none of the local men were available that particular night.  However, Jack Friedlander told us that at about 10:30 pm an Australian trumpet player from a touring revue called “Pardon My French” would come along after the stage show had ended and play trumpet with our band. 

Needless to say from 8 to 10:30pm the group sounded very much on the thin side, with only two saxes plus rhythm and the Greek people at the hall were complaining a bit.  I said to Friedlander, “When is this trumpet player arriving?”  Just then a Jack Ivison (from Brisbane I think) came in and sat down behind the vacant trumpet music stand.  We decided to play the stock arrangement of “Blue Tango,” very popular at that time. 

Well, I’ve heard some trumpet players who can read, but never before had I played alongside one who could also phrase expressively, produce a most beautiful and exciting tone and bring each arrangement to life as this fellow Jack Ivison could.  I’m not a terribly fluent sight-reader, although I knew how music should be interpreted, but with this strong trumpet lead alongside me, my tenor sax almost played itself!  I had never heard standard type dance band arrangements come to life like this before.  When we decided to ad lib (play by ear if you like) a few numbers, Jack’s trumpet solos set the band alight and made us all play better than we had ever done.  We were enjoying ourselves immensely and so offered to play an extra hour or two, free of charge, just for the musical excitement of it.  It’s not often a band does that!

Jazz grew out of dance music just as cabinet making grows out of plain carpentry.  If you don’t saw a piece of 4 x 2 building timber accurately, how are you going to make a fine piece of furniture? 

A rather long preamble to a dance band diary isn’t it?  Never mind!  I can only write about what I know and where I’ve played, mostly Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Tauranga.  There are a few thoughts about “visiting firemen” such as Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and other jazz celebrities who toured New Zealand. 

Let’s turn the page and find out “Where are the camels?”