When I went to the Jazz Festival in Paihia, August before last I think, a while back anyway, I remember commenting to younger friends we ran into that they were probably the youngest people there. And they would be in their forties. I made a point of insisting on seeing a high school jazz band early on the Sunday morning when I would have normally been lazing around. To be honest, they weren't all that good.
I wondered what was going to happen to jazz, was it dying? Are all the young ones more interested in that other crap? After a drink or two I even got a bit maudlin contemplating a world without jazz. Luckily, mawkish sentimentality has never been my thing or I could have ruined my weekend.
But, the news today is good. Jazz is alive and well. Last night Billy Scarfe, a fourteen year old of my acquaintance and a group of his friends played their first grown up gig (I think) at Tobys, up in the hills of the Waitakeres. A lovely setting for good jazz. And they were wonderful!
The boys are raising money to go to New York, to a big jazz festival where secondary school bands from all over the world gather to perform. Good luck, boys. I don't care how silly it sounds, you are my keepers of the faith.
Always good to hear that important parts of our culture are carrying forward!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a fan of Jazz music, but they have Jazz in the park around our neighborhood and we usually take a stroll during the gig and always have a good time.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it was resurrected for you.