DANCE MUSIC FROM AUCKLAND

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 439, 21 November 1947, Page 31

DANCE MUSIC FROM AUCKLAND

Local Players.in New Sessions

NTIL recently there has been little variety in the locallyproduced dance* band music broadcast by the Auckland stations-at least not enough to satisfy northern students of the idiom. But now, using 1ZB’s Theatrette as headquarters, bands and their leaders are being changed every 16 weeks, They have a guest artist, visiting or local, once weekly, and there is

an audience in the "theatrette to clap hands if it so desires. Dance’ music is being broadcast every Saturday at 7.0 p.m. for half-an-hour from the Theatrette through Station 1ZM, and also through 1YA on Tuesdays from 7.30 .p.m. to 7.50 p.m. A good deal of interest has been aroused among Auckland dance bands and their associated vocalists and «novelty

performers, for they see in the arrangement opportunities for giving new talent a chance on the air. Three additional sessions have been arranged for 1YA. One is Around the Town, looked on as another outlet for new and unusual acts; if they are up to broadcasting standard. It is heard on Mondays at 7.30 p.m. The second is The Musical Friends, comprising a male and female singer, accompanied by piano, guitar and string bass, and heard in musical-comedy items on Tuesdays from 8.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m.; the third is made up of the same instru-

mentalists and known as’ the John MacKenzie Trio, catering for the followers of neither elementary nor highly advanced, but intermediate "swing." This session is heard from 1YA on ‘Tuesdays from 9.30 p.m. to 9.45 p.m. ', The John MacKenzie Trio has been in existence for about six months, Each member has had piano tuition, making the arranging of the quieter types of swing music considerably easier. All arrangements aré done by MacKenzie

and Ray Gunter, and the items are announced by Molly Adamson. Gunter, who is 21, is the youngest member; originally’ he learned the piano, but in the last few years he has developed into an expert Spanish-gui-tar player. Bob Ewing, aged 25, plays the double-bass, and can also turn his hand to the steel guitar. MacKenzie, who is the leader, pianist,

and oldest member, has been playing on the radio for several years. His musical ability extends to the Wurlitzer organ, Hammond organ, and novachord. Among some of the newly discovered performers engaged as guest artists are The Knaves, a group of young men who adapt old time ballads to. their own purposes and, by way of variety, commit amusing crimes against consonance and musical convention in the Spike Jones style. The Knaves are heard on occasional Saturday and Monday nights from 1ZM or 1YA. They may broadcast from Wellington stations in the near future (see photographs on page 24).