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New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 891, 31 August 1956, Page 5

Sir,-In his savage attack on jazz in The Listener for August 17, L. D. Austin states he has no intention of entering into argument on the subject, but I feel that I cannot let such an unsupported criticism pass without any comment. Obviously Mr. Austin is an intellectual snob of the worst type. He cannot have any knowledge of the music he is attacking when he states that it is broadcast in quantity from YA and Commercial stations. What he is referring to is the "popular" music broadcast by these stations. This type of music owes much to the jazz developments of the past few decades, but is far removed from the true jazz forms. I might suggest that Mr, Austin listen to VOA’s World of Jazz or the very late night jazz programmes broadcast by a few, very few stations. I might also suggest that before indicating his ignorance on the subject, Mr. Austin should take the trouble to learn what form good jazz takes. I myself prefer jazz, but I would never indiscriminately attack classical music or its lovers. Jazz is the one true art form to come from the United States, and provides chances for improvisation, exhibitions of technical skill, and pure expression of the artist’s emotions unequalled in any other art form. I do not wish to debate the rival qualities of classicel music and jazz; to my mind both have many qualities which can only be appreciated if one takes the trouble to understand them. I recommend to Mr. Austin that he take this trouble in regard to the jazz

idiom.

J. P.

MATTHEWS

(Napier).