I would not have thought that 140 people of retirement age would want to come to the Nant-y-ffin Hotel on a wet Wednesday to listen to jazz, but what do I know (writes Dave Dando). 

Narberth U3A organised a jazz study day the brainchild of Brian Harvey which drew enthusiasts from far and wide wanting to get close to the original New Orleans sound. The Ken Colyer Legacy New Orleans Jazz Band did, in their words, sound more like a definition, but they certainly knew their business in playing and explaining the origins of some foot tapping tunes.

I had never deliberately listened to jazz before, but I had read the history, and it was easy to understand after the first trumpet solo why early giants like Buddy Bolden did not need to advertise.

The band claimed jazz players have different personalities often including a slightly insane trumpet player, a thoughtful person on clarinet, an attention seeking drummer, and a laconic trombone player.

There were numerous questions from the appreciative audience who among other things wanted to know how people untrained in music could effortlessly hit the right key and play constantly evolving tunes with their eyes shut.

'You get the feel for it', said the laconic trombonist who made his point with some beautiful improvisation on an instrument lacking any keys to press.

The superb trumpet player also had a voice fresh from the cane fields and illustrated one point briefly making the piano talk with his left hand.

Another talented mystery vocalist turned out to be the drummer crouched behind his cymbals. Banjo and Double Bass demonstrated with virtuoso bits that they were not there just to make up the numbers and the guy on clarinet had folk nearby enthralled.

I left along with everyone else feeling upbeat, waving to the drummer, and nodding to the laconic trombone player.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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