<div dir="ltr"><div><div>Last Thursday and Friday the first ever traditional jazz and swing tool place at the Tel-Aviv jazz club Ha'ezor (The Zone). Three groups played on Thursday night: Swing de Gitanes with Jacques Sany on soprano sax, The Luz (Hazelnut) Sisters and the Avram Felder Big Band.<br></div>The opening band was the best in the whole two-day programme, as could be expected where Jacques Sany was involved (he starred twice at the New York Sidney Bechet Society concerts). The vocal group was, unfortunately, a let-down, even if some people liked them. They were badly served by over-amplification, a problem none of the other groups had encountered. OK, I am prejudiced, I am not too keen on vocals (which in American means "I don't like vocals"), but some of my friends shared my opinion (one said, in English, that they were "absolutely redundant" almost as soon as they started); moreover, although this was a jazz festivals, they decided to sing some unswinging Israeli songs as well. That impression was reversed by the big band, which played good arrangements and some good solos. And it had a baby grand! It was not very well tuned, but the pianist, Nahum Perefrikovich, overcame that obstacle easily. The event was well attended - 166 seats out of the 180 available were sold.<br></div><div>The Friday event - in the afternoon - started with swing dancing lesson, unfortunately to recorded rather than live music. Danny Rozenfeld's Swing Quartet followed - pretty good; Danny - on trumpet - was accompanied by a guitar, bass and drums. Perhaps "accompanied" is not a good word, as all the musicians also soloed. Then came Eli and the Chocolate Factory, and gave a very good show; Jacques Sany sat in on one number. Eli (pronounced Elie) Preminger organized the event, abetted by Ms. Nava Pasternak (formerly of our 88FM) and Frank Farbenbloom. Then thee was an excellent jam session, with all the musicians who played that day, with the addition of a very talented 14 years old kid on the alto saxophone; unfortunately, the matinee event was not as well attended as the previous night one.<br></div><div>One should only hope for another one next year!<br></div><div>Cheers (just had a Duvel, an 8.5% Belgian blond ale, one of my favourite beers)<br></div></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br> <table style="border-top:1px solid #d3d4de">
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