Question 3 Model Answer: Article (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE English Language)

Model answer:

This month’s featured concert was the last of a series of open-air performances at Sutton Park, featuring The Nightblooming Jazzmen, formerly The Littlest Big-Band. With the exception of their drummer, “Old Stanley”, the Jazzmen are a group of retired musicians who have clearly been playing together for a long time and who are comfortable with each other. They are definitely a bunch of charmers, with their natty white belts, bow ties and serious moustaches. In an attempt to draw bigger audiences, the Jazzmen have made a stylistic move to jazz and swing, and the retro vibe clearly suits them. They also deserve a larger audience as they are clearly a bunch of skilled musicians. There are no magic tricks or backing tracks here; just a gang of senior(ish) citizens cooking up a stripped-back, honest and authentic sound with their instruments and voices, specialising in the type of music rarely heard nowadays, and here, the crowd lapped it up. Clyde, the lead vocalist, also plays clarinet, with Chet (a certified ladies’ man) on trombone, Wally on tuba and Hal, the band leader, who definitely puts a lot of energy into his performance, given how out of breath he is by the end!

The venue was hardly grand: a graffiti-covered bandstand in the local park lent a dishevelled air to the event (a regular each summer), with the daytime crowd consisting mainly of the older generation, some accompanied unenthusiastically by their grandchildren as their grandparents tried to encourage the younger generation to enjoy this old-fashioned style of music. However, the audience were loyal and the talent of the Jazzmen clearly swayed everyone in their favour, as the reception was largely positive and the waving of jazz-hands grew more vigorous. Afterwards, as we munched on crackers, dip, grapes and peanuts provided by the Jazzmen’s loyal groupies, the atmosphere was lively as Ruth, Nancy and Betty revealed a bit more about the lasting appeal of The Nightblooming Jazzmen. Ruth in particular recalls a previous concert featuring a rap artist with a shudder, and Clyde reveals that the women love their music, revelling in the sense of nostalgia it brings for their youth. 

As the records go on the jukebox and the jitterbugging starts, I grab Old Stanley (real name Nathanial) to find out how he fits in with the rest of the band. He is definitely a lot younger than the rest of the band, sporting a false moustache and bleached eyebrows, but it’s clear that he is making an effort to fit in, and the other band members appreciate it. His musical ability is obvious, and he reveals he learned his drumming skills from his father, himself once an accomplished jazz musician. While his manners might not be on a par with the others (I catch him talking with his mouth full), he obviously feels at home with the atmosphere and the style of music, with Hal especially taking him under his wing. If Stanley sticks with it and decides to follow in his father’s footsteps, then this bodes well for a possible revival of interest in jazz and swing, and a larger following may follow. Given the quality of the sound, The Nightblooming Jazzmen certainly deserve it.