BURY Jazz Society members held a video evening last Monday, watching films of their favourite jazz musicians made a pleasant change from LPs and CDs.

We began with a remarkable piece of jazz history - Benny Goodman playing Lady Be Good and Poor Butterfly at his last ever concert performance, at the Tivoli in Sweden, shortly before he died.

Vibes player, drummer and pianist, Victor Feldman, was born in London in 1935 and became something of a child prodigy from a highly musical family. He played professionally with the bands of Ted Heath and Ronnie Scott before emigrating to America to join Woody Hermans band. On one of his frequent visits to London, he went into the BBC TV studios to play piano on Swinging On a Star with his trio.

Another pianist, Bill Evans, was filmed in 1964 playing Victor Youngs composition My Foolish Heart, with Chuck Israel on bass and Larry Bunker on drums.

In 1988, saxist Flip Phillips and clarinetist Kenny Davern, entertained passengers on a jazz cruise on the SS Norway, and took part in a nightly Jam Session.

Guitarist, Wes Montgomery, taught himself to play during his teenage years and soon starting gigging in his home town of Indianapolis.

After working briefly with Lionel Hamptons band in 1948, he returned home and went back to the day job. He didnt turn professional until 1957 when he made his first recordings.

He soon had his own quartet which included Harold Mabern on piano, and Arthur Harper on bass. In a TV broadcast they played Jerome Kerns Yesterdays.

A hilarious film of the Jack Benny Show had Jack on violin and leading a band with Dan Dailey on trumpet, Tex Beneke on tenor sax, and Kirk Douglas on banjo, playing Basin Street Blues.

The evening ended with 20 minutes of "Soundies" - juke box videos which were popular in the 1940s. The Dorsey Brothers figured prominently on South Rampart St Parade, with their own orchestra and then on Arts Blues with Art Tatum, Ziggy Elman and Charlie Barnet.

Barnet featured again with his own band on Atlantic Jump, then Gene Krupa took over with Anita ODay and Roy Eldridge on Let Me Off Uptown and Thanks for the Boogie Ride.

Bury Jazz Society meets every Monday evening at the Mosses Centre. Everyone is welcome.

JR.