Jazz legend’s lovely gesture for teenagers at Queen’s gig
ACHANCE encounter at a history-making concert at Derby’s soon-to-shut Queen’s Leisure Centre is among the most treasured of memories for one Oakwood resident.
Back in 1956, Margaret Jarvis and her friends were huge fans of American pop music and jazz artist Stan Kenton. And they couldn’t believe their luck when he was to perform at the nearby leisure centre in Cathedral Road.
This was particularly astonishing as Stan was very fortunate to be playing Britain at the time. There was a ban on American musicians from performing here following a dispute between the American Federation of Musicians and the British Musicians’ Union. This wasn’t resolved until 1961, but to get around it there were often illmatched exchanges between British and American artists.
It just so happened that the first exchange of big bands in 1956 happened to be Stan Kenton and His Orchestra coming to the UK while Ted Heath and His Orchestra went to America. Of course Margaret and around ten of her chums, who had all just left school, were only really interested in hearing the band play. There was only one problem. They could not afford the tickets.
As such, the group hung around the side entrance, content to just listen to the band. It was then the door suddenly opened to reveal none other than Stan himself. “What are you doing here?” he exclaimed.
A star-struck Margaret replied: “We just wanted to listen to the music.”
With that, the musician invited the youngsters in to watch the whole performance. “Stan was a very nice man,” she said. “We got to see and hear the whole concert. It was wonderful. I was just so overcome about what happened. I could not believe that he spoke to us!”
Her favourite tracks he played that night were The Peanut Vendor, Intermission Riff and Artistry in Rhythm. Back in the day, the Queen’s Leisure Centre was a concert hall, ballroom and swimming pool all rolled into one. This multi-use was achieved by simply laying boards over the pool. Margaret’s father was not a fan of Kenton’s music, but was a keen trumpeter and piano player himself. Margaret, a huge music lover, also
I was just so overcome about what happened. I could not believe that he spoke to us!
Margaret Jarvis
used to play the piano. Stan Kenton led his influential and innovative jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Between 1944 and 1967 he had numerous chart hits including Tampico (sung by Julie Christie) and Orange Colored Sky (sic) sung by Nat King Cole. He also released a wide range of albums including 1946’s Artistry In Rhythm, 1949’s Encores, 1956’s Kenton in Hi-Fi, and 1961’s Kenton’s West Side Story.
Members of Derby’s swimming community have recently spoken of their sadness after it was announced Queen’s Leisure Centre would shut for the final time on Sunday, May 8, ahead of the opening of the new £42 million Moorways Sports Village in Allenton on May 21.
The closure of the baths will mark the end of an era after 90 years. Thousands of people from across the city and wider county will have visited the leisure centre over the years. Many, such as Margaret, have fond memories and will be sad to see it go.