University jazz and the Mersey Sound

Student days in Liverpool, a memoir

Abstract

A Liverpool University graduate recalls his days in the late 1950s and early 60s when he was a drummer in various student jazz bands and a founder member of the pioneer Merseyside beat group, Cass and the Cassanovas. The activities of the University’s jazz society, Rhythm Club, and the Inter-University Jazz Federation are described, and jazz performances in Liverpool and elsewhere by famous British and American bands are recalled. The article reflects attitudes of jazz lovers at that time towards pop music, particularly rock ’n’ roll and the emerging ‘Mersey Sound’.