FROM THE CODA ARCHIVES...

Newport City Fathers succeeded in breaking the Newport Festival, the residents in close proximity to Lord Montagu’s residence almost succeeded in terminating the Beaulieu Festival and now, certain unknown citizen’s “representatives” have succeeded in preventing the Festival of Jazz and Folk Music from taking place at Castle Franck (sic) in Toronto.What was to have been an unusual and interesting event was stamped out without consideration or real reason.

Why was the Festival cancelled? It seems that the residents feared there would be incidents similar to what they had read in the papers about Newport last year.Yet this wasn’t envisioned when Joe Taylor first received permission from the Board of Education to proceed with his venture.Perhaps it was because he went about the business of publicizing his festival in the proper way and had managed to get two or three extensive write-ups in the newspapers that caused these people to sit up and take notice.

In this particular instance not a breath or murmur of comment or protest regarding the cancellation has reached public ears.It was all done so swiftly and efficiently that one wonders just what did happen behind those closed doors.

Jazz always receives special consideration, mostly in the wrong way by people who fear it but have no knowledge or understanding of it.It would seem that Jazz at Castle Franck (sic) was a large sized example of “Screaming before you’re hurt”.

This month's cover drawing is one in a series by San Francisco artist Lucille Austin.