• IT has long puzzled me why jazz is combined with classical in Michael White’s column in the Review.

That jazz hasn’t featured in the column for a long time has prompted me to suggest that jazz justifies its own column. Jazz is not a static genre, frozen in time. Like your paper it embraces and promotes all backgrounds, ethnicities and styles.

Since its early years in New Orleans jazz has expanded through big bands, swing, bebop, cool, hard and post-bop, avant garde to funk, acid jazz and other variations, all of which can be found in normal times in the Jazz Café and pubs and other venues in Camden, which also hosts venues for the annual London Jazz Festival.

Camden is recognised for its musical heritage. Let’s give due prominence to what is probably the most influential genre in popular music: jazz!

ROGER WINFIELD
Patshull Road, NW5