A Life on the Fiddle

Max Jaffa celebrates 60 years in music in this conversational book of reminiscences, full of anecdotes and memories of the great names, and of his many friends in the world of light music. From his first lessons off London's Tottenham Court Road in the centre of the rag trade (his father was a tailor), he knew he was to be a violinist, and even through his years at the Guildhall School of Music he was playing professionally. He started by accompanying silent films, but he soon moved on to terrace teas and then to Lyons Corner House, and from there to hotels like the Piccadilly, clubs like Ciro's, society dance bands, cruise ships - participating throughout the light music scene of the 20s and 30s. After a rather more dangerous wartime interlude, notably as a ferry pilot, he returned to radio shows (including Palm Court) and recording - he seems to have led virtually every orchestra recording light music - and then to live television. Finally he went to Scarborough every summer for 27 years, where he built up an enormous and faithful following from all over the world. Max Jaffa takes his "light" music and musicianship very seriously, and talks about his rapport with his audiences.
Above all, he conveys enjoyment of his musical life.