LEGENDARY musician, Acker Bilk, certainly kept the audience entertained at the opening night of the Bewdley Festival as he and the Paramount Jazz Band performed to a full house.

The appreciative crowd was treated to fast-paced numbers, including Memphis Blues, Panama Rock and Stopping at the Savoy, as well as slow tempo ones, such as the popular My Baby Just Cares For Me.

It did not take long before members of the audience were nodding their heads to the music while others happily tapped their feet. It was just a shame there was nowhere to dance.

While it was probably Bilk that the crowd had flocked to see, the Paramount Jazz Band deserved just as much praise. Clearly enjoying themselves, trombonist, Ian Bateman, trumpet player, Enrico Tomasso, double bass player, Malcolm Crease, drummer, Ritchie Bryant and pianist, Colin Wood all took their turn at playing energetic solos during both the faster and slower numbers.

They complemented Bilk's smooth clarinet playing and hardly paused for a break. When they did, however, part of the band formed a trio to play What A Difference A Day Makes and trombonist, Bateman, also stood in the spotlight to perform Sweet Sue.

In between the songs, Bilk told a few jokes, which were often old favourites given a new twist but the audience did not seem to care, greeting each one with laughter and applause.

It was the worldwide hit, Stranger on the Shore, however, that everyone had been waiting for and Bilk kept it right until the end.

He brought out his famous black hat to perform the number one tune, which was short but sweet and received the loudest applause of the night. HL