When I started at Poole Grammar School in 1950 we were all fans of the (usually British) big bands of the day, none of which included a guitarist. Our musical ambitions (if we had any)would have been to play the trumpet or the saxophone. The trad jazz bands that 'took off' at about this time all had banjoists, never guitarists. Perhaps London and Cambridge were different but, like Will, I saw the documentary that included Bert Weedon's comments and they rang true with me. I think the documentary was the one where the late 1950s commentator expressed surprise at the sudden popularity of the guitar as the instrument that every teenager wanted.
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