I've mused a few times in this column about what happens when rock music gets older.

We're just now seeing what rock's pioneers will do when they hit 60, or even 70, whether it's Neil Young getting even grungier or Bob Dylan singing Christmas songs. But people keep writing to me saying, 'What about Cliff Richard? Just look at him, that's growing old with style – Clifftastic!”
'Yes, okay,” I answer, 'Cliff Richard is actually the single oldest person to ever play rock ‘n' roll. It's a well-known fact that he is indeed older than Vera Lynn and possibly even older than the recently discovered skeleton that might have been the missing link, but was actually the missing link's not-so-missing second cousin.”
But – and this is an important ‘but', he doesn't play rock music.
Rock ‘n' roll is a different beast, an earlier ancestor, an unmissing link that evolved into rock music, but it ain't the same thing.
Rock ‘n' roll is a musical form that started in the mid-fifties with Elvis, Jackie Brentson and Bill Haley and was pretty much over with by the mid-sixties. For a while it was the pop music of the day. Cliff Richard was the cleanest person ever to sing rock ‘n' roll, an early recipient of the Michael Jackson skin-bleaching treatment to make his music as white as possible.
But the thing is; it really doesn't matter how old Cliff is. There is a distinct difference between being an old fellah playing rock music and an old fellah playing rock ‘n' roll.
Because rock music is today's pop music and rock ‘n' roll is now nostalgia.
Things change. Many music forms have been, as rock ‘n' roll was for a brief decade, the pop music of its day. The blues was, for the black population of America in the first four decades of the twentieth century, the pop music of its day. It was also their folk music, which is a bit confusing. By end of the 1960s, when the English discovered blues, it had, with all respect to Eric and his ilk, become nostalgia after a brief moment in the spotlight as something approaching pop music.
Jazz took a similar course. It was for many years the main pop music of the twentieth century. From the days of thirties swing, Benny Goodman and Glen Miller, right through to the sixties (when the mighty new force of rock music swept much before it) jazz was mainstream pop music.
It ain't any more. If it was, then Woody Woodhouse would be the oldest man in pop music, since rumour has it, that he is in fact, older than Cliff Richard.
And, Woody and his band, the Woody Woodhouse Connection, have a new album out called Pruning Thyme. This is the third CD from the group and is their best so far. Both previous albums had slight recording issues, but Tim Julian, out at his Colourfield Studio in Welcome Bay, has finally done the boys proud.
Clocking in at nearly an hour, Pruning Thyme features a generous selection of 15 jazz and swing favourites from obvious choices such as 'Autumn Leaves” and 'Night and Day” to a delightful run at Sinatra's 'The Summer Wind” and the more challenging 'On Green Dolphin Street”.
Several things are notable. It's amazing that Woody's voice is so strong, particularly since he's older than Cliff Richard. Also impressive is Brian Geogan's trumpet. Brian is an old pro and he really shines here, putting in a seemingly effortless display of subtle melodic improvising. They are well supported by Harvey Winn on drums and Wayne Melville's ever-excellent fretless bass, while guest vibraphonist from Auckland, Morrin Cooper, adds colour.
But best of all is the group's harmony singing, particularly on tracks such as 'Cab Driver” where their tight singing could be a lesson to any number of younger bands. All in all it's a terrific effort, complete with attractive cover art. My only niggle would be the decision to put it in a slim-line case – I can never find the damn things on my CD shelves, but it's reassuring to be hearing such lively sounds from a more senior section of the musical community. Clifftastic!