This was far too civilised an occasion for a face-off; it was two gigs in one, with two quite different bands on stage. Selwyn were there for the crack; smiley faces and a certain cheesiness to their sound marked them apart from the more musically serious and agile Fitz Swing.

Vocalist Emily Sherwin is good as the face of Selwyn Jazz, but needs more power to push over the band. Admittedly, the sound man should have addressed the imbalance, which was very rhythm-section-heavy, emphasising the annoyingly plinky-plonky bass lines from the quarters of the rhythm section.

There is an energy to Fitz Swing that is infectious; it is not volume, not speed and not conceit, but a detectible musical tension generated and propelled by the band’s leader, Gwilym Bowen. Besides his impressive piano skills, he keeps the players in rank and file with professional panache. If Fitz have a notable section, it’s the saxophones. Although not especially strong in their own right, as an ensemble, they really tune in with each other. The dynamic was very much father-son at this gig; there was a hint of ‘old dog-young dog’ at the finale, with both bands on stage for a climactic jam. Fitz Swing raced, Selwyn Jazz chased, but Selwyn have some snappy players biting at the feet of the big boys, particularly in the trumpet section, where there was none of the fluffiness often afflicting up-and-coming brass sections.

The Cambridge jazz scene has picked up in recent months, with a tempting selection of offerings on the musical menu. With more professional musicians filling the bars and cellars of the city, student jazzers are being challenged for their audiences. Nothing could be better; more experimental repertoire and innovative arrangements should result from this competition.