John MacKenzie at The Jennings Organ, HMV 1959

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The record was released by HMV (New Zealand) - MDLP6044 - in 1959, followed a year later by an album of popular hymns played on a Conn organ. The cover picture on both shows the Conn organ, but the Jennings - probably a mode D2 in wood finish - is shown in vignette on the rear of the first (see below).

A brief biography of MacKenzie is given in the sleeve notes: "John MacKenzie is well known throughout New Zealand, having been a consistent performer on the New Zealand Broadcasting Service for a number of years. He will be especially remembered by ex-members of the third New Zealand Division for his work as accompanist with the Pacific Kiwi Concert Party during the last war. After the war, he spent several terms as Organist at the Civic Theatre, Auckland, and then turned his attention to electronic organ. In this album, John Mackienzie plays music for the people. He uses both English "Jennings" and American "Conn" organs."

The sound as recorded is a little disappointing - perhaps the modern ear has been spoilt. While there is nothing unpleasant about the general tonality, there is not much variety, or at least substantially less than one might expect.

Click to play on You Tube. The other pieces from the Jennings album are .

Pages on 1954-1957 . Other years will follow soon. A sequence of pages on guitar amplifiers, beginning with 1958, .

John MacKenzie at the Model D2

Front cover

Vignette of the Jennings organ, rear cover

Detail - "The Jennings Organ Company".

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