"Who thinks the world should be ruled by jazz?" asked 28-year-old jazz revolutionary Soweto Kinch.
At your average boozy gig this question would probably be met with a roar of approval but it was 1pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon so it got a slightly nervous show of hands instead.
But charismatic saxophonist and rapper Kinch didn't give up there. With the support of a gifted backing band, he actually managed to get us chanting enthusiastically to Jazz Planet.
Seated in neat rows, lecture theatre-style, we grooved as meaningfully as possible without knee-butting the person in front but it felt a bit wrong.
I couldn't help but imagine how much better this gig would have been if it had been held during the evening and at a more atmospheric venue such as the Spiegeltent.
A freestyle finale took a turn for the surreal when members of the audience were asked to shout out three subjects for Kinch to rap about.
Quirky and fun, the resulting song about mashed potato, heaven and owls certainly prepared us for our return back to the eccentric Streets Of Brighton festival which raged outside.
Kinch has a new album out in September and launches a new jazz debate website next month.
Visit www.jazzplanet.co.uk
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