Maxine - the talented musician of the Kite family - is overjoyed to land a job as cellist with Birmingham's pretigious orchestra. But, Brent Shackleton, an intriguing fellow musician, introduces Maxine to the world of jazz and soon, she is the star of his band, playing piano and singing. She thrives on this hectic new life and the glamour that surrounds it, finding time to fall in love with Howard Quaintance. With Howard, she discovers that she is not the cold fish her old boyfriend Stephen always said she was and Maxine has never been so happy - yet their lives couldn't be more different. Wayward, unorthodox Brent Shackleton, however, resents Howard and all he stands for. He vows to lure Maxine away from her staid boyfriend - with Howard's unwitting help.