Kingsley's magical fingers THEY SEEMED to move at the speed of light, each one sure of its routine and rhythm, dancing expertly upon the tiny panels of ebony and ivory. The audience was spellbound; shrieks of approval leaped into the air and lingered briefly, floating above the melody with every new stanza. The performers were the magical fingers of organist Kingsley Ettienne, prancing across the double tiered platform of the Hammond organ during opening day at the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival 2001, held at the Almond Tree Gardens on Sunday. What a sight to behold, as they hammered out each number, changing in tempo, pitch, volume and tone at will, jumping left and right, and up and down, creating a mesmerising melody, in harmony with Ettienne's mind. "You almost have to have five minds," Ettienne said, sipping a drink after his performance. Anyone who knows anything about musical instruments, knows that the Hammond organ is one of the most difficult to master, nevermind to play at the level of Kingsley Ettienne. "The difficulty has to do with the separation of the different tones, and so while both hands are doing totally different things, and the feet are responding to their respective hands, I literally have to be able to divide my mind into five pieces. It must be because I'm a Gemini," he joked. Born in Grenada, Ettienne has been a musician for over 28 years, and says that his background in the church has a lot to do with his musical growth. His first instrument was the guitar, and then he moved on to the saxophone. After seeing the great organist Jimmy Smith perform, Ettienne was hooked. "It's a fabulous instrument, and many people like to play with it, but they don't go to the edge. I love to go to the edge of it," he observed. It is no exaggeration - when Ettienne performs he commands a passion and focus unmatched by most musicians. His fingers take on a life of their own and undertake a musical feat that cannot be described by words, only explained in the harmonious blend and magic of the melody, dancing from octave to octave, leaving audiences enchanted by the raw beauty and power. Doug Richardson, a tenor saxophonist and close friend of the organist, gave us his explanation of his friend's musical mastery. "That's right, I think he's an octopus," Richardson mused, while Ettienne laughed. Both musicians, together with drummer Carl Mcleod, will perform as the Kingsley Ettienne Trio throughout the festival, which continues until June 17, hosted at various venues in Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril.
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