Jazz and blues singer Barbara Walker helped bring the 'Opening Day' festivities to a swinging end. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer THE 'JAMAICA Ocho Rios Jazz Festival' smoothly began its 13th year last Sunday. The 'Opening Day' festivities took place on the inviting grounds of the Almond Tree Restaurant, Hibiscus Lodge in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
Although on occasion the show tended to drag, especially in the second act, the day was certainly a testament to the versatility and diversity of music. Instruments which would take the stage throughout the day included the didjeridoo, conch shells and the bagpipes.
The weather seemed to indicate that good things were about to happen. The cool breeze played with the trees and flowering plants in the garden, sometimes almost seemingly in tune with the music being played. Last year the festival, and the rest of the island, was plagued by rain, but Sunday afternoon saw sunshine and only a few fleecy white clouds.
The Jamaica Big Band, led by Sonny Bradshaw, featuring guest performers Ernest Ranglin, Byard Lancaster and Noel Seal, started the festival on high swinging notes. As is their tradition, the band started by playing the National Anthem, their rendition of which really speaks in the accent of the Jamaican people.
DISTINCTIVE RHYTHM
The band's performance blended jazz and ska. Over the distinctive rhythm of Confucious, Bradshaw explained that the festival would be officially a part of the jazz festival this year. He pointed to the link between ska and jazz by stating that ska was created by Jamaica's jazz musicians.
The band's performance was easily one of the high points of the afternoon. Their performance also featured the vocal skills of Myrna Hague. Hague crooned Fly Me To The Moon, first accompanied by only the piano. The slow easy, melodic pace allowed her powerful voice to soar and contrasted wonderfully with the fast pace to which the music swung towards the end of the song. Hague also gave a lovely rendition of the late Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me.
The show took a downturn with the appearance of Overboard and Friends, and would take quite some time before it could find the right gear again. Overboard and Friends performed 'Beach Music' (a blend of jazz and rock and roll) as well as watered-down versions of Arrow's Hot! Hot! Hot! and Bob Marley's One Love. Although Joe Sizemore, the band's leader, had made sure to point out that the latter was being done out of respect for Marley, the performance was a sure sign that One Love cannot conquer everything.
'INTERESTING'
The satisfyingly ambiguous word 'interesting' is the most apt to describe the first part of the Philly Invasion which followed Overboard and Friends to the stage. The first invader, Harold Smith, treated the audience to solo performances on the didjeridoo and the conch shells. The uniqueness of the instruments (at least to the western world) made the performance more than worthwhile. Smith would later return to play on the drums.
Another tribute to difference was also featured in the Philly Invasion segment, with the performance of Rufus Harley and Son. Harley, who plays the saxophone, flute, oboe and clarinet, wore an outfit which threatened to boggle the mind, while he played the bagpipes. Harley, decked out in a kilt (featuring the flag of the United States of America) was accompanied by his son, Messiah, on the trumpet.
Both instruments blended well with the bagpipes laying down the rhythm, while the trumpet played harmony. If nothing else, it was certainly not a run-of-the-mill performance.
Jazz and blues singer Barbara Walker brought the evening back into the swing of things with her performance, during which the audience came back to life. Walker performed a few songs solo, such as What A Difference A Day Makes and was accompanied by George V. Johnson for a medley that included Wade in the Water.
SOOTHING SOLO
Trudy Pitts and Mr. C were the last of the performers from Philadelphia and helped to bring the evening to a close. Pitts started with a soothing solo performance on piano. She later switched to the jazz organ where she was accompanied by Mr. C on drums.
The entire group of musicians from Philadelphia, accompanied by Jamaica's Calvin Mitchell, brought the evening to a satisfactory end.
