Michael Reckord, Contributor
Left: Seretse Small & and Jodi Holung were 'In a Sentimental Mood' when they shared the stage at the 'The Cuban Connection' for Jazz in the Gardens, held in the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel Gardens, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston on Sunday. Right: Cuban saxophonist Jesus Fuentes for whom the party's title is named was masterful on the tenor and soprano saxophone. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
THE END OF APRIL'S MUSICAL EVENING at the Pegasus Hotel's "Jazz in the Gardens" series started on Sunday with master drummer and tap dancer Ouida Lewis, who recently returned from studies in Holland, captivating the large audience with both skills. It ended with a supremely satisfying set by Cuban saxophonist Jesus Fuentes, the symbol of the evening's theme, "The Cuban Connection." In between, there was the music of the backing band, Seretse & the True Democrats, led by Seretse Small (vocals and guitar), a debut performance by Jodi HoLung as a jazz singer, several well received songs by Tanice Morrison, and highly enjoyable "oldies" music on CD played by Mutabaruka during the intermission.
Adding to the pleasure given by the entertainers was the silky voice of the amiable emcee, Michael Anthony Cuffe, and nature's gift of a cool evening and gentle sea breeze. The result: a near-perfect evening.
A GOOD MOOD
Small certainly seemed to think it was. He was in a good mood, perhaps because of the presence of long-time girlfriend HoLung on the platform with him. After he serenaded her with Loving You, paying more attention to her than to his audience, he made what sounded like a proposal.
"It's time," he said of the six-year relationship, "to take it to another level."
HoLung laughed and launched into Duke Ellington's In a Sentimental Mood. After the couple performed a bouncy Paper Mood, HoLung left the stage, to be replaced by Cuffe who asked and was assured by the audience that Small had indeed proposed.
Cuffe then introduced Morrison who, he said, had been performing since 1997 and once opened for Kenny Rogers.
Morrison walked through the audience singing Walk On By. For most of the time, while singing her other songs, Rio de Janeiro Blue, Lennon's Imagine, You'll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart, and Our Day Will Come, she stayed in the midst of the audience instead of on the platform. The intimacy she undoubtedly was striving for was achieved.
CLASSICALLLY TRAINED
Fuentes, who was classically trained and had played in all the major jazz festivals in Europe, was visiting Jamaica for the first time and was introduced after intermission. He greeted the audience and continued to speak in a mixture of Spanish and English. His words were not always understood by the audience, but his masterful music on the tenor and soprano saxophone certainly was.
He seemed to inspire the band members Karl Gibson (bass), Ozou'ne (keyboards), Wendell Lawrence (drums) and guitarist Small to go to 'another level' themselves as he played standards like Girl From Ipanema, A Night in Tunisia, Body and Soul, among other tunes.
After the audience asked for "one more," Fuentes and the band delighted with Summer Time.
