Michael Reckord, Gleaner Writer

Singer Diamara Neil.

Sunday evening's Jazz in the Gardens concert at the Jamaica Pegasus was dubbed 'Battle of the Ivories'. The promotional flyers and newspaper ads promised patrons the prospect of hearing "eight of Jamaica's best" keyboard players.

Whether the clever marketing phrase worked or the pull was the actual line-up of musicians, the event attracted perhaps the largest audience ever in the Jazz in the Gardens series. And jazz lovers know it has been running for years. Half hour after the approximately 6:10 p.m. kick off, all the chairs on the lawn were occupied and another three dozen were wheeled in on hand carts.

The production team

Congrats must go to production coordinator, Ken Nelson, and executive producer, Nancy McLean. The latter told The Gleaner that Sunday's 'battle' was one she had "dreamed about for a long time".

However, when I broached the concept of a dancehall style 'clash' among the keyboardists to the lone woman on the slate of start, it was rebuffed.

"It's not a battle," Dr Kathy Brown said firmly, "it's a bonding."

As she said, so it was. The atmosphere among the eight keyboard players - and, for that matter, the many other musicians who entertained the appreciative audience - was all sweetness and light. There was not one unpleasant 'dissing' of anyone, of the sort you get at a bona fide 'clash'. On the contrary, the musicians played like "ebony and ivory ... in perfect harmony".

Featured artistes

The concert's featured eight were, Brown, Dennis Rushton, Peter Ashbourne, Harold Butler, Harold Davis, Ralph Holding, Robbie Lyn and Andrae Campbell. The backing band, led by Davis, included Richie Cunninghan (percussions), Dale Brown (bass), and Christopher Tyrell (drums).

Also part of the group was the energetic, engaging vocalist, Diamara Neil. She sang a fine opening set of songs, ending with, You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.

The smooth emcee, Michael Anthony Cuffe, introduced the second keyboardist (after Davis) as a man who "hasn't played in a setting like this for a long time". But Holding - who brought along important relatives, the governor general and wife, to cheer him on - had evidently been keeping his fingers flexible.

He was quite fluent on the keyboards, and showed, with his song, Somewhere's Music, that his voice was in good shape, too. As Cuffe commented, "We should try to get him out of retirement."

Wonderful renditions

Dr Kathy Brown, one of the musicians who performed at the Jazz in the Gardens show, held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, on June 29. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Next up was Lyn, who Cuffe said had been around "for a very long time, as composer, arranger and keyboard player". Lyn first played The World is a Ghetto, accompanying Neil as she sang, More Today Than Yesterday.

A sort of a break in the 'non-battle' of the keyboardists was filled by the Harold Davis & Friends band. Davis sang Satamassagana and then, "as a special treat to the ladies", he sang an excerpt from the reggae hit, She's Royal.

Brown, who said she had been in Antigua the day before and had limited time to rehearse, brought her own drummer, Akeel Karam, for her set. It comprised the African tune, Grandfather, and her own Cuban-influenced composition written two years ago, Latin Groove, both fast-paced tunes.

Introduced by Cuffe as "one of Jamaica's leading performer-composer-arranger-songwriters", the multi-talented Ashbourne led the band in a sparkling clean version of Lullaby of Birdland and Spain. The set featured Nicholas Laroque playing superb soprano sax and later, flute.

Rushton, described as "a man who is known for gospel music, has won awards in New York", and who "carries Jamaica's name far and wide internationally", proved to be quite a show-off.

The crowd loved it as he played with his knee, foot, elbow and even head; but they were amazed when he used his keyboard to get him to sound like a choir with Amazing Grace. The audience also applauded enthusiastically when "the exceptionally talented" Butler made his contribution with On The Street Where You Live (from My Fair Lady) and the Cynthia Schloss hit Love Me Forever.

Organ-like performance

Campbell, a musician who is "very much at home on the cabaret circuit", ended the delightful first half with his sonorous, organ-like contribution at 9 p.m. during the intermission. About a dozen people who all claimed they had June birthdays got gifts, courtesy of one of the sponsors.

The second part of the show was pretty much a long jam session with all 13 musicians playing Watermelon Man and Mercy, Mercy! Davis coordinated the playing of the 13, giving each a chance to contribute a section of the 'musical quilt' being constructed.

When the final note sounded at 10:20 p.m., the applause indicated the audience was glad they had been there.