Sparkling 20 Jazz Festival ends on high note

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Father's Day was made special Sunday after the finale of the Jamaica Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival at Turtle River Park in Ocho Rios turned out to be a fitting tribute to its founder, Sonny Bradshaw, who passed away last October.

Held for the first time without Bradshaw's presence, the show, celebrating 20 years and dedicated to fathers, saw some thrilling performances from its line-up of jazz stars, punctuated by a guitar tribute to the late legend by his grandson Justin Hall.

While the turnout could have been better, the music lacked nothing.

All performed well but the most riveting performances could have come from Kingsley Ettienne on organ and Pamella Williams, who totally blew away her audience with her exhilarating performance on saxophone.

Wonderful performance

We missed Joe Sizemore, caught the end of what was said to be a wonderful performance by Kiralina, who took the opportunity to extend kind words to the Bradshaw family; and enjoyed Justin's one-song tribute.

Idris Ackamoor followed on sax, and after starting with Footprints, ended with a blues selection and some tap dancing.

Lila, the lady from Memphis with the blue violin, added a new, fresh dimension to the show, moving through the Stylistics' People Make the World Go Round and Girl from Ipanema, among others.

But it was the Canada-based Grenadine native, Ettienne who, first on organ then vocals, put the crowd in a real groove, going through classics such as Marley's Lively Up Yourself.

He got the only encore of the day and returned to end on a high with the bluesy You Did It.

Williams, who was next on stage, paid tribute to Ettienne's fine performance but up to that point, gave no indication of what was to come.

But then the storm came. Williams, playing selections from her latest and ninth album, Chameleon (2009), led her audience through selections such as Afterglow, Camouflage, Unconditionally and Secret Garden, giving an extended version of the latter while mingling barefoot with the audience. They loved it! Some danced, some clapped, all appreciated her mastery.

"It was wonderful! The show was great, the band was great, I had a wonderful time," Williams later told The Gleaner.

Kathy Brown on piano, accompanied by Ouida on drums, closed that section of the show - with Slide Mongoose, an original selection, By Sunday and Afro Blue.

Desi Jones, who fitted in to play drums for Joe Sizemore before teaming up with the rest of his trio, Dale Haslam on bass and Christopher McDonald on drums to back the remainder of the artistes, had a marathon run, which was acknowledged by MC Keith Brown.

Fab Five band closed the event with the exciting ska revival, featuring classics from ska legends such as Don Drummond, The Maytals and others.

"The show must go on and it has gone on very, very well," said Myrna Hague Bradshaw, the maestro's widow.

"I think it was successful. It was tremendously hard work of course but I'm very happy with the way things have gone."

On Saturday, in a ceremony held at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, the festival presented special awards to Sonny Bradshaw, Mapletoft Poule and Marjorie Whylie for pioneering the indigenisation of music in Jamaican theatre.