Stars pay respect to Cool Ruler

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Saturday night's 'Respect to Gregory' edition of Stars R Us at Mas Camp, New Kingston, unfolded much as music-laden memorials for deceased Jamaicans - stars or not - tend to. It was long on the music and short on sadness, a liberal dose of humour tossed into the mix and the women closest to the deceased - Isaacs' mother Enid and widow June - duly acknowledged.

However, although there was a strong crowd turnout it was nowhere near a bumper audience. And, coming up to the end, there was an obvious rush as Johnnie Clarke was rudely cut short by the MC and George Nooks and Leroy Sibbles gave very abbreviated appearances.

The night could not pass without a Gregory imitation, which was very well done by Junior Sinclair, his Gregory get-up complete with hat and Isaacs' standard slow, well-timed cross-stage saunter, one arm swinging.

Naturally, the audience loved it, Sinclair singing Love Overdue and Night Nurse.

Sinclair came on after the break, during which Dr Omar Davies made a presentation to Isaacs' mother and widow towards the Walker Place of Safety, which June Isaacs said Gregory had supported from the 1980s, "but the private person that he is you would not know".

Presentation, imitation, Mutabaruka's intermission selections and George Nooks' good delivery of Isaacs' Top Ten apart, the respect to Gregory was shown in the performers' obvious respect for the art they share with the Cool Ruler.

Nicky Dillon opened with At Last and had the audience rocking with Perfidia, but it was Ernest Wilson's ballads which set Stars R Us off.

In his accustomed persona of the risqué crooner, Wilson's gravel-sprinkled timbre was right for Consider Me.

"I like to make love to ladies, especially good-looking ones," Wilson said.

And there was laughter as he pointed out that there are a "couple ugly ones" as well, a jibe he would later rectify by saying "I see no ugly ladies".

Dreams To Remember and, on a return to stage, Cupid done reggae style had the audience loving him in 'Ernest'.

Pat Kelly has the hits, but his falsetto is not in the best nick. Added to that was the obvious lack of coordination between himself and Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band. So although Queen Majesty and Talk About Love had the impact of familiar hits, it was deejay Al Capone's spot-on inclusion on You Don't Care For Me At All which lifted the set several notches, the deejay's "one time" and vocal trips to "El Paso" hitting the spot.

Derrick Morgan quipped that first he got an OD, then an OJ ('Ol' Jackass'), but what he really wants is the one that has been given to Jimmy Cliff - the OM, as in Order of Money.

Gradually increasing the tempo from the opening Forward March Morgan set a blistering ska pace, sprinkling songs from Prince Buster and Monty Morris among his own hits for a Blazing Fire of a performance.

Josey Wales, the sole featured deejay of the night, brought on the rockers of Sweet Jamaica and Undercover Lover in excellent style, his smooth pate glinting in the stage lights. But it was his lyrics about deejays who have not reached the vintage stage which sent the Mas Camp audience reeling with laughter, as the Colonel addressed the 'Love Triangle' among Beenie Man, D'Angel and Bounty Killer, as well as the infamous picture with Lisa Hype performing oral sex.

"Yu did a deejay a soun' inna yu house one night/An yu make a mistake an grab de wrong mike," Josey said to howls of laughter.

Carl Dawkins, who followed Sinclair, is one of the more striking performers, what with his arm twirling dancing - which borders on the eccentric - and his use of the mic stand on Satisfaction. His voice is in excellent form, as evident from the opening Part Time Love Affair.

Tinga Stewart promised repeatedly to "mash up" the concert, and he did just that, deejaying like Ninja Man on their 1980s Percy Sledge remakes, and interjecting hits from others, including Wayne Wade, among his own popular songs, such as Aware of Love. He was recalled to the stage, doing a festival song pair to cap off an excellent showing.

Johnnie Clarke was in superb hit machine form, his long locks flowing as he did the songs like the original recordings. Move Out Of Babylon, None Shall Escape The Judgement and Left With A Broken Heart were among the songs that hit home before Clarke was cut short.

The short performances came next and he was quick out of the blocks with Zion Gates and Tribal War, but the audience got a 50-metre dash instead of a 400m, as after a stirring God Is Standing By, Nooks was gone. More was demanded and he did How Great Thou Art and, after Isaacs' Top Ten, Nooks was gone again.

Sibbles was even briefer, although he did set up 'party time' and dipped into Toots Hibbert, Inner Circle and Marcia Griffiths' catalogues.

John Holt closed off the night, the hits flowing and the crowd rocking to Love I Can Feel and Carpenter although, at a few minutes past 3 a.m. the crowd started to thin somewhat. Wear You To The Ball and Tide Is High came before the 3:15 a.m. close.

Camille was an especially lively and engaging MC - who sings, to boot, partnering with Skaka in the second half of Stars R Us, Respect to Gregory.