Susan Couch shows her class - Jazz crowd appreciates veteran singer

 Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writer

Somebody at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium said Susan Couch was the best performer they had heard on the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival's second day.

That person, along with the many who voiced agreement, may have been right.

Couch's performance on the Heineken Small Stage was brilliant.

Her set began with a rendition of Bob Marley's Waiting In Vain. It must have been divine intervention that led her to choose So Wonderful as her second offering because, by that time, she truly was.

"We're running against time, so we have to do our thing quickly," she reasoned with the audience.

Professional decorum

The middle-aged artiste handled herself professionally onstage, demonstrating the experience she had at performing. Her deportment and composure warranted international notice.

Rude Boy Train, a hit from the 1960s, was the pacesetter for better things to come - a medley of ska, including Law Of The Profit, A It Mek (Ice Water), Shanty Town and Mi Israelites, complemented by a few dance moves.

Intensified, the winning Festival song of the late 1960s, written by Desmond Dekker, preceded Put NM Together Again, which abruptly climaxed her performance, earning her deafening applause as many rushed to the stage to greet her.

Couch, who resides in Kingston, has been singing for 20 years. It was her third appearance on a Jamaica Jazz and Blues stage. She has plans to release albums soon.

After backing Couch, Black Zebra Band had their turn to impress the audience but, like other performers, their time was limited.

Other acts of the night included Defranco, Chris Montague, Tina Montague and Denzil J, whose numbers were interspersed with oldies but goodies such as Willow Tree, My Girl, Stand By Me and Under the Boardwalk.