'Blue Bogey' for Wilton Gaynair at Institute of Jamaica

... Tony Greene leads quartet celebrating saxophonist

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

In a strange way, Wilton 'Bra' Gaynair is not a stranger to the Institute of Jamaica. The late saxophonist was featured in the Institute's flagship publication the Jamaica Journal (Vol 32, Nos 1-2) in 2009. The article, written by Jamaica Music Museum director Herbie Miller, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Gaynair's Blue Bogey album.

However, come tomorrow, Blue Bogey will come off the page and through the speakers in the institute's lecture hall, as it is the title of a tribute concert and audio-visual presentation being staged at 2 p.m. It is a repeat performance of sorts as Miller, who is doing the audio-visual presentation on Gaynair, confirms that the presentation was done previously at last year's Miami Jazz Festival.

The Tony Greene Quartet also includes Ozou'ne (piano), Sherwayne Thompson (bass) and Akim Karam (drums) and will present all-Gaynair material.

Place in our culture

Miller says, "To date, Wilton Gaynair is the best tenor saxophonist this country has produced. To hear his music also provides us with a link to the days when jazz had a very secure place in our culture. It also provides us with a connection to how ska would have emerged naturally out of jazz, because he was a very vital musician to Count Ossie's groundation sessions in Wareika Hills."

Miller makes it clear that Gaynair's name should not be unfamiliar to the players of instruments. "Any musician in Jamaica, any tenor saxophonist or any sax player worth his salty would have at least heard of Gaynair, even if they had not heard his music," Miller said.

Tony Greene has far more than a passing knowledge of Gaynair, who is one of several alumni of the famed Alpha School whose history he is documenting. Greene says he sent some of Gaynair's recordings to presenters on the 'Serious Jazz' radio programme in Miami and they were blown away, although "they had never heard of Gaynair before".

In learning Gaynair's material, Greene found that it "kinda little bit technical. It take me a while. When me think me hear certain things and go back is not that." He says the late Sonny Bradshaw described Gaynair as "one of the best who ever pass through this country".

Greene also met with Gaynair twice, when the latter made his annual trips to Jamaica.

He hopes to make the presentation at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, as well as the University of the West Indies. "We need people to know about Gaynair here," he said. "We want to expose him in Jamaica and let people know who this man is. Is a brilliant musician."

And Greene says although he did not wear locks, Gaynair was "an original Rastaman" who carried a picture of HIM Haile Selassie in his briefcase, Miller saying that Rastafari accounts for the 'Bra' nickname.