Junior Gong closes Jazz in fine style

Nagra Plunkett, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

With a superb performance on par with the high-calibre production of the 2012 staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival; Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley closed out the three-day event with a scorching set early Sunday morning.

Accompanied by backup singers and a flagman, Junior Gong sang hits from his growing music catalogue, and also borrowed tunes from his father and reggae icon, Bob Marley.

He also did collaborations with his older brother Stephen Marley, saxophonist Dean Frazer, as well as rhythm and blues singer, Bobby Brown.

Brown and young Marley performed their popular single Beautiful - a gesture that was well received by the huge crowd.

Patrons at the music festival were receiving a double dose of the Marley dynasty, as sibling Ky-Mani was among the specially-billed entertainers who on Thursday night paid homage to Jamaica's rich musical culture since its Independence in 1962.

American singer Cee Lo Green was among Saturday night's line-up of entertainers, who filled the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium with the sound of music. In a set preceding Junior Gong's, Cee Lo belted popular hits like Crazy, FYou and Bright Light, Bigger City.

The multi-talented artiste's use of profanity during his mundane performance was frowned upon by some patrons, who used social networking site, Twitter, to vent.

Soca Queen Destra gave a rather energetic and attention-grabbing set. In addition to her original songs; the Trinidadian paid tribute to R&B superstar Whitney Houston with several cover versions, mere minutes after Houston's ex-husband Brown and his Heads of State members - Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant - wrapped up their performance.

She showed off her vocal range and easily did the high registers in Houston's popular hits I Will Always Love You, I'm Every Woman and I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

Patrons were also treated to earlier performances by jazz musician Earl Klugh and the Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards.

Heads of State took fans on an hour-long musical journey into the era of their 1980s boy band, New Edition.

The guys were in friendly territory with renditions like Mr Telephone Man, Cool It Now, Roni and Every Little Step I Take.

Heads of Sate also treated several women at the front of the stage to red roses as Johnny Gill sang My, My, My.