Great storytelling at Blues on the Green

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

The popular saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it", seems to be the mantra of the Public Affairs Department at the US Embassy in Kingston. Annually they introduced Jamaicans and unfamiliar jazz and blue artistes to each other, in their 'Blues on the Green' concert.

This year was no different - except that Gaye Adegbalola, the featured guest artiste was no ordinary jazz and blues singer. She proved to be much more.

In this her second visit to Jamaica, (first time as a performer), she took the large turnout at Emancipation Park on Friday on an amazing musical journey.

With timely use of wit, she not only gave a lesson on blues but provided an insight into well-known phrases found within popular songs, as well as the role of blues throughout history from Bessie Smith to Ray Charles.

Knowledgeable vocalists

The knowledgeable vocalists explained that in the song Stagger-Lee the phrase 'bulldog bark' did not really refer to a dog but the sound of a gun. Before giving a great rendition of Lloyd Pryce's arrangement of the song Adegbalola, explained that "the blues allows you to do what you want to do. You just get the pain out, get the idea out. So Stagger Lee did not kill that man," as was implied.

Another song that was used to stop the pain was The Dirty Dozen. The song speaks of "slavery time when slaves were infirm and lame and sold in the dozens. And being the resilient people we are we take that pain and turn it into a joke and the dirty dozens was the start of the 'your mama' jokes".

And with that, as was to be the pattern of the evening, the talented diva launched into the song as reinforcement. She opted to sing Speckle Red's version.

Adegbalola, continued her history lesson with an interesting comparison between gospel music and blues.

"In gospel music you say Lord, Lord, and in blues music you say break it, break it. In gospel music you are working towards salvation later on. In blues music you just need a little salvation for tomorrow," she said.

Then it was on to the song Jelly Beans, from the mother of blues, Ma Rainey.

Musical drama

And like the female blues singers of the 1920s she cracked the notes to give musical drama. To complete the fantastic performance, Roddy Barnes, the pianist, delighted the audience as both band and backup vocalist.

As the evening progressed other songs were used to illustrate the topics and period. T-Bone Walker's Stormy Monday, Willie Mae 'Big Mamma' Fountain's Hound Dog and Earl Hooker's Sweet Black Angel.

And somewhere in the beginning of her lesson the Virginia native also noted that Bessie Smith and the blues singers of the 1920s "strut their stuff and gave advice. They were also the people who wrote our history. Like the working-class history."

"You see, blues is poor people psychiatrist," she said.

And before singing Women Be Wise, Keep your Mouth Shut Adegbalola, said "Bessie Smith was the Oprah of the time."

She concluded her fantastic performance with Ray Charles' Drown in My Own Tears. But the audience would not let her go. Upon returning for an encore the final song of the evening was Al Green's version of For The Good Times.

The amazing evening, however, began with the familiar playing of the national anthems of Jamaica and the United States. And as tribute to Whitney Houston, who died in a hotel a day before the Grammy Awards this month, her version of The Star-Spangled Banner was played.

Maurice Gordon paid tribute, to Angella Harvey, who was a major player in the concert, until her passing last year.

Gordon and his group of Wade Johnson on piano, Adrian Henry on bass and Oliver Thompson on drums were the opening act. They gave a creditable performance. In addition to Love Bird, their tribute to Harvey, they got the audience rocking with The Thrill is Gone, before ending their set with Alligator Boogaloo.