Promise of excellence kept at Pegasus

Early signs of showers on Sunday evening threatened to put a damper on Jazz 'n' Cabaret in the Gardens, but the Lord held his hand, and the show went on as scheduled with no interruptions.

The lawns of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, provided the perfect atmosphere for an evening of musical excellence. The organisers promised a feast for the senses, and that's exactly what patrons got as musical treats were served up all night. From performance poetry, provided by Tomlin Ellis, to the soothing piano styling of Dr Kathy Brown Williams, to the sweet melodies from singers such as Althea Hewitt, Alex Welcome, Jasmine Black and the group Khalil, there was a little bit of something for everyone.

Black was the evening's opening act, and she did well to whet the appetite of the crowd. Ready to indulge in an evening of top-notch performances, the audience eagerly swallowed up all Black had to offer, from her jazz selections to her reggae numbers. Tomlin Ellis switched things up a bit with some dub poetry. His set was well received and was an indication that the audience was diverse and open to feasting on just about everything.

TOTALLY CAPTIVATED

Dr Kathy Brown Williams took things to another level when she ignited the musical taste buds of every guest on the lawns with her masterful playing of the piano. She promised to take patrons on a musical journey, and that she did by feeding them music from different countries across the world, including Cuba, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago.

Things would only get better as the evening progressed, and the audience's appetite for music would grow even more. It was almost as if they couldn't be satisfied, not even after a highly entertaining set from Althea Hewitt. The singer thrilled with a number of songs, including To Sir With Love by Lulu, Get Here by Oleta Adams and Simply the Best by Tina Turner. Alex Welcome was just as satisfying with his set. Offering up hits from the likes of Luther Vandross, the man with the biggest voice of the night had the audience totally captivated. He had them out of their chairs and dancing as he added some soca styling to his set.

The group Khalil was the evening's closing act, and they did a superb job of ending the show on a high. The group was the complete package, showing off not just their vocal ability, but also some slick, choreographed moves. They had the crowd engaged from start to finish as they delivered up songs from the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Shaggy, Barry White, Smokey Robinson, The Drifters and The Manhattans.