Top acts for Jazz on the Duke

The talents of local and international and jazz performers will be on display at the Jazz on the Duke showcase, which will be staged in a virtual format on Sunday, December 13, at 6 p.m.

An initiative of the Duke Street Refurbishing Project, supported by the Kingston Restoration Company, the line-up includes accomplished Grammy Award-winning bassist, Curtis Lundy, alongside his Trio and Sextet, featuring the prodigious trombonist Frank Lacy. Lundy’s arrangement on Walk With Me, recorded by the ARC Gospel Choir, was sampled by rapper Kanye West and became the Grammy Award-winning hit Jesus Walks. Canadian Saxophonist I-Sax and his Trio will also grace the stage.

The virtual live-stream jazz event will also feature local performers that include some of Jamaica’s top musicians such as the Robbie Lyn Organ Quintet and renowned drummer, Desmond ‘Desi’ Jones, whose SKOOL band has played and recorded with top acts such as Jimmy Cliff, Barrington Levy, Mutabaruka, and Marcia Griffiths. Upcoming vocalist Ellan Neil, with pianist extraordinaire Ozou’ne and his trio, are also performers.

The musical event was set to take place earlier this year, at its usual venue on Duke Street, with its jazz concert at the centre of the evening’s festivities. However, with Jamaica being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the decision was made to postpone the event. Now, the show will go on as a live-stream through the Jazz on the Duke YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram platforms.

Project Manager of the Duke Street Refurbishing Project (DRSP) Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson stated: “We hope to showcase jazz at its finest as the ambience and overall experience of jazz music will remain. The positive outcome of this year’s staging is that jazz fans and music lovers worldwide can enjoy the festivities.”

Jamaican artistes

Jamaica has produced many jazz musicians, among them Bertie King, Leslie Thompson, Wilton Gaynair, Dizzy Reece, and Joe Harriot. All these and many more are products of the Alpha Boys’ School, where they were introduced to the genre as youngsters in the music education programme. Although some have found careers locally, in the past, limited opportunities for making a career playing jazz in Jamaica resulted in many migrating to build their careers overseas.

“We want to provide more opportunities for persons to encounter jazz and for our current jazz scene to flourish. Presenting this concert to viewers in a convenient, safe way will maintain engagement with the genre where live performances play a large part in the consumption of music,” added O’Meally Nelson.

Jazz on the Duke is one of many efforts to revive interest in local music communities, arts, and culture, with downtown Kingston as a historical and cultural backdrop. This event hopes to highlight jazz as a significant aspect of Jamaica’s music culture.

During the broadcast, donations will be encouraged as these proceeds will be made to the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA). Initially conceived as a quarterly event to be executed over eighteen months, the Jazz on the Duke series aims to highlight the downtown area as a flagship tourism product for both the foreign and local markets.