Beres and friends electrify fans at sold-out NY concert
Published:Tuesday | November 1, 2022 | 12:06 AMAnthony Turner/Gleaner Writer
NY:
Reggae crooner Beres Hammond closed out his fourth consecutive sold-out tri-state area concert for 2022 last Saturday at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury in Long Island, New York, with an electrifying performance that some fans say may be his best ever.
“It was an epic moment ... one that cannot be repeated” said New York business entrepreneur Morvia Reid-Williams midway Hammond’s exhilarating performance.
“The line-up was amazing. I would have loved to share this moment with my family, especially my sons. I want them to experience this type of reggae music with legends Beres, Monty, ‘Cat’ Coore, and Dean Fraser sharing the same stage. I can’t wait for another.”
Jamaica born, Long Island nurse, Jillian Moody expressed similar sentiments.
“It was the creme de la creme of Jamaica’s top musicians,” she declared.
Violinist Brooke Alford kicked off the musical soiree, warming up the crowd with Earth Wind & Fire’s Reasons. She was followed by jazz great Monty Alexander, who performed Jamaica’s national anthem and Bob Marley classics Forever Loving Jah and No Woman No Cry on a grand piano.
When the ‘Boss’ backed by the Harmony House band graced the stage at 9:10 p.m., he took fans back in time with ‘70s single One Step Ahead, his first bona fide hit from his association with producer Willie Lindo. Between songs, the Rockaway singer spoke passionately about being born in rural Annotto Bay, St Mary, with nine siblings and being inspired by the music of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and others from his father’s music collection. It was his mother Roslyn Patterson he said who encouraged him to ‘run away’ to Kingston to stay with his older siblings, which gave birth to his successful music career.
For the next 45 minutes, Hammond took New York music fans on an odyssey, mesmerising them with hits What Did I Do, Angel Eye, Saying Goodbye, and Can’t Stop A Man from Trying before he was joined by sax maestro Dean Fraser.
“Gwaan, Beres, gwaan!” the crowd roared as Hammond and Fraser segued into No Disrespect, Be There For You, and Tempted To Touch with assistance from the NY mass choir - the 2,800 fans inside the Wesbury theatre. Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, Norris Webb from Third World, drummer Desi Jones, and bassist Derrick Barnett then joined Fraser on stage, providing a breather for Hammond and his Harmony House band. The all-star ensemble of musicians entertained with None A Jah Jah Children No Cry (Ras Michael) and Likes (Chronixx). Coore, who at one point was having audio issues with his ‘cello, paid tribute to his recently deceased friend Leonie Forbes, with a heartfelt rendition of Jamaica’s National Pledge.
At 10:25 p.m., Beres returned and had the music-thirsty crowd on their feet with Love From A Distance, the title track from his 1996 disc. Monty joined Hammond on I Am Alive, which transitioned into ‘80s chart-toppers Groovy Little Thing and W hat One Dance Can Do. With his honeycomb voice, sounding better with each song, the onslaught continued with She Loves Me Now, Double Trouble, and Putting Up Resistance.
“My loyal fans, this is a night I will never forget,” Hammond confessed to thunderous applause.
His stunning vocal range was on display as he crooned Pull Up The Vibes and No Disturb Sign, his monster hit from his Elektra album In Control. A well-executed ‘tune-fi-tune’ exchange between Dean Fraser on sax and Monty on melodica with Beres spurring on the friendly banter earned rapturous applause from the appreciative crowd. The ‘Evening of Elegance with Beres and Friends’ reached another musical crescendo with Hammond crooning Hit On Every Corner and Let Them Talk before the curtain fell with Rockaway.