Another exciting Jazz in the Gardens

There are few spaces where royalty in the form of Queen of Reggae Marcia Griffiths, King of Comedy Oliver Samuels and Queen Ifrica can all be marked present on a Sunday evening, simply because they desire to be entertained by some soothing soul, jazz and blues, with some reggae music thrown in the mix. Jazz in the Gardens at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston is one such space. And they were all there last Sunday.

In fact, the Reggae Queen has become such a regular jazz patron over the years that on Sunday night the organisers honoured her for her unwavering support of the event and her milestone 60 glorious years in the music industry. A regal Griffiths graciously accepted the award and returned to sitting among the audience, as she was stopped several times along the way by those eager to connect with her.

Oliver Samuels, who is celebrating 55 years in showbiz, was invited on stage and despite his show of reluctance, he didn’t leave without giving the audience a laugh or two. But he did have his serious moment. In response to a question from emcee Dahlia Harris about him leaving early, he said, “Yes ... I was leaving ... but the music is so stimulating and fascinating it has compelled me to stay.”

Among the stimulating moments was Queen Ifrica – fresh from the Rebel Salute stage and was there “just to enjoy Pessoa and everybody else on stage” – proving her jazzy chops on her hit Below the Waist. It was actually a special request from a patron who had seen her outside and asked her, off the air, if she was going to give Jazz in the Gardens a piece of the “drop [colloquial word for panty that begins with ‘d’] song”. A befuddled Queen Ifrica figured out that it must have been Below the Waist and jazzed it up, much to the delight of the audience.

But really though, the night belonged entirely – and equally – to the singers and players of instruments. On the bill were Andre Shepherd, Everton Pessoa, Maria Myrie, Rojah, Sarina and Tammy T. With an intermission sectioning the event, it was fair to ask why did Maria Myrie, or Pessoa and his Big Band, for example, work so early because they were so good that surely they ought to have been saved for last? However, Tammy T and Rojah, those who came after, were just as good.

CAPTIVATING

The very essence of pizazz and with a voice to match, Maria Myrie easily captivated the audience and had them singing, clapping and even crying. She brought the energy with songs such as Everything I Own, which she shared “brought tears to [her] eyes”.

“Mine too,” a member of the audience chimed in.

It would be easy to believe that Myrie is from a musical family, but that is not the case, and Sunday night was the first time some members of her family were seeing her perform live. She showered love with the song Valentine’s Day, after which she put another level of everything into River Deep Mountain High, receiving loud and long applause.

Myrie exited at 7:19 p.m., making way for the suave Everton Pessoa and his Big Band, who wasted no time in doing what they do best. Evoking the spirit of legends such as the late Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Carlos Malcolm, Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, Pessoa and his musicians wafted through songs such as Take the A Train (arranged by Sonny Bradshaw); Mack the Knife, the song which Louis Armstrong turned into a jazz and pop standard; Fly me to the Moon (In Other Words); So Good to Love Somebody; Rukumbine and Delilah.

Taking charge of the stage at 8:30 p.m. was Montego Bay’s Tammy T, a powerhouse who bared the depth of her soul in delivering Back on my Feet, a very personal tribute. She drew from the catalogue of Alicia Keys, had fun trying to get the audience up to her level – an impossible task – and during her exceptional half an hour she delivered in fine style favourites such as All I do is Think About you, Someone Loves You Honey and Simply the Best.

Next up was Rojah, former lead singer for the Maytals, the band which was the official backing band for Toots and the Maytals. The Maytals have now become Obessa, according to Rojah due to “greed after death”. On Sunday nothing could stop the singer as he marched boldly down Freedom Street, sang All Night Long and made a pledge to be Forever Young. He morphed into Toots Hibbert and declared “give it to me one time” as he delivered the hit 54/46 from the late reggae icon’s catalogue.

Bringing back a popular feature of the event, birthday hats and cake for January and February celebrants who were asked to come to the front as the audience sang the birthday song. Cheque presentations were made to Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, VOUCH and the Best Care Foundation, all charities adopted by Jazz in the Gardens.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com