International Jazz Day concert delightful

Jazz lovers and other patrons were treated to a delightful concert to observe International Jazz Day on Tuesday, April 30, on the east lawns of Devon House in St Andrew. The eighth International Jazz Day was celebrated around the world, with Melbourne, Australia, being the host city.

The show at Devon House was produced by The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) in partnerships with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and Touchstone Ticketing.

“The International Jazz Day Concert celebrates the rich history of jazz; it brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future, and impact; raise awareness of the need for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding; and reinforce international cooperation and communication,” the EMCVPA says in a statement.

And with the EMCVPA being what it is, the performers were drawn from its faculty and students. They included Ibo Cooper, Orville Hammond, Rafael Salazar, Trevelle Clarke-Whyne, Jon Williams, Derrick Stewart, Ruth Browne and Michael Sean Harris. They shared the stage with the EMCVPA Jazz Ensemble.

The performance highlight of the evening was when Mexican-American, world-renowned trombonist Steve Turre brought his class and expertise to the mix. With his trombone and shells of various shapes and sizes, he left the audience spellbound. Physically, he towered over saxophonist Oshane Love, a third-year EMCVPA music education student, but the audience showed much love for Oshane. He is already a virtuoso. His future sounded very bright.

And that of the three female art students who were doing live art looked very colourful. While the instruments were tingling, clanging, strumming and moaning onstage, Rachelle Cover, Pamella Chang, and Shari-Joe Giscombe were creating images that depict jazz motifs. It was a merger of art and jazz.

Among the patrons were Minister of Culture Olivia Grange and her team. In a brief address to the audience, Minister Grange, among other things, said, “We also celebrate the influence of jazz on Jamaican music, and the contribution of Jamaican musician to jazz internationally.

“As minister of culture with a seat on the executive council at UNESCO, and as chair of the convention and recommendations committee, I also take it as my personal responsibility that Kingston lives up to the designation Creative City of Music, and this celebration tonight is part of fulfilling that goal.”