/* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { width:660px; clear:both; margin:0 auto; padding-top:15px; line-height: 1.6em; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; text-align: center; } -->

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

jazzofonik in the gardens

Jazzofonik X-perience returns to the bi-monthly Jazz in the Gardens
series atthe jamaica Pegasus lawn come August 27
beginnignat 5:30 pm
We'll be spinning jazz shots alongside Mutabaruka and Ausitn
Campbell
More on the lineup later.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Christopher's Jazz

Night of the 'Boom-bap'
Tuesday Night Live @ Christopher's
Reviewed by Michael A Edwards
Thursday, July 06, 2006

The drum is the beginning of all music.
Jazz pianist Dr Kathy Brown understands this and though she leads (very effectively) from the piano chair, the "musician who also practices medicine" unequivocally summoned a funk vibe during her set as the second headliner in the weekly series, Tuesday Night live at Christopher's jazz bar in the Quad complex.

Brown's cohorts on the night were only too eager to oblige. Aqil Karram and the irrepressible Denver Smith formed a potent drum-percussion tandem that was given extra spice and kick by Aeon Hoilett's bass licks. The leader alternated between tasteful comping, her own sprightly solos and, at times, playing 'starter' in the intense but jovial races between Karram on the trap set and Smith on his congas (he was also exemplary on a range of smaller percussion instruments).
Jazz pianist Kathy Brown led a spirited quartet in African, Latin and Caribbean selections at Christopher's Jazz Bar in the Quad complex in New Kingston. Brown headlined the second in the Tuesday Night Live series.

The programme, expectedly, leaned heavily toward the Southern hemisphere, with African, latin and Caribbean influences dominating. There were several South African selections, the obligatory Bob Marley and an intriguing Brown original, titled Mission, that prompted a call from emcee and co-ordinator Seretse Small (who opened the series the previous week) for Brown to complete and release what will be her debut CD as a leader, a call supported vigorously by the sizeable audience.

The last set in particular, provided several memorable moments, with notice being served on brown's wickedly clever dancehall-funk adaptation of the Flinstones theme (known to dancehall heads as Cobra's Dun Wife). The drum duel escalating to the point where Smith picked up his drum and walked to over where Karram was sitting, intent on offering a stronger challenge.

The only clear winner was the audience, who were still hungry for more improvisational brilliance even at the end of the 'official' programme. With calls coming in for one more, the quartet made an appropriate final statement, a funky claypso strut on St Thomas.
It was indeed a strong statement overall in support of quality live music in the capital, an entity much in need of defence.