Overproof music @ Christopher's

This column has already extolled the virtues of the Tuesday night experience at Christopher's Jazz Café.
On this particualr occasion, it was the Thursday Singer's Nite, and the artiste billed was the delightful
Ellan Edwards.
But namesake aside, the dulcet-toned singer had to take a back seat to a familiar tandem of musical
assassins - Akil 'Red Bull' Karram and Denver 'Guinness' Smith; Smith usually stars on percussion, but having
left his congas behind (in preparartion for a tour behind DJ Prodigal), he sat in behind the drum kit.
Between them, with able support from bassist, the newlywed Sherwin Thompson and pianist keyboardist
extraordinnaire Dr Kathy Brown (and, not to, be left out, guitarist Seretse Small, they took a Thursday night setthat was tiptoeing towards urgency right across the line. Karram in particular, having gained initial exposure through the Tuesday Night series, is a vindication of the shared vision of Small and Christopher's principal Brian 'Ribbie' Chung as a place where musicians can grow through regular gigs and audiences can have the benefit of extended exposure to artistes.

Jazz in the Gardens
It was a Sunday, so that means, essentially that it's time for Jazz in the Gardens. This time around, the quality series featured Michael Sean Harris, i na typically superb performance. Harris breathed new life into Jinji, Nature Boy and Summertime.
Before that, the aforementioned Dr Kathy Brown charged into Caravan in the openeing set and before her stint was finished, gavea rare vocal turn executing Kenny Garrett's Qing Wen (from his great CD, Beyond The Wall). June lawson' classical bent showed through to her detriment and the interval saw saxist Damon Riley and bassist Dougal Clarke entertaining with among others, Dizzy Reece in the audience.

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