Yerba Buena, Spyro Gyra & more for 'Art of Music'08

Post #300 ofcusses o nthe Air J Jazz lineup.
Still shying away from straightahead, but with csome interesting angles

Thurs: Cuban-American group Yerba Buena who rocked on their debut (in Kingston) last year and who, fro mthe looks of the website photo, have added drummer Terreon Gully (Stefon Harris' Blackout, Russell Gunn's Ethnomusicology, other bands)to their ranks. walk ride, drive, or any combination of the three to see this group, they are classic Latin-funk combo

modern chanteuse Anita Baker, who had been on verge of slipping into obscurity since signing with Blue Note Recorda a few years ago. gave a stirrin performance at Barbados Jazz 07 in January - should be the mainstream draw of the year here.


Smooth jazz vets, SPyro Gyra, whose Morning Dance ironically heralded the late great Neville Willoughby's classic Evening People Show on RJR. Thirty-odd years and over 10mil units -they must be doing something right.

The inimitable lead voice of Kool & the Gang (Cherish, Misled) JT Taylor, comes to J'ca as a solo act.

plus: Marjorie Whylie (recently returned from London jazzfest), Aj Brown, violin prodigy Jessica Yap and more.


Friday
Another famous lead singer as a solo - Lou Gramm, whose gritty tenor made tracks like Urgent, Waiting For A Girl Like You and I Wanna Know What Love Is, modern radio classics

South African jazz ambassador Hugh Masakela,

R&B empress and recently single Jill Scott,

upcoming reggae empress Etana,

crooner Ryan Shaw


and Saturday:

Mizz Ross - as in Diana, first lady of Motown's heyday with the Supremes, to playing Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues to Sweet Love Hangover, Muscles and all the rest

Hugh Masakela pulls a double,

Mr 'Caribbean Queen' Billy Ocean

Gospel makes a return via 'sista act' Mary Mary

Blues & Americana maestro Taj Mahal (he does a mean version of Rain From The Sky -Delroy Wilson style) makes a long overdue return,

and Nikke Yanofsky, of whom we admittedly know nothing at present (rest assured, we'll check.

Visit jazz first on Wednesday for pics from the 'launch jazz brunch' at the UWI Mona Vistors' Lodge