By Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter'JAZZ GROOVES' was the perfect name for the musical treat Kathy Brown and Friends delivered at Redbones The Blues Café, New Kingston, St. Andrew, last Wednesday night.
From their first few notes, the signs clearly read that an interesting night of music was ahead. The band did not disappoint.
The sky was a deep velvety blue, dotted by stars and a few fleecy clouds left over from the afternoon's rain. It provided a quiet artistic backdrop for the musicians, helping to make their work of charming the audience even easier.
Kathy Brown and Friends is made up of young musicians, evidently intent upon proving their mettle, and wonderfully armed to do so. Brown led on keyboards, but the make-up of the rest of the band was intriguingly drum and bass heavy.
Djenne Greaves commandeered the congas and djembe, Deleon White played the trapset and Matthew Maharaj controlled percussions and sometimes helped out with the djembe. Bass was provided by Donald Waugh.
While the name of the group declares that Kathy Brown leads, and for the most part she does, a large portion of the spotlight continuously bounced off to the other players. With the exception of White, the other players continuously contributed some interesting solos, with Greaves and Maharaj showing that they were a rather formidable combination.
Most of the early part of the night kept the audience just grooving, but as the night wore on, the tempo grew faster and more was demanded of the audience.
Kathy Brown and Friends presented an interesting blend of music. They touched on reggae with Walk on By, in which they brought in an interesting blend of reggae rhythms, easily exploring the different beats. The group also explored Jamaican folk rhythms, beginning with By The Rivers of Babylon.
JAZZ FROM FAR AWAY
However, the night was mainly about jazz and for that they went to Cuba, Brazil and anywhere else their instruments would take them. Saxophonist Ian Hyrd guest-starred on for a few pieces, adding another pleasing layer to the music being performed, and the night would end with an impromptu addition of Seretse Small for the finalé. The night's music included Caravan, Dance of Denial, Footprints, and The Night Has A Thousand Eyes.
Although the night largely featured instrumentals, Ellan Edwards lent her vocals to a few pieces, and it was a truly worthwhile gift. With a style somewhat reminiscent of a cross between Eve and Anita Baker, she charmed the audience with her performance.
A part of the beauty of her performance was that the rhythm and melody was perfectly re-arranged to suit her vocals, rather than merely imitate the original. As a result, there was always the sense that she gave something to it.
WANTING MORE
An interesting example of that came through her first piece, My Funny Valentine. As she began the first few notes, a few drops of rain fell, but it was no omen about her performance. Although the rhythm kept the slow pace of the classic, Edwards added more R&B than jazz to piece, giving it a slightly more up-beat feel.
She also performed Senor Blues, Summertime and ended the night with Ain't No Sunshine, a performance which had the audience shouting for more.
Unfortunately, there was no more to be had and the audience was forced to go home, pleasantly disappointed. Kathy Brown and Friends had shown that they were not merely technically proficient musicians, they had style too. After promising jazz grooves, they delivered much more.
It was good.
