WHEN THE beautiful rolling green of the Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, Rose Hall, comes alive with music in January, the sultry tones of Alicia Keys will be among the voices heard at the 'Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival'.
Though the festival was launched at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, last week, Key's involvement was only finalised yesterday. The soulful R&B singer, whose sophomore album The Diary of Alicia Keys debuted at number one on the Billboard charts is quite a feather in the cap of the producers.
Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues is set to take flight with a potpourri of musical flavours from a line-up that promises to be an eclectic but tempting mix. This year, the festival will run for four days, January 22 to 25, one day more than previous years. It returns to the Wyndham Rose Hall Resort and Country Club, Rose Hall, St. James.
Jazz and Blues lovers should find enough fodder to sate their appetites from the mix of artistes, but lovers of soul and even gospel should also find some music to suit their tastes.
A strong contingent of Jamaican performers is slated for this year's festival. On Friday, January 23, Monty Alexander returns, after giving a stellar performance at last year's festival. Another Jamaican master, or rather mistress, of the ivories, Suzanne Couch, is also scheduled for a Friday night performance.
BERES, MILE HIGH ON SHOW
Thursday night has the largest group of Jamaican acts. The very smooth vocals of Beres Hammond will bring easy rocking reggae to Thursday night, while the alternative rockers, Mile High will deliver a different beat. Jamaicans will also be jazzing on Thursday night as it will feature both Maurice Gordon's skills on the guitar and celebrated saxophonist Dean Frazer, who will be bringing some 'Frenz' along.
Though the nights of their performance have not yet been released, Seretse Small and the Sean Paul Band and Gregory Issacs have also been scheduled for the festival.
The festival also boasts an impressive cadre of international stars. The soulful jazzy stylings of India Arie are also slated for Thursday night. Opening night's performances will be rounded out by vocalist Nancy Wilson, whose career has earned her entry into the cadre of 'jazz greats'.
On Friday night the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival will also bring a dose of country music. The festival features a tribute to Johnny Cash, whose home in Jamaica gave the golf course its name. The Cash friends and family will participate in a tribute to the country and western legend, who died earlier this year.
Cash's career, spanning from 1957 presented the world with a slew of hits, including Ring of Fire and A Boy Named Sue. His latest recording, America Four: The Man Comes Around, saw his career end in a blaze of glory, as it earned him a Grammy Award in 2002 and four Country Music Awards in 2003.
Another country legend is slated for Friday night as the famed 'Gambler' himself, the white haired, smoky-voiced Kenny Rogers should also perform.
LATIN MIX
Though it may not seem like a perfect marriage, Friday night is also destined for a little bit of soul and some Latin beats through the performances of Bobby Womack and Cuba's Elito Revé y su Charangòn.
Michael McDonald, who recently released, Motown will lend his smooth vocals to Saturday night. Another white-haired gem, McDonald's voice has thrilled the world with On My Own, a duet with Patti LaBelle. The stage will also be shared with Cassandra Wilson and Omar Cunningham, who will be accompanied by George Nooks and Lloyd Parks and the We The People Band.
The fourth night will be dedicated to gospel music, and will feature a largely Jamaican contingent with performances by Carlene Davis, Junior Tucker and Papa San.
This year the company producing the festival has also gone local. While previous shows were produced by BET and BET on Jazz, Turnkey Productions are the 2004 producers for Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues.
Walter Elmore of Turnkey Productions expressed great optimism about the festival's outcome. He pointed out that the use of several performers who are currently featured on the Billboard charts such as Cassandra Wilson, Michael McDonald, and Omar Cunningham should make the show more appealing to audiences.
The production company is also hoping to pull another major name out of the hat, to seal the festival's success. Though 2004 will see its eighth staging, the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival was started in 1996 at the Wyndham Rose Hall Great House.
