By Chaos, Freelance Writer
Tony Rebel in performance.
THE LATEST in the series of 'RE Unplugged' was subtitled 'A Tribute To Bob Marley' and the extensive line-up of acts clearly took the concept to heart, with each act performing at least one Marley cover in a two or three-song set last Friday night at the Weekenz Bar & Bistro, Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew.
The line-up consisted of Mile High, Tony Rebel, Live Wyya, Selah, Suzanne Couch, Brick and Lace, Cezar, Roots Underground, violinist Mark Stephenson and, unfortunately, Abijah. Despite some stellar performances however, it was Mile High that took 'best act' honours for the night, delivering a high-energy set that evoked screams and shouts from the many present at Weekenz as the band members outdid themselves in a three-song set.
Paul Chang on guitar, Jason Morris on bass, Andrew 'Preggs' Thompson on drums, band leader and bassist Jason Morris and lead singer Tessanne Chin were simply amazing last Friday. Starting off with an original, Black Books (R U Gonna Love Me) Preggs was a model of manic intensity, Chang and Morris wrung out glorious riffs and Tessanne used her voice like a precision-guided missile as the song segued into a rock version of Kevin Lyttle's Turn Me On. Stating that Marley had left a legacy in his lyrics, Mile High then moved into a sublime cover of the reggae king's No Woman Nuh Cry before the rock goddess and crew blew the crowd away with a version of Could You Be Loved which featured frenetic and amazing musicianship from the band. They ended to the sounds of screams and shouts from a stunned, but pleased, crowd.
Earlier, singer Cezar had impressed somewhat with some incisive lyrics on the acoustic Wrong Seasons before being joined by the stunningly sexy Tami for a gorgeous Turn Your Lights Down Low. Selah was lacklustre at first, but his performance was revved up with cameo appearances from Mile High's Chang, Preggs and Morris for his second song. He was also helped out by violinist Mark Stephenson, who unfortunately could not be heard over the monitors.
The Stephen Newland-led Roots Underground was in its element, considering how much like Marley Newland sounds. He even threw in a few 'skanks' for good measure. Later on Suzanne Couch put in an understated set which featured a cameo by her daughter Sarah on I Wanna Love You which went down well. Unfortunately, Abijah also put in an appearance, singing Rastaman Chant and surprise, surprise, War and Revelation. He was introduced as one of Jamaica's revolutionary artistes, at which the mind boggles since he has been doing exactly the same set for around three years.
Tony Rebel brought a fitting end to the night of tributes, paying homage to Marley with Forever Loving Jah, hitting out against 'slackness' in music and doing some of his popular songs before closing with If Jah Is By My Side at minutes after three on Saturday morning.
