By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Jodi-Ann Pinkney (left), Tanice Morrison (second left), Dwight Pinkney (second right) and Keith Francis performing at Christopher's in The Quad, Trinidad Terrace, on Saturday night.
- WINSTON SILL/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
LONG BEFORE the dancing started on the upper levels of 'The Quad' night-club, Trinidad Terrace, New Kingston, on Saturday night, Dwight Pinkney and Friends were rocking Christopher's on the ground floor.
The guitarist's friends were Keith Francis on bass and Tanice Morrison on lead vocals, with a hint of family in Jodi-Ann Pinkney on backing vocals, as she intermittently tapped a tambourine against her right leg.
With the drums and other instruments provided by CD, manipulated by Francis who listened to the audience and gave a 'pull up' where required, such as on the seminal Sattamassagana which ended the first segment, the quartet balanced voice and instrument, the guitar taking top billing for the night. There was also a balance of sorts in the audience, the recessed lighting touching on the majority enveloped in wide chairs, with others perched on stools at the bar or choosing to stand.
'INTIMATE SETTING'
And the 'intimate setting' was made real, when the couples showed what close dancing meant before the days of 'Passa Passa' to Tanice Morrison's excellent What A Difference a Day Makes, one pair managed to do the moves not six feet from Pinkney, without disturbing man, instrument or microphone stand.
The Appleton V/X sponsored 'last Saturday' show culminated three days of live music at Christopher's, the other two Rupert Bent on guitar on Thursday and Mallory Williams alternating with Freddy Roy on piano being weekly instead of monthly affairs.
The main musical fare of the night was easy rocking reggae, and that was how Pinkney and Friends started out, the guitar speaking over the steady bass of Francis, until those who did not recognise the 'reggaerised' Elton John standard were put out of their misery as the harmony came in beautifully on the chorus of Candle In The Wind.
The movement of the singers as they swayed to the rhythm was delightful yet not excessive, as it would continue through the near marathon set.
HARMONY SINGERS
Maria Elena followed, the sound from the ceiling mounted speakers crisp and clean. The harmony singers hit a refrain of 'bubbling over', punctuated by Pinkney's guitar, on the original Bubbling, the guitarist scatting high and long at the end. The pace picked up, somewhat, but remained in the reggae groove for Guantanamera.
Many Rivers to Cross was also given a rocking bassline by Francis, before guitar conceded lead to voice for the first time that night. Tanice mused musically 'don't know why I didn't come back', her voice carrying the expression that her hands hinted at. "I think she has such a wonderful voice," Pinkney said, agreeing with the applause that greeted Morrison.
That 'wonderful voice' stepped back into back-up mode for Mystic Mood (which Pinkney said was the first hit for the band Zapow, of which he was a founding member), Breezing, Memories By The Score and a spot on rendition of Evening Time.
Pinkney's enthusiasm blossomed beyond his customary semi-smile 'playing face' on Evening Time, both hands coming off the guitar momentarily as the harmony singers hit 'mountainside'.
DUTIFULLY STARTED
Whoops and shouts of 'lovely' set the stage for Morrison to step back up with Perfidia, and she did not lower the standard, a 'pull-up' demanded as she hit the line "love of my life". She dutifully started again, and two girl pals to the extreme left of the audience, sitting beside each other in a seat for three, swayed together shoulder to shoulder, even as the third, a man, played cool, refusing to move.
FORTITUDE
And so the night continued, the guitarist taking care of One Love and Night Nurse, Morrison showing her fortitude on a well-delivered Fever in which she carried on through a spot of whining feedback, which reared its howling head more than once for the otherwise near flawless evening.
Should I preceded Sattamassagana, the rumbling bass of the Abyssinians classic moving feet inside Christopher's.
The dancers took to the floor in part two, which began with Screwface and continued with Trench Town Rock on request, the latter pulling out the legsmen and women. They continued bopping as Pinkney led a pair of Alton Ellis gems, including Girl I've Got a Date, then Morrison stepped back up for What a Difference A Day Makes. The class of the audience was signified by the act that more dancers came out for the slow songs - and a 'pull up' was demanded.
DEDICATED TRACK
The gentlemen received their only dedicated track of the evening, Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father, done reggae style by Pinkney, who also pulled the dancers out with Puppet On A String and Loving Pauper. The guitarist turned his stringed instrument into a percussion for part of Oh Carolina, tapping away, and Morrison again earned huge applause for Killing Me Softly before Pinkney announced a 'return to the roots' with Marley's Waiting In Vain.
It was roots also with Dennis Brown's How Could I Live, the strong applause at its end fading as the din of conversation took over, the dim thump of a dancehall bassline came from above, a stream of hot girls heading to its source, and Dwight Pinkney and Friends rested.
