By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Little John filled in for Sugar Minott.
- CARLINGTON WILMOT/Freelance Photographer
AT A few minutes to 11:00 p.m. on Friday night 'Joe Lick Shot' stepped on stage and did a special missile for Dennis Walks. It was the 'storm', which sounded like a combination of the surf and the wind, in honour of the impact of Walks' Drifter on the under par audience.
Much like Hurricane Ivan did in Kingston three weeks ago, 'Vintage Showcase' generated steady, strong winds of excellent music, at times gusting for Ken Boothe and Leroy Sibbles, at others being calmly potent for Dennis Walks and Cornel Campbell.
However, much as the hurricane failed to make landfall in the capital, in the end 'Vintage Showcase' slunk into the three-quarter moonlit Sunday morning with a short closing performance by Carl Dawkins, which was not preceded by an introduction.
With the Bare Essentials on the stand for the night, Walks danced to end his strong performance, his red cummerbund flashing under his white jacket, prompting MC Patrick Lafayette of KOOL FM to rename him 'Dennis Droplegs'. In contrast, Jimmy London was a study in calm, standing still for most of his performance and tossing musical bombs that connected. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, done 'yard' style, set the foundation; Shake a Hand got the arms up and waving.
FIRST TOUCH
However, the first touch of R&B from the Bare Essentials pulled a roar out of the audience, the beat transforming to reggae and London doing Just My Imagination. A touch of 'grooving' went down well on Saturday night. "All the songs are for the sisters. Brothers, I have songs for you, but not tonight," London said, to chuckles.
The chuckles became screams as the band played, London standing still with his arms folded across the chest of an outfit that looked like a cross between a martial arts ghi and a clerical outfit, coming in with "a little love that slowly grows and grows-" - and he had to 'pull up'. London handed over to deejay Daddy Shark for a well received cameo, then Singing Bird recalled Sanchez in song, before London strolled off.
Cornel Campbell declared himself the Gorgon, his voice in good nick, the audience then reacting to the opening line "it is so easy to remember, but so hard to forget". He had to pull up before he got to the refrain of Boxing. More was demanded of Campbell when he finished his 'original ting' and he duly delivered Queen of The Mystery.
Little John and Tristan Palmer filled in for their 'godfather', Sugar Minott, the two giving it in real dancehall style for a high energy showing. John did his popular All Over Me and Palmer's anthemic Entertainment ended the duo's showing, but an encore was enforced despite some protests from the audience. The second time around John left with Blood Inna Me Eye.
In the post extended intermission session, Ken Boothe trotted, twirled, tapped twinkle toes, fluttered fingertips and, above all else, sang beautiful music, the audience - which had grown slightly but was by no means a bumper crowd - echoing the refrain of his opening Freedom Street. When I Fall In Love and Artibella brought couples close; an extended spin from Boothe brought up Say You; and he urged the Bare Essentials on with 'let's go' to announce the Train Is Coming.
TWIRL AND TURN
Twirl and turn as he did, Boothe was always exactly in place, facing the audience and steady as the Blue Mountains when it was time to sing, whether it was for The Girl I Left Behind or the Puppet on a String, coaching the band to a crescendo at the end of which he jumped and landed firmly, like a gymnast nailing the dismount from the high bar.
Boothe chose to deliver his message song of the night without music, singing "there was a guy from Spain/Christopher Columbus was his name/down in the West Indies/was where he got his fame/- a lot of Black people went down the drain."
He finished with Everything I Own.
General Trees was all rhythm in voice and body, sitting on the rhythm vocally and with dance, using extended lyrics and not punchlines to excite the audience. He 'sneaked' a few, including desire to dance with his girl again, before doing Eye No See, the reference to Hurricane Gilbert in the song marking its vintage.
PLAY LOW
Instructing that the Bare Essentials play low, Trees put a hand on a monitor, bent over and did a tune about Ivan ('cup an saucer start run race'), gave in-depth instructions of how to us the Bible & Key, rising to do the 20 year old and still powerful Mini Van. The Tarzan or two in the audience got a touch, Trees wrapping up with Gone a Negril and Reach a Negril.
For his encore, Trees identified his store of choice as Bashco.
Errol Dunkley was calmer, but no less appreciated, in a set that began with a Fast Car and ended with what he termed as his biggest tune ever, which entered the British charts, utilising a line from Black Cinderella to ensure an encore.
Leroy Sibbles beamed as he sang, living up to his opening line of "we're having a party tonight", though creating a spiritual atmosphere with Book Of Rules, tipping his hat to Luciano with One Away Ticket and Delroy Wilson with They Trying To Conquer Me.
A medley of Fatty, Freddy Jackson's Rock With Me Tonight and Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On ended Sibbles' show and he said goodbye. The band played briefly and Carl Dawkins walked on stage, asked "what is happening in showbiz?", did Right Love and Satisfaction, a cordless microphone nullifying his exciting mic stand manoeuvrings.
He coached the Bare Essentials to an end and left with "love!", Lafayette doing the farewell duties to bring 'Vintage Showcase' to an end.
