-CARLINGTON WILMOT/Freelance Photographer
Karen Smith thrills at 'December Evening with the Stars'.
Michael Reckord, Contributor
"What a voice!" "What a feast"
THESE WERE two of the comments made at the annual Christmas concert 'December Evening with the Stars', presented by the New Thought Church Unity, Old Hope Road, on Sunday evening. There were numerous other comments in a similar vein, as the concert clearly delighted the approximately 300 persons in the audience.
The performers were saxophonist Dean Fraser, singers Ian Andrews, Karen Smith, Melvin Williams and A.J. Brown while the backing band included Jackie Jackson (bass), Desi Jones (drums) and Chris McDonald (keyboards/bass). Emceeing the show with energy, humour and professionalism was Fae Ellington.
BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED
Ellington opened the show at 6:15 p.m. in the beautifully decorated auditorium complete with a glittering Christmas tree, pepper lights and flowers with a presentation of her line of humorous, rhyming Christmas cards. Her fellow broadcaster Andrews was the first performer and Ellington got him to demonstrate one of his many talents, the impersonation of a couple of well known politicians.
With McDonald at the keyboard, Andrews sang four well received songs, Misty, Don't Go, Please Stay and Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong-styled What a Wonderful World.
After Ellington showed her versatility, introducing seasonal music with the singing of the first verse of the folksong Chrismus a Come, Mi Waan Mi Lama, McDonald showed his own versatility by playing and singing a Jamaican version of The Christmas Song. His song began, "Breadfruit roasting on an open fire."
The full band's first tune was Feliz Navidad, after which Smith launched her set with My Love Has No Beginning. It was at this time that a patron exclaimed, "What a voice!" The admirer, a visitor from the United States of America remarked, "Dinah Washington has nothing over her (Smith)."
Smith's world class status would have been confirmed in the visitor's mind over the next 20 minutes or so, as the singer, her effervescent personality, her sparking smile, her twinkling eyes very much in evidence, charmed her audience with hit after hit.
She thrilled the audience with a medley of songs including Only You, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Sea Cruise, Why Do Fools Fall in Love? and Can't Buy Me Love. Her solo set ended with an apparently unplanned, but nevertheless beautiful, O Holy Night.
The Christmas carol was occasioned by the late arrival of the next artist, Williams. He came as the song ended and he and Smith went into a duet, Love is Strange. Another hit from the sixties, Feels So Good, followed after which Smith left the stage to enthusiastic applause.
Williams performed oldies for the remainder of his set. His songs included Chubby Checkers' Twistin the Night Away, Twist an Shout and Nat 'King' Cole's Unforgettable.
After the Intermission, Fraser strode on with two saxophones which he played alternately as he delivered, with his usual soulful flourishes, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, If You Believe In Me and among others, Marley's Redemption Song. Showing that he, too, was versatile, he also sang Paul Simon's Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.
Smith then returned to the stage to introduce Brown with I Am Your Angel. He joined her in a beautiful rendition of the song, to a standing ovation.
