Kesi Asher, Staff Reporter
Ruffell Hitchcock (right) and Graham Russell of the group Air Supply. - CONTRIBUTED
AIR SUPPLY has released their 23rd album in their 30 years as a group and will give Jamaica a taste of their new music while in the island this weekend.
The Australian group will be one of the highlights at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, which started yesterday and ends tomorrow on the golf course at the Wyndham Rose Hall Country Club and Resort in Montego Bay, St. James.
The most recent, The Singer and The Song, is an acoustic album, featuring only a guitar and the voices of Ruffell Hitchcock and Graham Russell, the principal members of the group. "This new project is an acoustic album of some songs we did,"
said Hitchcock.
OLD HITS
The songs on the album, released late 2005, include All Out Of Love, Lost In Love, The One That You Love, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, Yours Truly (the title track from their 2000 album) and Love and Other Bruises, one of their 1970s hits.
The Singer and The Song is their first all-acoustic project and they also did their first live DVD recording early 2005, which is available with the 12-track album as a package. One of their more popular albums, All Out Of Love, was their fourth, and many people wondered what happened to Air Supply after that.
"We make an album every couple of years. We've been on the road since 1975 when we started our career, touring constantly. We played the tuba last year, touring and recording. We are a touring band with five members, a pianist, bass player, drummer, Graham and myself," said Hitchcock.
They will be releasing another album in spring 2006 called Zed, all 18 tracks of which were written by Russell, who also did All Out Of Love. He has been writing for 42 years.
HIGH-ENERGY ROCK FOR FESTIVAL
"I'm into theatre and I wanted to write a story that encompasses a lot of new songs, futuristic songs. The song captures the state of the world politics; it's almost comedic. It's about a person who tries to find himself in the world, his adventures. The album looks at the funny side of the world," said Russell.
According to him, Air Supply will do two or three songs from Zed in their performance at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.
"It's very exciting, very high energy rock and roll. Our audiences are used to singing along to our songs. I hope Jamaicans sing along," said Russell. "It's our first time in Jamaica; we're very excited to come here. We will be doing some songs from All Out Of Love, like Lost In Love, Here I Am and Every Woman In The World," said Ruffell Hitchcock.
The Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is in its ninth year and also features other acts like Nestor Torres and Bodiddley. Puerto Rican-born Nestor Torres does latin, jazz, classical, hip hop, reggaeton and also instrumentals.
BODIDDLEY: LONG OVERDUE
"It's just amazing. I'm really hoping, I expect nothing, I expect everything. I'm looking forward to having a warm-hearted Jamaican experience. The Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is very exciting. It has a tremendous impact and to be a part of it is a real honour," said Torres.
His new song, Dances, Prayers and Meditation for Peace, will be released in April. His other songs include Without Words and Maybe Tonight.
Bodiddley was equally excited to be on the line-up. "I'm very happy to be coming to the festival; it's long overdue. I'm so glad that they finally found out that I'm still here. In my music I integrate rhythm and blues and a little gospel with a little African touch," said Bodiddley, formerly known as Ellas McDaniel.
It has been over 15 years since Bodiddley, who admires Bob Marley, came to Jamaica.
The 77-year-old singer celebrated his birthday on December 30, 2005, and plans to do a mixture of songs at the festival. "I don't feel like it; I don't know where the 77 comes from. I'll be doing some old tunes, some new stuff and some old folks rap. I like to make people happy," said Bodiddley, who started singing at 11 or 12.
