The Editor, Sir:

Once again, Mr. Elmore, president of Turnkey Productions and executive producer of the annual Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has disappointed many jazz fans like myself by not including in his annual mix of stars any authentic jazz players, such as Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Eric Alexander, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, Kurt Elling, and Dee Dee Bridgewater (a former Ambassador of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for which she visited several FAO projects in African countries).

I have the greatest respect for people like Kenny Rogers, 'Toots' and the Maytals, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, Dionne Warwick, et al - they are good at what they do. I am also a big fan of Diana Ross, but I am sure they would be the first to admit that they are not considered jazz 'stars' in the strict understanding of the term.

Let's have an annual music festival by all means, but maybe Mr. Elmore can explain why does he continue to trade on the word 'jazz' as in jazz and blues when, year after year, there is a glaring absence of any authentic jazz players included in the mix.

I am, etc.,

HARRY GRAHAM

harry60@cwjamaica.com