Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Della Manley
With three featured performers, Janine Cunningham, Bijean Gayle and Della Manley, there was sufficient room for the singers to present their personality and explore their interests at Redbones the Blues Café on Friday night.
So Janine was strong and extremely expressive as she stood and sang her soul out. Bijean gave the background to his career before he started out sitting on a high stool and commented a bit between songs, having his quiet moments and then standing to give Spiritual Poverty full reign. And the closing headliner, Della, kept her high seat throughout, accepting the applause of a full house with a smile and thank you, as her excellent songs and understated delivery of often complex lyrics and thought sank home.
Attentive audience
The 'Acoustic' instalment of Griot Music's may series at the Braemar Avenue, New Kingston, restaurant and nightspot did not clam, all the savage conversational beasts present, as the din of some diners and drinkers was constant, though not consistent in volume. However, the unplugged music of Seretse on guitar, Sheldon on flute, Denver on congas, Garth on guitar and Aeion on bass was not to be denied, and the majority of Friday night's audience was attentive.
Janine nixed standards with her originals, one of the latter near macabre in its beautifully grim take on life's experiences as she sang "have you ever almost lost your life/do you know what fresh blood feels like?/has your stomach ever tasted a blade?" And she concluded that for those who have not, "I don't think you are really ready for war". And, for others, she mused, "I don't think you are really ready for sex."
There was a brief break to Bijean, who preceded 'Music Inside', on which he added his guitar to the band, with the tale of his interest in and entry into music. He got good variation in his voice, closing with a low "music is life". He gave a good interpretation of Listen to the Voices, made popular by Junior Reid, going into a falsetto on the chorus near the end.
No dilemma
Season was one of those musical incongruities, a good song about a grim matter, the killing of a little girl in Grants Pen. For some members of the audience, there was no dilemma, as a couple of hands went up as he started and there was strong applause when he ended.
Bijean interpreted Redemption Song and They're Gonna Talk on either end of his 'Spiritual Poverty', on which he gave his powerful voice full reign, before closing with the heartfelt query of the missing Daddy, "where were you?, running down frock tail while Mama cleaning off the school shoes", the musicians jamming after the vocals ended.
There was an extended break before Della began her near hour-long set at 11:30 p.m. When she sang that "my feet touch the ground", it was not totally true literally, as one foot was on the stage while the other was on a pin on the high stool that was her perch, a black guitar her oversize companion.
Rare introduction
City Lights followed and then she went on the relationship side of things, singing "I could walk with you forever". Her beautiful interpretation of Junior Byles' Fade Away got a rare introduction and she went uptempo with a new song, saying that she had just had to get Seretse to play it. And his legs and eyes duly twinkled as he played.
Book of Rules, made popular by The Heptones, was given the excellent quiet treatment, then Della settled into her material with Why? and Bittersweet, the latter especially moving the audience. And she was off the stool and jamming to It's Okay with the reassurance that "sometimes you win", requesting "just one more dance with you".
And the musicians jammed away to bring the night's live music to an end.
On Friday coming, the Griot Music series goes into blues with the irrepressible Robin Banks, who emceed Friday night's concert, then it closes with Benjy Myaz the following week.
