Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

Seretse Small (left) and Della Manley onstage at Heather's last Saturday. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance photographer

The stage, with its latticework backdrop, was just a space at one end of a dining area in a restaurant. There was no jumping or running from one end to the other by the performers; no screaming audience to deafen. And yet, those who came specifically for the show remained affixed to their seats after the final act.

The event was one in Griot Music's 'Live Music Nation' series at Heather's Garden Restaurant, New Kingston, last Saturday night.

Featuring Della Manley and titled 'Della Manley Live - Again', the show got under way with a brief welcome and introduction by Seretse Small, chief executive officer of Griot Music.

Signature vocal tone

Manley took her position on stage with her ever-present guitar. And in her signature vocal tone, low (almost melancholic at times) and easy, she began with Come Undone from Barbican Square. This was followed by one of her favourite songs, Crazy Love.

In "keeping it tight", according to Small, there were only three other musicians. Davis on drums, Jason Welsh on bass, and Small himself on guitar.

Manley, who has produced two albums, Barbican Square and Ashes on the Windowsill, also performed Hey, The Garden, Ashes on the Windowsill, Bitter-sweet and Te Amare, a Spanish song that had the audience cheering in delight.

She also performed cover versions of Book of Rules, Ain't no Sunshine and Time After Time.

However, the loudest applause from the audience came with her rendition of her 'happy song', Sometimes You Win, a song that is loaded with paradoxes such as "I am hot, I am cold" and "I am up, I am down".

In Flat Lining, her third song, Manley explained that love was like a kind of plateau in some relationships, while in With You in Mind, an uptempo song, the talents of the three musicians were highlighted.

Encore performance

The musicians delighted the audience with skills and styles, as they seemed to reinforce a beautiful line from the song, "these are the things I'll do with you in mind" - that is, to make great music.

The show ended after Manley gave her encore performance with two songs, one of which was Bob Marley's Waiting in Vain by audience request.

While Griot Music is walking the talk by doing 25 shows per month and performing at one venue per night, Tuesday to Saturday, Small is encouraging bands across Jamaica to do live shows in places such as restaurants and churches so that Jamaica will become the capital of live music, taking over from Austin, Texas.

Della Manley performs at Heather's Restaurant, Haining Road, New Kingston, last Saturday