The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Lunch Hour Concert, held on Friday at the bank's auditorium dubbed 'Tribute to Alton Ellis', was well timed and befits the late 'Godfather of Rocksteady' as a true legend.

Ellis died of lymphatic cancer on October 10 in London and he will be buried today at the St Andrew Scots Kirk United Church at 43A Duke Street in downtown Kingston at 11 a.m. He was 70 years old.

Minutes after the 12:30 p.m. scheduled start time on Friday, the Bare Essentials band, with frontman Errol Lee, opened with the ballad Muriel, Ellis' first chart success. This was followed by Dance Crasher when Lee, doubling as MC, commented that only Ellis "could bring so many people to BOJ". On queue, an elderly man sitting near the entrance chimed "an no money naa gi wey".

Lead singer Richi Canary belted out hits after hits from Ellis' vast catalogue.

The audience, including the bank's executives, danced, rocked, waved and added their voices in harmony. In-between songs, Lee reflected on Ellis' life in the music business and his love for women.

Order of Distinction

Lee also mentioned that during the 1960s and 1970s, Ellis recorded other producers like Herman Chin-Loy of Aquarius Records and Bunny 'Striker' Lee, who recently received an Order of Distinction (Officer class), the fifth highest national honour.

When the band played Rocksteady, Lee mentioned that Ellis named the Rocksteady beat. The audience skanked to songs like Baby I Love You, Breaking Up and I'm Still in Love, among others. It was during the excellent rendition of Willow Tree that a couple in the front row got up and danced, hugging each other while the audience waved approvingly.

Phyllis Dillon's only hit song Don't Stay Away, written by Ellis, according to Lee, was performed by a skanking Mary Isaacs much to the delight of the largely female audience.

The Bare Essentials covered Ellis' songs as smooth as he would have with the musical precision the Godfather of Rocksteady was noted for.

As the well-entertained audience filed out of the auditorium just after 1:40 p.m. a

man, obviously quite pleased, commented that the show was worth a $2,000-admission cost.

- Anthony O'Gilvie