Live Music: "Dubz" and more for Closing jazz day

Guitarist Robert ‘Dubwise’ Browne will be one of the class acts to appear on the closing day event of the Jamaica International (Ocho Rios) Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 7 between 12 noon and 6:00 p.m., at the Band Stand of the Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston. Other acts include renown saxophonist Dean Fraser, South African Singer Lorraine Klaasen, Sassy Trumpeter Ginetta from the US, The Jamaica Big Band, School Band Competition winner and more. 

Browne is undoubtedly one of Jamaica’s most prolific guitarists, whose signature look coupled with a musical style that fuses Jazz with Reggae and Rock has left lasting imprints in studios and on major stages around the world. Influenced by Jimmy Hendrix, Lee Ritenour, and Joe Satriani, Dubz, as he is affectionately known, has carefully mastered his craft over the past 18 years while working as a studio session musician, producer, and touring musician.

"I've wanted to perform on this festival for a while and I am truly grateful that I got the opportunity  this year because I'll get to play songs from my new album "Groovy Love Thing" that was released in April." Says Dubwise. 

Preceding closing day will be final day of the free Jazz Jam sessions at theFOUR SEASONS HOTEL Ruthven Road location at 7:30 p.m, and a free music workshop at the Mico University College Lecture Theatre at Marescaux Road between 10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Patrons can bring out the entire family with their blankets and chairs for a picnic in the park event with pulsating music from top class acts from Jamaica and around the world.  Refreshments will be on sale .

Sponsors for the Festival include:  The Jamaica Tourist Board; KOOL FM; Ashe; Hotel Four Seasons; Labels and Supplies and The Gleaner Company.  

Tickets for Closing Day is  $1,000 and are available at Derrick Harriott One Stop in Twin Gates Plaza, The Music Mart, South Odeon Avenue and the Jazz Centre, 927-3544.  

For more information on the 25th Annual Jamaica Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival contact the Jazz Centre at 927-3544 or call 836-0388.

localjoe.myorganogold.com

Live Muisc; Bent x 2 +1 = Great musical experience

Its not all t hat often that members of a musical family this talented appear in the same venue at once (the title equation refers to Rupert Bent Sr and Jr and Jana Bent (daughter of one, brother to the other), who played to an appreciative audience at Redbones last Wednesday. The "official" occasion was to mark the start of a new Wednesday residency by Bent Sr at Redbones (once a month; he also has regular gigs at Morgan's Harbour and at the Pegasus) and unofficially to join Jr in celebrating 15 years of marriage to wife Michelle. With such a pleasant confluence of occasions, spirits were bound to be high and no one left disappointed

Fittingly, Bent Sr started off the evening, in Marley mode with "Redemption Song" thereafter proceeding amiably through covers spanning the gamut of rock and pop. He hit an early high on Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do (You Do For Love)" and I say this because on that piece, his playing not seemed more robust, but the balance between his guitar and the accompanying track seemd more harmonious than in the earlier selections, when it appeared that he was almost drowned out at times. Bent Sr. would scale even greater heights with a one-two punch of Santana - "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" that kept him on his feet and had the audience tapping theirs.

After a brief intermission, it was family time. Despite having two full-length albums to her credit, songs placed in international TV shows ('The Hills") and a bonafide hit in "You So Fine", Jana Bent has spent more of her time and energy in recent years in the corporate (or statutory) world, working with gaming regulator the Betting gaming and Lotteries Commission. Musically, she has put her abilities and experience ot a very notable "side project" - the Shaggy Parrot series of enviro-themed children's books, which are proving very popular. So she has been busy. But when Dad asks, one can hardly say no, so there she was, belting out "Natural Woman" with much gusto, this accompanied by Bent Jr, who wento on to his own dynamic guitar exposition (was it Sting's "Fragile"?) before playing in tandem with his father.

Famalail duties of my own called me away at that point, but not after having had a very welcome refresher on the musical gifts of the family Bent.

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