From Devon Court tothe Dub Club: 2 ends of a musical spectrum

With a an almost gangly appearance and a high-top fade that looked more like a fez, pianist Mikhail Johnson seemed an unlikely prodigy approaching the instrument inside artist-curator David Boxer's drawing room-cum-courtyard on Sunday evening.

But the youngster,  hailing from the hills of St James and having already sojourned at Herbert Morrison high and NCU (bio-science major) was a picture in fluidity as he masterfully interpeted pieces by Beethoven, Bach, De Bussy and - most loved by this  writer - Rachmaninoff.

His calm aplomb earned him sustained applause, two encores, and rapt attention of the varied audience in after-show conversations. Though he has studied with the likes of Orett Rhoden and Kimberly Cann, ists current teacher David Johns to whom much of the kudos should go.
As he prepares for the Grade 8 Level exams of the Royal Society of music programme, its off to Darliston Westmoreland next for the young man whose name will long resound in concert halls and the minds of music aficionados worldwide. Remember, we told you.

Also in the hills, this time above the eastern end of the Liguanea Plain, - with the city stretched regally below

the roots sound system jam session Kingston Dub Club. The pungent aroma of fresh cannabis billowing in the night air and heading over the recently added deck deck and out onto the sparkling cityscape, carried on the endless waves of classic drum-and-bass, "rockers" great and obscure.

And despite a slightly torturous nightdrive (five minutes outside of Papine), a tremendous atmosphere and a diverse and growing mix of "fans" and the curious coming from all corners, we left the irie gathering in full steam and climbed the demanding brick-step trail back up the ravine to the road

Once you know where to look, Jamaica's got it all