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

Sounding Stronger than the US Dollar: Pesso and Company at Regency Bar

As we have often stated here, its not enough for a musician to have the chops technically, he (or she) must also be able to express himself in such a way as to pull even a reluctant auidence in to win over hearts and minds with genuine, diverse communication.

The Regency Bar at the Terra Nova was again the place for just such a "campaign" when trombonist-vocalist and multi-hyphenate good guy Everton "Pesso" Pessoa took the floor. With an able cast or "Regency Regulars" such as Paul "Smiley" Madden on bass, Obed Davis on drums and Anders Lopez (who's readying his own full-length recording project) on the piano, the group ran through the expected standards but flipped them in subtle yet startling ways

the real highlight though was a medley of Jamaican folk songs, the call-and-response patois probably lost on several of the expats present but certainly not the spirit as exemplified by Pesso, who uninhibitedly went directly up to persons - trombone still in hand - and sough their own responses to the choruses. Needless to say it was a mixed bag, but there was nothing uncertain about the quality of the music.

There's a good thing happening at the Regency  - one which more of those who say they want quality music should hasten to support

Dennis Rushton Group @ Regency bar & Lounge....Serious Musical Fun

its a most rewarding scene for an audience, whether composed of aficionados or musical neophytes, to hear musicians who not only have ability, but are clearly enjoying themselves.

Such was the scene last Thursday evening at the tony Regency bar & lounge, the Terra Nova's category-defining upgrade of its former El Dorado Room. Dennis Rushton on piano, Paul Madden on bass, Obed Davis on drums and Ian Hird on alto sax and flute treated a very receptive gathering to a night of rumbling resonance, sharp stick work, sonorous keyboard runs and plangent horns.

No surprises on the set list, of course. Starting with the Joe Zawinul-Cannonball Adderly classic Mercy Mercy Mercy and encompassing Nat King Cole's "L-O-v-E" Spyro Gyra's "morning Dancer" and "Blue Monk" among others. It is part of the commercial aspirations of the project, after all, to set a familiar and refreshing scene for the executive, professional and self-made types who gradually brought the room to near capacity over the course of the 3-set show.Conversations of all types were conducted in the chic lounge and on the adjoining terrace. A multi-screen plasma composite, mounted on the far wall facing the entrance showed muted hip-hop/r n'b videos, and ironic counterpoint to the music on the floor.

That said, musical aspirations were undoubtedly met, and the interplay between the four - all longtime fellow travelers on the city's cocktail music circuit - was palpable and made for a hugely enjoyable evening. Madden and Davis have grown beyond even their considerable talents of a few years ago - Madden coaxing deep resonance from the irridiscent strings of his instrument. Davis meanwhile continues to show the fruits of continuous application and study of the trapset - offering bursts of speed and power without sacrificing musicality nor slipping too far from his bandmates. His work on the high-hat was particularly distinguished on the night.

While working the flute on a couple selections, Hird reeled off some tart alto sax runs, including one extended solo that literally brought all other proceedings to a halt and elicited cheers from even the white-jacketed bartenders behind the counter. Leader Rushton smartly worked a modulated version of  his more outre show mode - offering tasteful fills punctuated, rather than obliterated, by appropriate flourishes.

This show was the third since the inauguration of the weekly series, the prior ones sadly missed by this writer. Not that it was even needed, but the night's performance provided ample incentive for more consistent attendance going forward.