THE Jazz weekend in Saint Lucia was savoured by a favourable attendance. The numbers which turned up for the event was a rebuttal for those who said that “Jazz was dead” in Saint Lucia. The Saint Lucia Jazz musicians declared that was very much alive. The melody of Jazz echoed through the night of Friday May 10th at the IGY Rodney Bay Marina, and featured Patrick Bartley and Rashaad Joseph among others. Tourists who were present at the event said they had a marvellous time and that they will certainly be back next year. On Saturday May 11th, Christian McBride serenaded his audience at the Gros Islet Park. One patron at the event remarked, “Now that’s Jazz! That’s real Jazz. It’s not the kind of stuff that they’ve been passing off as Jazz in the old Saint Lucia Jazz festival.”
Dianne Reeves also performed on the night of May 11th at The Ramp in Rodney Bay. Members of the audience reported that they enjoyed ‘her graceful performance’. Reeves not only sang, but also shared words of insight from past experiences with her audience.
The culmination of Saint Lucia Jazz took effect on May 12th at Shangri-La with the Gospel Jazz Brunch, which featured The Baylor Project, Shirleyann Cyril Mayers & God’s Anointed Music Ministry. With all the spirituality that was expressed throughout Saint Lucia Jazz, Russell Hall in an interview with The VOICE will be remembered for saying, “I really do believe that Jazz will save the world. Jazz is everybody’s music, because it comes from everybody.”
