Otis Gayle and Charmaine Limonius - photos by Mel Cooke
The concert's title promised not only a good time but standout memories.
The Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates' (JAVAA) 'September to Remember', held at The Deck in New Kingston on Wednesday night, delivered moments worthy of permanent retention in limited brain space.
There were many to choose from, among them Otis Gayle falling spectacularly on his knees in front of a lady as he sang I Who Have Nothing and Boris Gardiner crooning Gerald's sentiments to Monique as the two twirled on the dance floor, Gerald having asked that Gardiner dedicate I Wanna Wake Up With You to the lady. Then there was Ras Mandito of Baggadito holding his black felt hat in place and continuing to sing á la the Blues Busters after he had retrieved his headgear from the ground, Clancy Eccles and Althea Hewitt inviting a dapper gent in red onstage to show his outfit and Keith Lyn whipping out his harmonica on Portrait of My Love.
Not to be left out was Leroy Sibbles' sheer energy as he capped off a very good night with a maelstrom of music, the dance space filling up in the process.
It was not a matter of memorable moments only, as 'September to Remember' featured a quality line-up delivering performances which were much more substantial than the cursory 'pass-through', yet shorter than the attention span at which fresh stimulation is required. The organisers also got the order right so anyone who was worried about Keith Lyn coming on after a standout Boris Gardiner showing, in which his bass guitar throbbed and his baritone voice caressed, need not have been concerned. Lyn's love songs, capped off by the jolly Jamaican Ska, were well delivered and hit home.
Through it all the Fabulous Five Incorporated Band was on spot, delivering the wide variety of music that was required through the night after closing off their opening set with their own Asking For Love. Grub Cooper's drum intro to Sibbles' delivery of Baby (Be True) was an aural gem worthy of filing away for mental playback.
the line-up
Part of getting the line-up right was placing Dwight Pinkney, the night's only straight-out instrumentalist, after the two one-song openers, Gregory J with a substandard Just a Little Bit Longer and Valentine with a competent I've Got To Go Back Home. Pinkney's guitar delivery, in which he roamed the dance space at the front of the audience, quickly had the joint Jammin'. Charmaine Limonius played the guitar as well but stayed put before the microphone and the audience clapped along as she requested 'just call me angel of the morning' in her lovely, near lilting voice.
Richie Stephens' placement after Lyn, and before closer Sibbles, was also appropriate, his uptempo lover's rock including Trying To Get To You keeping the romantic theme going while moving away from the outright ballad. The music, as well as Stephens' strong, physically robust delivery, proved a good staging ground for the storm that was Sibbles.
MC Junior Sinclair took time to remember the founding of JAVAA, saying that there had been those who said it would not last a year when it was created in 2003. Among the number of former executives whom he mentioned, Sinclair noted Michael Barnett's conceptualisation of JAVAA at DJ Scotty's funeral.