Jazz on de Beach | Woodshed Entertainment Collective

JUST HAPPENED: The 2nd Annual Tobago Jazz Experience, April 22-25, 2010 (updated May 3 with a review, photo galleries & video)

April 22, 2010 Leave a comment

Trinidad & TOBAGO

Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan Headline 2nd Annual Tobago Jazz Experience | re-written by the WEC from original Facebook Feed by Avion Hercules and Trinidad & Tobago’s Newsday press article.

For the second installment of the Tobago Jazz Experience, Grammy award-winning R&B divas Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu were the headline performers for the four-day music festival, which took place Thursday, 22 April – Sunday, 25 April, 2010. Tobago is no stranger to having celebrities grace its shores, and Chaka Khan and Ms. Badu are walking the path of a long list of musical icons such as Stevie Wonder…and George Benson who have all visited the popular tourist destination in recent times for unforgettable musical performances.

The festivities began on Thursday, 22nd April with Jazz on de Waterfront (Milford Road Esplanade) at 4:30 pm. This event featured local musical acts. (AV) But starting off the shows on the night of April 22 was Arturo Tappin, the celebrated saxophonist from Barbados as well and the Jerry Tilitz Quartet coming out of Germany. (T&TN)

On Friday, 23rd April the activity moved to the Pigeon Point Heritage Park for World Music Night featuring special guests…3 Canal, Mavis John…

Mavis John opened her performance with ‘Jazz In The Callaloo’ after which she paid tribute to the Mighty Shadow by singing several of his songs – ‘Bassman,’ ‘I Come Out To Play,’ ‘I Believe,’ ‘One Love’ and ‘Tan Tan’ – in jazz style. And of course no such show in Tobago would be complete without Lord Nelson. (trinidadexpress.com)

…and Erica Abi Wright known to the world as Erykah Badu… (AV)

Saturday, 24th April was an all-day music event that started at 5:00 am with Street Beat in Plymouth. This activity involved a cultural procession and street theatre through the village streets. After that it was off to Mt. Irvine Bay for some Caribbean Jazz rhythms at Jazz on de Beach.

At 5:00 pm, the Jazz in de East caravan rolled into the picturesque village of Speyside and offered a mix of musical entertainment on the Beach Facility grounds…

In the evening, lovers of Jazz and the steelpan were given another opportunity to enjoy themselves at the Pigeon Point Heritage Park at the Pan Jazz in de Park from 5:00 pm. Patrons were able to experience the exhilarating sounds of our national instrument from WITCO Desperados and Phase II Pan Groove steel orchestras from Trinidad, led by maestros, Robert Greenidge and Len “Boogsie” Sharpe respectively, as well as the 2010 medium-band Panorama Champions and Steel Xplosion from Tobago. They were joined by other bands from Tobago… (AV)

Len ’Boogsie’ Sharpe and the Phase II Pan Groove also had the audience calling for more especially whenever Sharpe did solos during the band’s set. (trinidadexpress.com)

clockwise from top left, Bigford, Charles, Woodroffe, Friday, Richards

Complementing the international artistes on the weekend shows was an impressive local line up of artistes which included the Clifford Charles Quartet featuring Clifford on guitar, Tony Woodroffe (saxophone), Sean Friday (bass), David Richards (drums) and Jazz singer Vaughnette Bigford; the Errol Ince Quintet with Errol Ince on trumpet, Leston Paul on keyboards, Earl Caruth on saxophone among others like Dean Williams who performed with pannist Ken ‘Professor” Philmore @ Pazzaz Pan Jazz in de Park, all appearing on Saturday April 24 2010, Pigeon Point Heritage Park at 5:00 pm. (T&TN) Trinidad & Tobago’s Newsday was on hand and reported:

Bigford Shines at Mt. Irvine

JAZZ VOCALIST Vaughnette Bigford thrilled the crowd that turned up for Jazz On The Beach at Mt Irvine Bay on Saturday. She began with “Footprints” and followed with “God Bless The Child”, accompanied by saxophonist Tony Woodroffe. Beach goers started dancing in the water…as Bigford did “I Just Don’t Wanna Be lonely”, “Wanna Give You Some Good Loving”, “You Can’t Love Without Money” and “Summertime”. She really had the crowd going with Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata”. …Clifford Charles, a guitarist who has been performing for the past two decades…warmed-up the crowd with “You Would Know”,“I Want You” and “Time After Time” / “It’s Carnival”. He was followed by Mt Irvine Bay favourite, the Jerry Tilitz Quartet, whose rendition of Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly” was a delight to listen to, as parts were done in calypso style. The evening’s entertainment continued with the Errol Ince Group and the Ronald “Boo” Hinkson Group…

The experience climaxed at the Beach Jazz Fiesta on Sunday, 25th April 2010. This event featured acts such as Élan Parlé, the Alternative Quartet, the Sean Thomas Quartet…

Sean Thomas and his band kicked off their set with ’Girl From Ipanema,’ and were joined by Marissa Gomez who sang ’Too Late,’ by Carole King and ’Fever.’ The Kariwak Players led by Jazz Experience producer, John Arnold, received applause throughout their set. (trinidadexpress.com)

…Clive Zanda, Digicel Rising Star Champion, Kay Alleyne…

By now you know that Tobago singer Kay Alleyne did the island proud with a fantastic performance at the closing show that so impressed Chaka Khan that the diva invited Alleyne to perform ’I’m Every Woman’ alongside her. Alleyne’s own set was first class; patrons came to the foot of the stage to be closer to Alleyne as she sang ’At Last’ by Etta James, the Porgy and Bess classic, ’Summertime,’ ’Body And Soul’ by Anita Baker and ’You’re Gonna Love Me’ by Jennifer Holiday. (trinidadexpress.com)

…Kariwak Players and Etienne Charles…(AV)

Trumpeter, Etienne Charles and his band also had patrons cheering throughout their performance that saw them performing original material from Charles’ two CD collections to date. (trinidadexpress.com)

…Tabanka The Blues Band, a quartet led by Douglas Redon on bass and the Dave Marcellin Sextet with Dave on piano, Paul Archibald on trumpet, Duncan Prescott on clarinet, Brian Kushmaul on drums, Russell Durity on bass and Krisson Joseph performing the vocals. (T&TN)