The hospitality and warmth of the people of Blanchisseuse is personified in Wabeen, the nickname a shuttle driver answers to in the sleepy north east community.
He was one of many drivers of maxis, buses and other forms of transport shuttling patrons to and from Port-of-Spain to the Blanchisseuse Recreation Ground last Saturday for the inaugural staging of North Coast Jazz.
Wabeen was a competent tour guide, expounding on the social and cultural attributes of his community, as well as what he hopes will be achieved by this event, in terms of domestic tourism.
For the premier staging of what is said will be an annual event, the turnout was huge and encouraging.
From as early as noon jazz fans from all points of the country began the two-hour journey to the venue via the shuttle service from the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Ably supported by sponsors and facilitators the ministries of Tourism, Community Development, Culture and the Arts, CAL, NLCB, bmobile and Gittens & Gittens, the organising committee, piloted by former Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing, was justifiably satisfied by the public’s response and the smooth running of the production.
Momentarily standing still from his countless jaunts around the venue, Lee Sing said: “People have come from all over and I am happy about the response. What I would like to achieve is to make Blanchisseuse a destination for the bed and breakfast industry.
“We want to empower the people of Blanchisseuse to open up their homes to generate the tourism thrust in this part of the country. Blanchisseuse is a viable destination for domestic tourism and for those coming from further afield.”
On the stroke of 4 pm, its advertised start time, North Coast Jazz was up and running, patrons welcomed by show host, popular radio personality Sharon Pitt.
Up first was young Gyerlini Clarke, followed by Point Fortin jazz musician Adan Hagley and his band. Unlike a number of similar productions held locally through the year, under the misnomer of “jazz,” Hagley and his ensemble played the authentic stuff, executed by some excellent musicians.
The band was outstanding especially for its interpretation of Carlton Zanda’s arrangement of Peter Ram’s Good Morning and Voice’s Far From Finished.
With Hagley on the piano, his aggregation included Tony Paul (alto saxophone/flute); Daniel Ryan (piano); Joshua Pascuale (trombone); Miguel Charles (guitar); Rodney Alexander (bass); Aviel Scantlebury (pan); and, Dareem Chandler (drums).
Beginning her repertoire at 5.15 pm, and admitting it was her first-ever visit to Blanchisseuse, Tobago’s Princess Adana also turned in an enjoyable set.
In fact, she was called back at the end of her performance to repeat Someone Loves You Honey.
Acclaimed pan arranger/composer Ray Holman was a standout representative of the Woodbrook fraternity of excellent musicians.
His memorable items included Pan in Harmony, instrumentally harmonised with Tony Paul, Georgia and Charlotte Street.
Holman’s riveting solo of Oh Danny Boy was well worth the trip to Blanchissesue.
Looking every inch an empress in her emerald green Heather Jones gown, Mavis John struck up an intimate conversation with her audience, revealing that she recently celebrated her 71st birthday. Opening with Jazz in the Callaloo, John’s set continued with David Rudder’s Music Makes Me Dance, Dream of Me, Andre Tanker’s Ben Lion and Tony Wilson’s How Can I love Again.
Rendering Somewhere Over the Rainbow, John also revealed another secret, the singing ability of elan parle musical director Michael “Ming” Low Chew Tung, as the keyboardist joined her in a duet.
For Shadow’s Tan Tan, John peeled off another layer of her performance by having chorus singers Jamilla Hypolite and Karla Gonzales embellishing this classic with well timed motifs. To round off her performance, John sang You Are What Love Is, merged with Morena Osha.
As she has been doing these past couple years, pride of La Brea Vaughnette Bigford turned in yet another of her exhilarating performances, thrilling patrons with her unique treatment of “jazzised” local classics.
Things got even more intense when young Nialah Blackman brought the curtain down on an evening of outstanding music.
Given the success of the venture, North Coast Jazz is a welcome, permanent fixture on the local jazz circuit. Its organisers have further nourished the argument that an all-local cast of musicians can be equally as attractive and entertaining as any high-priced, big-name international artiste.