Lovers of Jazz were treated to another evening of soulful tunes as a contingent of indigenous and foreign-based acts treated jazz followers to a rare evening of music at the Eko Hotel and suites on November 12.
The Luxury Concert was another musical episode in a year that had witnessed the MUSON Jazz Festival, Lagos Jazz Series and Sax Appeal, a preponderance of shows that kindled hope for a genre that had witnessed a preference of some of its jewels for foreign shores.
This did not douse the enthusiasm exuded by the foreign acts on the line up as Gerald Albright, Angie Stone, Tiwa Savage and the duo of Richard Bona and Mike Stern shrugged off all signs of fatigue to attend to a long list of pre-performance events after their arrival a day before the show proper. Indigenous acts Bez and the duo of Pure and Simple were also not intimidated by the glut of international names as the press conference at the Eko Hotel revealed lots of gusto.
This mood set the pace for a night of soul and jazz fusions promised by the organisers which included Smooth FM, GTBank, Onward Publishers, Avis Car Rentals, UNIC Insurance, Linetrale and Design Options Limited.
Sadly, some jazz lovers missed the boat as tickets were sold out hours to the start of the night of complementary music that commenced with Tiwa Savage. The Sony ATV songwriter regaled the audience with her captivating voice fitted over tunes like “Collard Green and Cornbread” and “African Man. The gorgeous singer’s dancing skills were suspect, but her vocal might was not in doubt as she held the audience captive with a vocal delivery befitting her profile in the event catalogue. With a repertoire that has seen her back-up the likes of Chaka Khan, Kelly Clarkson and Whitney Houston, the foreign-based Nigerian singer might achieve her aims of sharing music with the whole world sooner rather than later.
A blend of Ebony and Ivory was on display as Richard Bona, one of the best bassists in the world opened with five-time Grammy nominee Mike Stern, also described as one of the best guitarists on the planet. Their dexterity with the six-strings was evident as their 20-minute performance brought the house down after their six-man band move from a low to high tempo. At some point, Stern could have been accused of showboating during his solo, but it was his first trip to Nigerian shores and he seemed bent on making up for lost time with his guitar delivery and a Yoruba salutation that commenced it.
The electricity of this performance was replaced by the stark simplicity of Pure and Simple who returned with their armada of indigenous tracks. In a line-up brimming with established names, the duo of Ifiok Effanga and Nathan McDonald seemed unperturbed as they exuded the potential that has seen many jazz devotees finger them as the next stars of the genre. They closed their act with “99 days for the thief and one day for the owner”.
A standing ovation heralded Gerald Albright unto the colourful stage and such adulation was not misplaced as his dexterity in the genre was followed by fame that was bigger than his imposing frame. Having also sold over a million copies around the world, it was understandable why many swayed and chorused to the soulful notes from his silver saxophone with familiarly. The night of soothing tunes also had performances from Angie Stone and Bez.
