Jazz fest Talent Stage. AWESOME

From local to international musicians they all contributed to an excellent and memorable production on the Art of Music (Talent) Stage at the 14th annual staging of the JAMAICA Jazz and Blues festival in Trelawny.

With shear precision and a mixture of roots rock reggae, rhythm and blues and jazz music, Thursday night’s Talent Stage delivered on its exceptions to entertain a music hungry audience.

Through the Kingston-based Omega Element band, early birds at jazz fest were given an appetizing entertainment treat which kept the small but faithful audience grooving to their original Angel In Disguise song along with other renditions.

However, the crowd immediately rushed to converge in front of the stage when the heard the next act, Claudius England and the Radikal Band executing beautifully composed reggae songs.

With an all Christian cast of musicians, Claudius’ social commentary messages kept patrons enthralled by his knack to entertain while addressing the issues affecting individuals in society. Sporting a dreadlock and performing original songs he wrote, this energetic 27 year-old musician took jazz fest patrons on a journey that will cement his place in music with his Abstain From It song which discussed the issue of sex outside of marriage.

Through a fusion of rock and reggae his Got To Hold On was a hit he maintained the momentum with each song he unleashed. So engaging was his performance, that Claudius and the band were called up for an encore. Nevertheless, he could not conclude his 30 minute performance without singing So What and Wrap Your Arms Around Me.

Digicel’s Rising Star contestant Nickeisha Barnes was electric as she tantalized the audience with her smooth but commanding voice. With Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive Nickeisha continued to attract attention to the Talent Stage. Dancing, singing and talking to the crowd her antics gained her new fans as she performed at the prestigious event for the first time.

The evening could not end without Jon Saxx and the Endless Possibilities band out of Florida. So captivating was these musicians that not even a brief moment of rain could stop their rendition of Prince’s Purple Rain. Through his mastered skill on the saxophone, Jon Saxx demonstrated why his audience idolizes his work as he massaged each note of Floetry’s song Say Yes that only left patrons saying yes to the end of a beautiful celebration of music at the Greenfield Stadium.