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This popular, in-demand saxophonist and senior instructor of music at UTT-APA will perform two themed sets honouring and celebrating the music and legacies of two of Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest composers, Lord Kitchener and Ralph MacDonald. KITCH, A Centenary Celebration, is a recognition of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Grandmaster in 1922, and in this set, Tony Paul relives those tunes that made us jump and prance, and had steelbands singing; "Pan in Harmony", "Sugar Bum Bum", "Pan in A Minor", "Margie", and more. He notes that, “the difficult thing, sometimes, is to take something that people know so well and re-envision it in a way that people are not going to be like, ‘why did he do that?’ There’s really a lot to work with where Kitchener’s melodies and even the progressions. I’m really looking forward to it.” He adds, “connecting the traditional with the contemporary is one of the ideas I am playing with. In terms of the team, it’s a lot of really really excellent young musicians. So, it means that, as much as these are classic songs, we are able to use some of our youth — I’m probably like the oldest one in the ensemble — to connect it with a modern spin. I’m really excited about the arrangements, I’m really excited about working with these guys and girls.”
The second themed set is Ralph MacDonald’s Calypso Jazz + Caribbean Soul, which continues Tony Paul’s exploration of the music of Trini-by-blood composer, percussionist and producer, Ralph MacDonald, and allows us to recognise his global impact. "Jam on the Groove", "Just the Two of Us", "Mister Magic", "Where is the Love", "Calypso Breakdown", "Don’t Stop the Carnival", and more are to be performed. As a fan of the composer, and the musicians who brought these songs to life, Grover Washington, Jr., Roberta Flack, among others, Tony Paul knows what is needed to create that magic, that Caribbean jazz, smooth percussive vibe evident in MacDonald’s music: “We have a fantastic young percussionist with us, Sheena ‘Ajibola’ Richardson, and if anyone has been paying attention locally, Sheena has been doing great things. So that aspect is pretty well covered. Also, highly regarded Derrianne Dyett, on double second steelpans is another featured soloist in the band. And I know when people come, they’re going to recognise the tunes, and they are going to know they are Ralph’s tunes, but hopefully there will be a nice sort of realisation that, ‘oh, this is a little different,’ but always enjoyable and something that they can really get into.”
The COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the plans for the 18th edition of Jazz Artists on the Greens ™ (JAOTG) in 2020. Director, Nigel Campbell says that, “at 18, we are adults, and we are celebrating adult things. We are proud of developing the aesthetic template for jazz events here in the islands with the picnic-styled elegant ambience taking hold. We are also proud of curating the genre of Caribbean jazz by providing a showcase and a stage for the performance of regional and diaspora musicians and jazz stars, and encouraging the business of music within a mature and valuable demographic. Our exchanges with musicians from Cuba, Barbados, St Lucia and Dominica and elsewhere, and the festivals in those islands are achievements that were muted due to the pandemic. However, we are back, and we are looking at 2023 to be the year that we give an audience on the Greens a cadre of upcoming and experienced jazz artists. The Meet the Artists Live Concert Series is the soft launch to a sustainable and profitable jazz season where the musicians and music that make our industry are acknowledged. Their music, their magic, our celebration. This show is the first in the series, more to come later.”
Tony Paul further tells us that, “you can expect a high energy performance. Obviously, I like to dress up, so I’m gonna be looking good, so I suggest anybody coming to the show to take that into consideration, and also to take it as an opportunity to dress up and come out looking their best. It’s almost established now that if you going out, you ‘go out!’ It’s that sort of community, and it would be a nice opportunity to get together.” He concludes that, “having gone through a period of not having the opportunity to play and to perform, a lot of us are really just excited to be on stage working with other musicians in real life, as opposed to all of the virtual things that would have happened over the course of the pandemic, because one of the really important things for musicians is that sort of symbiotic relationship that we have with the audience where we give the audience music and they give us feedback to let us know that we are doing well. And that energy is not captured with a virtual performance. So, I think one of the things that is most important for us is to get back into the spaces, to have people come out, to have people enjoy themselves and for our industry to get that restart that it needs.”
Tickets are $350 and are available now from the Queen’s Hall box office, Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday from noon to 6:00 PM, and online at QueensHallTT.com. For more info, call 620-6920 or 366-6104. Their music, their magic, our celebration!
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