Jazz on the Greens marks 20 years

After all the dust settles and the dried paint and powder is washed away, when all the stray feathers and sequins are finally removed from the streets and the echoes of chipping, jumping, masquerading feet fade away, the annual religious reset of Lent precedes the awakening of innovation and the rebirth of sacred energies vital to our existence.

Jazz season begins officially then, with the Jazz Artists on The Greens (JAOTG) event celebrating its milestone 20th edition on April 5, on The Greens at Farm Road in St Joseph (on WASA Grounds).

Produced by Production One Ltd and recognised as a certified festival on The National Registry of Artists and Cultural Workers, JAOTG has grown from humble beginnings on July 1, 2003 at the UWI Creative Arts Center (DCFA) into the largest Caribbean jazz event in TT, a media release said.

The late pan virtuoso, Ken "Professor" Philmore was the first act at the inaugural edition of the annual series and the pan has been featured in every edition of the show since, "which speaks directly to JAOTG’s dedication to showcasing original cultural content, intangible cultural heritage and original Caribbean music genres, such as kaisojazz; pan jazz; Haitian
konpa; Cuban son, trova and Afro-Cuban jazz; Créole zouk and bouyon," Production One said in the release.

It said the event has been a platform for expanding pan-jazz performance and appreciation with all the recording artists of the genre including, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Ray Holman, Rudy Smith, Annise Hadeed, Philmore, Liam Teague, Dane Gulston, Leon "Foster" Thomas, Clyde "Lightning" George and the Americans Andy Narell, Victor Provost and Jonathan Scales.

"JAOTG has evolved into providing and sustaining an ecosystem for TT and Caribbean festival development by celebrating dozens of local and regional artistes and musicians," Production One director Anton Doyle said in the release.

"We continue to facilitate artist development both on stage – with collaborations between local and foreign acts – and in the classroom with UTT workshops and creative interaction with the visiting international jazz artists. JAOTG also functions as a business hub for content providers, including apparel and music merchandise, music tech and ancillary creative industries such as food and fashion."

Now the biggest and longest surviving jazz festival in TT, JAOTG has also featured several Grammy-nominated artistes who have performed here, including Nilson Matta, Claudio Rodoti & Mauricio Zottarelli. Grammy Awardee Larnell Lewis, who has twice before played on the JAOTG stage, is again scheduled to perform this year. Lewis played on Snarky Puppy's Grammy-winning album Culcha Vulcha. He is also a (Canadian) Juno Award nominee.

Jazz Artists on the Greens is the key event that begins the jazz season in the southern Caribbean. This year's cast includes legendary island songbird Charmaine Forde; young upcoming guitarist Kyle Peters featuring UK-born soul sister Kye De Vere from Tobago. From Canada, is husband and wife duo Lewis and Joy Lapps, children of Nevis and Antigua respectively, with their band featuring contemporary pan jazz fusion. also, Tobagonian singer Ju-Né, now based in England will also return to the stage.

The cast is rounded off by Dominican superstar and cultural ambassador, songstress and musician Michele Henderson and her Friends featuring top creole jazz musicians from the Antilles.

For further info visit www.jaotg.com