Cool jazz at the cafe

The band led by Michael “Ming” Low Chew Tung opened with the soothing Coffee Street, a composition by US pannist Andy Narell, then followed it with a more upbeat Steelband Times from the late Andre Tanker. It was the first of three sessions for Élan Parlé.

When John John Francis came on he got patrons in that jazzy feeling with Everyone Loves The Sunshine (Roy Ayers) and Starship (Nicki Minaj). But it was his delivery of Chronixx’s (Jamar McNaughton) Skankin’ Sweet that got hands in the air, swaying from side to side. Francis’ ten-year-old daughter Jaysha joined him and in her sweet little voice continued the song, much to the audience’s delight.

Guitarist Dean Williams joined the band and greatly entertained with two of his compositions, A Woman’s Sweetness and Lijwe Guitar.

In the second session jazz singer Vaughnette Bigford sang her own Old Devil Moon and Brazilian number Dindi (Antônio Carlos Jobim), which left the audience wanting more. The saxophone solo in the latter song won lusty applause. Bigford continued with lovely versions of Birds That Fly High (Emrold Phillip) and an old Jamaican folk song Evening Time.

Tony Paul’s wife Jade surprised him as she got on stage and sang Say A Little Prayer and had the audience singing along. She received loud applause.

Élan Parlé then played a couple of Paul’s numbers from the Trini Jazz Project, Yeah No Maybe and I’m Into You. The musicians’ soloing during the instrumentals and the others in the first session had the audience wildly cheering. They were all superb.

After lunch, Élan Parlé began its third session with its own Mating Call and Panosia, after which John John returned and had the audience roaring with delight throughout his performance. Élan Parlé followed with Sting’s Fragile before closing off with its own Port of Spain and Kitchener’s Margie.