Joseph Walsh in performance at Red Bones Blues Cafe at the Live from New York Show, held at Breamar Avenue on Friday night, April 27. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

On Friday night there was many a break between songs, as singer and musicians conferred, the diners at Redbones the Blues Caf, Braemar Avenue, New Kingston, taking full advantage of conference time on the stage. Said singer Joseph Walsh was playing with Ian Hird (saxophone), Dale Brown (bass) and Everton Williams (keyboards) for the first time.

There was one musician, though, who was not a Jamaican stand-in, but drummer Ryan Cavan had his troubles, taking all of 12 hours to get to Jamaica from the U.S., including four hours on the tarmac. 'American Airlines?" one hopeful shouted from the audience. 'Air Jamaica," Walsh replied regretfully. 'Maybe the pilot was from Brooklyn," he comforted.

Before coming on for a late start, Walsh stood in front of the stage, tapping his right index finger on a cigarette in the same hand to the warm-up beat.

Whether with a snap, twitch, or at one point a clutch at the microphone cord, Walsh's left hand was mostly a sub-jacket companion to themusic, as he went slower to muse "what a world, what a life, I'm in love'.

"This is my first affair, so please be kind," Walsh pleaded musically and "a foggy day in London Town" came to RedBones in Kingston under a three-quarter moon.

An extended saxophone run from Hird and a tattoo from the drummer came before the end, Walsh slipping into patter and song pattern after saying good evening. "We can clap. We are friendly," he said.

"I know it is dinner, I know it is a classy place, you can get a little crazy," he encouraged.

Walsh, speaking with a slight smile, said "feel free to dance on this one. It is the ballad in the set ... If you are brave, you can come up here," he said, indicating the stage. 'If you are mild, you can dance down there," he said, indicating the front of the stage. "If you are really shy, you can dance on the grass where no one is looking."

Little dancing

Craziness and dancing, at least in the indicated spaces, were not on the agenda, though appreciation for the music increased through I Got You Under My Skin and there were cheers for a dedication to "the person who is getting you drunk, making sure it is a night you might regret tomorrow, but you will enjoy tonight".

The drummer's first real solo came before the intermission, Walsh promising that since it had taken so long to get there then they would be performing for a while in the second segment.

That second set took a while to come, though, as the break was long, the music resuming with Too Mellow for Words.

There were more slow songs, at least one couple at the back swaying together, those who were still sitting to listen cheering at the invitation to "come dance with me".

As promised, the second segment was long, the music going out over the greens and touching on the road beyond, which not many at RedBones seemed interested in hitting too early on Friday night.