Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Singer Kathy Brown is all smiles as she greets Dr Leahcim Semaj at her album launch at the Villa Ronai, Old Stony Hill Road, St Andrew, on Wednesday night. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Kathy Brown marked an important stop in her lifetime musical journey at the Villa Ronai, Old Stony Hill Road, St Andrew, on Wednesday night with the official launch of her debut CD.

There was very strong support from those who have been with the pianist along the way to the nine-track instrumental CD, Mission: A Musical Journey.

With her mother in the gathering, after the final musical piece for the night, Grandfather, Brown said, "It began with my parents. There was a piano in the house and I got the opportunity to go to the piano when I wanted."

Then, when she came to the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, from her Mandeville hometown to study medicine, she heard Dr Conroy Cooper play and he later invited her to participate in jazz sessions at New Kingston hotels.

He also advised her to form her own band and Brown smiled as she indicated the result, Akil on drums, Sherwaye on bass and Denver on percussions.

Rapt audience

Earlier, Desi Jones had been on drums for Flintstones, which Brown described as "my semi-Jamaican, semi-jazz take on this tune", the beat switching from outright dancehall to reggae during the song. Jones also played on Latin Groove, the audience rapt at the interchanges between himself and Denver.

Brown also thanked Dr Lee Martin from the other side of her life as a medical doctor, for standing in for her when she needed to make musical calls.

The substantial audience included ambassadors from Britain, China, St Kitts and Nevis and the United States, Brown expressing regret that the Cuban ambassador was unavoidably absent.

They got several doses of musical vitamins from Kathy Brown, whose passion was evident in her playing. The opening Rasta Journey was a take on Rivers of Babylon, Brown's left hand lifting slowly at points.

Congratulatory comments

There was nothing slow, though, about her abrupt body movements that coincided with the emphatic ends to several of the songs, Brown's hands going up with Jones' drumsticks at one point and then standing up at the end of the extended closing crescendo of Grandfather.

Take It Easy, as the name indicates, was on the more laid-back side.

Sabrina Williams did the Click Song and host Heather Grant read congratulatory 'postcards' from several persons, among them musician and doctor, Philip 'Doc' Martin and broadcaster Dermot Hussey, who said "to become a great musician is indeed a mission".

One person from St Lucia called Kathy Brown "Jamaica's high priestess of piano", while her bother simply said "Congratulations sis, all the best for the album".