Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Karen Smith and Dwight Pinkney perform. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Patrons were treated to a delightful potpourri of music and good company at the fifth staging of Musical Adventure at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel ballroom on Sunday night.

After prayer, the evening's master of ceremonies, Dr Aggrey Irons, started the proceedings as he sang She's Royal to the female priest of The Church of the Good Shepherd. The church staged the event in aid of its building fund.

Irons engaged the crowd and gave way to the DP band led by Dwight Pinkney. Pinkney, on bass guitar, played an uptempo version of Bob Marley's Jammin. He also did Guitar Man and Dennis Brown's How Could I Live.

Serenade

On saxophone, Damon Riley was very exciting. He thrilled the largely female audience. Riley serenaded the women with Lionel Richie's Hello with some breathtaking notes. During his performance, he walked through the crowd and held a one note for at least one minute until he found the right woman, then ending it.

He was followed by songbird Karen Smith, who gave a tasteful and truly 'jazzy' performance.

Singing What a Difference a Day Makes and Mac is Back In Town, Smith had the audience snapping their fingers and bobbing their heads.

She performed her favourite hymn, Hallelujah Sing To Jesus, at which point she seemed to be meditating. Smith was presented with a plaque for her support of the annual concert.

Irons described the next performer, Nicky O.J, as "exciting and excitable". True to the description, he performed James Brown's I Feel Good, kicking, spinning, jumping and even balancing the microphone on his tips of his shoes as part of his dance routine.

Nicky O.J.

His voice got deeper as he sang I Love My Wife, but he got very little of the help he requested from the men as he sang. Nicky also performed a couple of songs from Bob Marley's catalogue.

Dwight Richards got the full attention of the audience when he entered the stage from the rear of the venue, playing his trumpet. He instructed the men to give a lion-like 'uuhh' and the women a seductive 'aahh', which was easily accomplished by Nadine Sutherland.

Sutherland sang Young, Gifted and Black and Dawn Penn's You Don't Love Me. She danced daintily as she tried to refrain from performing Action.

Resistance

However, her resistance was broken at the request of some members of the audience. Sutherland made reference to the 'bedroom bully', did the 'Butterfly' and started to shake before she said it was not appropriate for the occasion. She transformed into At Last, which the crowd cheered.

The main act for the night, Tony Rebel, entered the stage and immediately sang Big Up Jamaica. He performed hits which included Be Careful What They Teach The Children, and touched a few Beres Hammond songs such as Double Trouble and Tempted to Touch.

The Rebel delivered crowd-pleasing favourites such as Cyaan Go 'Round Good and My Love Is On Fire.

These were well received by the audience and so he told them to buy his album. Bringing patrons to their feet with Jah By My Side, Tony Rebel sang in English and Spanish, closing the evening on a high.

A section of the audience cheers during the Musical Adventure concert, which was hosted by the Church of the Good Shepherd at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Sunday, April 13. - PHOTOS BY Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer