Junior Soul in performance. - Photo by Carl Gilchrist

The fathers, and others, who turned out to enjoy Father's Day Jazz at H'Evan's Scent Gym at Altery Beach in Priory, St Ann, on Sunday might have found out a few things. One, nothing compares, musically, to the Fab Five band playing a medley of old Jamaican hits from the '60s, especially when they sample songs from the Toots and the Maytals catalogue.

It was also a reminder that Sonny Bradshaw, who staged the show as part of the 2009 Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, can never stop playing music. He will always be around as, even at age 83, he just keeps going on and on and on.

And third, Junior Soul has still got it.

The five-hour show also exposed some fresh talents, at least to a Jamaican audience, among them the London-based Wayne Marshall, the mention of whose name caused a stir, with some persons wondering aloud if it was the dancehall artiste who was scheduled to perform. Marshall gave quite an energetic performance in his short stint, especially with his rendition of the Sam Cook classic Change Gon' Come.

Singing along

Musicians from Miami radio station WDNA 88.9FM also performed, and the programme also had Lisa Chavous, Ouido Lewis Ozou'ne, Byard, Max Klezmer Band from Poland, Dr Kathy Brown, Marie Claire, Trisha Chamberlain and others.

But it was Junior Soul, near the end, who took the show to a different level in a 10-minute stint. Soul opened with the David Gates-penned Everything I Own, getting the audience to participate from the first line. He lifted his performance a notch with the Ben E. King standard, Stand By Me, having just about everyone singing along. He then closed his set with his two-time chart topper, Penny For Your Song, which he has re-recorded in disco style on his latest album Second Chance.

After Fab Five backed Soul and Marshall, they were on their own. Their brass section starred with some Don Drummond classics, after which Grub Cooper, as usual, took over on vocals. He led the appreciative audience through hits such as It's You, Never You Change, Pain in My Belly, Carry Go Bring Come, Dog War, Sammy Dead, Badaration, Wings of a Dove, among others.

They later called onstage other musicians who had previously performed for a jam session to close the show.

Prior to Soul's performance, Sonny Bradshaw's Big Band served up an appetising feast of music to the audience which was appreciated just as much as the wide variety of culinary delights that were available.

Bradshaw has promised that next year, same time, same place, he will be back.

We hope to be there too!