American Sherry Winston delights as she plays some Michael Jackson songs. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Guitars were in sweet dialogue on Sunday night at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston as a top-class field of musicians played at 'Guitars in Konversation'.

Interacting with each other onstage for a grand finale, and with the audience throughout the night, the seven performers had the audience engaged with their every movement. Moved from the gardens at the hotel to the ballroom due to rain, Jazz in the Gardens got off to a late start but judging from the relaxed atmosphere in the room, the audience didn't seem to mind. When The Gleaner arrived after 7 p.m., Desi Jones and Friends as well as Locksley Dixon had already made an appearance while Rupert Bent Sr was strumming out a slow and mellow rhythm for the audience.

Seretse Small followed, adding a little more spice and dedicating his first number to the legendary Sonny Bradshaw, who is recovering from a stroke. He followed with No Woman Nuh Cry and soon his jacket came off as he intensified his set with an original piece he wrote about a girl he once loved saying, "I was both a coward and a fool." Small brought fresh energy to the stage before leading on American Sherry Winston.

New material

Winston, performing with her flute, wowed the audience with lively numbers including Past Time Paradise, as well as new material from her latest CD. She soon ventured into the crowd, to its delight, as she interacted with them. She commented, "we just lost one of our greatest entertainers of all time," before going into a Michael Jackson tribute. Band member, Chris McDonald, entertained alongside Winston, doing Jackson's dance moves around the venue.

Winston made way for Lincoln Thomas who also got a good response with popular ballads and more Michael Jackson songs. Thomas started out with One Hundred Ways and then John Legend's Ordinary People, which had persons singing along. He followed with two Jackson numbers, Rock With You and Gone Too Soon.

Lincoln Thomas

Maurice Gordon (left) and Dale Haslam play at 'Guitars in Konversation' at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Sunday.