If you’re in the mood for some good music, you can celebrate today, April 30, as International Jazz Day with a free virtual Jazz concert by the Artists Club SVG Inc to be streamed tonight.  

 Numerous jam sessions by a combination of local, regional and international performers, are combined in a package to be presented to you in the form of the International Jazz Day Celebration Concert 2021, streamed via International Jazz Day SVG’s Facebook page from 7pm.  

 The concert is directed by an experienced Cuban musician, and local music teacher; Rey Escobar.  

“The first thing is that we are having fun, we are playing the music that we like, and we love, and I know we have a lot of people in St Vincent who gonna like this kind of music,” Escobar told SEARCHLIGHT at his home on April 1, as the musicians were about to begin their last filming.  

 When the group began jamming out, time seemed to hold no meaning for them, and they became absorbed in producing the right sounds together. That particular session included the drums, the bass, the guitar, the violin and the piano, and they were later joined by two singers.  

 “…If there’s a kind of music that you don’t understand, if you don’t like it, well you can learn,” Escobar encouraged, mentioning the show ‘Jazz Tropical’ conducted by Dexstar Rose every Wednesday on NBC radio.  

 Local musician, Joffre Venner has been playing various instruments and music since the 60s, but in this series, he works with the bass guitar. Sitting with his guitar in his hands, next to Escobar who is doing the same, he explains that Jazz, “It’s freedom, ‘free’ music. It’s based a lot on improvisation, the individuals in the group, drummers, the brass players, the saxophonists, and guitarists and bass players… there is a time when they play something of their own other than the main tune.” 

 He continued: “That’s what the music is based on a lot of in the jazz clubs, the people like that part… everybody playing and when they finish there’s a big applause, then you know how well the person does”. 

When they’re in a jam session, “You close out the rest of the world,” Venner says, as Escobar agrees, “and you go into your own world.” 

 Venner believes that if young Vincentians get exposure and opportunity, they would be interested in Jazz. “What’s happening now, all the radio stations are playing a certain type of music, and that’s what young people hear…” he said, and there’s not many groups “…playing publicly for the young people to hear these things and gravitate to it.”  

 Therefore, there needs to be more virtual concerts of the kind, he contemplates.  

 “…A lot of our young people, even those who playing music now don’t know Shake Keane, so it’s a good opportunity to get them to know who Shake Keane was, and he was a great musician in the world, world class musician, not just in St Vincent,” Venner disclosed.  

 “…He was at that time the best flugelhorn player in the world in Jazz music,” Escobar revealed.  

The entire presentation for the day is called ‘Looking for Shake Keane’, and it is focusing on the life of the legendary Vincentian Jazz player.  

Persons will also have a chance to find out more about Keane through a round table discussing his legacy, moderated by Dexstar Rose between 9:30 and 11am today. 

 Performers that came together for the concert tonight also include: singer Hanifah Simon; pianist Daryn Taylor; saxophonist Ozzy Williams; Silk Band; singer Havyln; pianist and singer Andy Cruikshank; saxophonist and pianist Jan & Louis; drummer David Morgan; conga drummer Roger Ballantine; pianist Zahily Sariol; violinist Samuel Toca; singer Andrez Bascombe; saxophonist Mathews Tomas; singer Joie Parris; Lancelot ‘Da Vincy’ Chapman; drummer Steafan Taylor, and bassist Andrew James.  

Songs or clips will be shared via Instagram and Youtube following the concert.