Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/3011/-1/135/
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2005 Jazz Festival Hailed As Best
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Unlike the past two years fair weather, under a beautiful moonlit sky, provided an excellent setting for the first four evenings of the Tranquility Jazz Festival, in Anguilla, which jump-started the 2005-2006 tourism season last week. These four evenings were the opening of the festival at Paradise Cove Resort on Wednesday, November 9, with a cocktail and welcome reception; the dinner and jazz concert at CuisinArt Resort and the performances on the Parking Lot at the National Bank of Anguilla and at Rumza on Thursday, Friday and Saturday respectively.
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Anguillian students on stage: Kerwyn Goddard, Omar Tomlinson, Flloyd Gibbons, Jemila Morson, Miguel Franklin, Kericia Barry and Denecia Niles with West Group of Washington
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The concluding event at the Sandy Ground beach was threatened by rain as a tropical depression passed over the Leeward Islands, but the showers stopped when a rainbow shone brilliantly across the dark clouds giving way to fair conditions. This gave the large and enthusiastic crowd an opportunity to spread out on the beach from Johnno’s where they were first entertained at the usual in-house Sunday jazz. A specially provided stage and tent facilitated the jazz musicians who included Clive Alexander, Connis Vanterpool Sextet and the Anguilla Allstars.
Of much interest and commendation were the student performers from the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School under the direction and accompaniment of Dr. William Smith, a Professor of African Jazz Ensemble and other music at American University in Washington DC. Dr. Smith, who visited the school and gave the students some insights into music and how to play it, is the band leader of the West Group which also performed during the Tranquility Jazz Festival.
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Derek Lewis of BET Jazz (right) and Fitzroy Tomlinson
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Among the throngs of visitors, Anguillians and other persons at the festival, was Angulla’s Marketing Director at the island’s Tourist Board Office in White Plains, New York, Marie Parker. “It is a wonderful and growing festival and we can only confirm that with each year it is going to grow stronger,” Mrs. Walker told The Anguillian at Sandy Ground. “Certainly for us at the Anguilla Tourist Board in the United States, we are going to make sure that we put our best efforts forward to make each year more successful than the year before.”
Her husband, Sam Walker, who attended the jazz festival for the second year, commented: “Oh, it has been wonderful. I like the mix. Saturday night was pure jazz. I like the Latin flavour and the Brazilian flavour jazz on Friday night. I thought it was wonderful.”
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The West Group Jazz Band of Washington DC
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The annual festival is a joint presentation by the Anguilla Tourist Board and BET Jazz with the National Bank of Anguilla being the main sponsor along with sponsorships by the Government and various hotels and businesses places.
Derek Lewis, Vice President of BET Event Productions, was asked to comment on the festival. “I think jazz this year was great. We had a fantastic turn out. The weather was great. We have a lot of people on the island. The hotel rooms are sold out and, as you can see, the people are having a grand time.
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Jazz lovers on the beach at Sandy Ground
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“Like anything else, you expect growth, for things to change and get better and that is exactly what we have this year. The festival is maturing in what is going to be one of the greatest premiere jazz festivals in the region. I think the future is great and that have a lot to look forward to here in Anguilla with this festival, and I want to encourage people to come out and support it. We have a great product and we should not let it down.”
The hard-working Festivals Coordinator, Fitzroy Tomlinson, had this to say: “I feel good about this year’s festival. I think, as Derek says, it was great and the people enjoyed it very well. The festival is designed as a marketing tool so when we talk about value and costs, we have to consider what it is doing generally for Anguilla; not about ticket sales because that is just one part of the equation.
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BET Camera and Production Team and others
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“The future is bright because a lot more people are learning about Anguilla and where to stay. Our hotels were over-booked this year and we ourselves couldn’t find places to put most of our artistes or get airlines for them. So that indicates to me that we are getting somewhere in terms of selling the island.
“One would tend to look at ticket sales and ask what we can get from our gate receipts. There is no event, be it jazz or summer festival, that we would recoup our total input. It does not work. What it does is sells the island for people to visit us.”
One of the persons who kept a keen eye on the festival was BET’s official photographer, simply known everywhere as “Fritz”. He told The Anguillian: “This festival was the best of the three we have had so far in Anguilla. The music was nothing short of being just brilliant. We had a few technical glitches but overall I think the festival was the best of the lot and I am looking forward to seeing it grow in the future.
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Oral Bynoe’s Jazz Band at Sandy Ground
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“I think we brought in some very good talent. Some of this talent you couldn’t find anywhere. Even in New York you couldn’t want a better contingent of such great musicians. It was just really nice.
“I think one of the major benefits for Anguilla is just the overall recognition of the island. There are a lot of people particularly back in the States who are not familiar with this island. In showcasing a jazz festival of the magnitude that we are trying to put on, really opens up a new opportunity to introduce people to another part of the Caribbean.”
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L-R: Gina Brooks-Hodge, and Marie Walker (and husband)
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Fritz was speaking in the company of the BET Jazz video production crew as they prepared to film some of the performances for later showing on the 24-hour jazz channel in the United States.
The jazz performers in the Tranquility Jazz Festival in Anguilla, and of whom he spoke, were Mulgrew Miller with special guests; Kenny Garrett, Nicholas Payton, Freddy Cole Feat, Eric Alexander, Concord Jazz Artistes, Erin Boheme, Christian Scott, Taylor Eigsti, Poncho Sanchez, Trio Da Paz with special guests, Stefon Harris, Claudia Acuna, Ravi Coltrane and Craig Handy, Marlena Shaw and the West Group.
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Anguillians and others enjoying jazz music
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Much praise was also given to all of the Anguillian jazz musicians and singers who also provided some excellent entertainment during the festival. The large number of Anguillians who attended the events showed that there is a growing appreciation of jazz on the island.