Event: Jazz Artists On The Greens (JAOTG) Farm Road, St Joseph
Price: $250.00 Advance, $300.00 at the door
Date:March 24, 2012
Yesterday Jazz Artists On The Greens celebrated their 10th Anniversary, started in 2003 and produced annually by Production One Ltd. Jazz On The Greens has now become a staple on the social calender for Jazz Lovers and music lovers alike. I have to say this was my first Jazz On The Greens but certainly not the last. I think more people should be aware of the event, albeit there was a good crowd turn out, and know that there are options for an open air Jazz concert right here in Trinidad. And if you are looking for post Carnival activities this is an event to consider for the future.
Location:
I liked the fact that Jazz on the Greens was held in St Joseph, easy access for those coming from the East, South and North. There was no traffic and easy parking by the time I arrived. The actual concert was held at WASA Sports grounds and there was more than enough room for the stage set up, seating for patrons, bar, food tent etc. The layout was good, even if you had a seat to the back you could still get a view of the stage and you were close to all the amenities.
Food and Drink
Most patrons walked with their own refreshments, picnic style and it was in fact it was nice to see how people stocked their picnic baskets spreading out their goodies on blankets and even tables ; wine was the drink of choice for most. Angostura set up a cocktail bar offering complimentary cocktails for a couple hours, there was also free coffee and snacks. Drinks were on sale and if you were hungry you had a choice of bake and shark, corn soup, hamburgers and fries.
Performances:
Showtime started promptly at 5:00PM and the schedule was on point for the rest of the evening which I very much appreciated. The artists were staggered in that we had an instrumental followed by a vocalist followed by an instrumental followed by a vocalist and so on. First performer was Carlton Alexander and The Coalpot Band, very mellow music to start the afternoon as patrons were still coming in during his performance. By the time Llettesha Sylvester came on stage the venue was filled and her range of well known R&B selections from Alicia Keyes, Adele and Jill Scott was very much appreciated by the crowd.
Clifford Charles Quitnent performed some of their own music from their album but also roused the crowd with an instrumental version of Bacchanalist which actually had people out of their seats and waving stage front. The performer I enjoyed the most was Michele Henderson from Dominica. Michele has an AWESOME voice whether she was singing in English or Creole, just amazing. Unfortunately I left before the evening closed with Annise Hadeed so I missed his performance this time.
Crowd Vibe
I thought it was a nice mix of patrons, a more mature crowd for sure but there were many younger people attending as well. Several couples, children and even teenagers with their parents adding to the mix. Everyone was dressed nicely for the occasion, maxi dresses for the ladies and fedoras on the guys was the official "Jazz wear". These people were definitely there to support the music and the artistes, very responsive and appreciative. I loved the whole ambiance of the evening.
Overall I would give Jazz Artists on the Greens a 9 out of 10. It was my first "Jazz" experience and although I had some reservations as to if I would actually enjoy the performances I have to say I did. The music, the company and the wine made it a fabulous evening and I would not hesitate to spend another Saturday at Jazz on the Greens for 2013.
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