Jazz in the Gardens defies the theme melodiously

Reviewer:Basil Walter
Media: Jamaica Observer newspaper

Perhaps wrongly billed as Battle of the Ivories, Sunday's Jazz in the Gardens was anything but a battle, confrontation, or a showdown of any kind. In fact, the jazz concert featuring eight of the finest keyboard specialists, was more like melodies by the scores in a show of harmony on the ivories.

A home of sweet, smooth jazz music - this was what the lawn of the Pegasus Hotel was transformed into on this occasion. Providing a backdrop tapestry rich in musical delights to which patrons at the well-attended event were treated, were keyboard maestros the likes of Harold Butler, Peter Ashbourne, Dennis Rushton, Dr Kathy Brown, Robbie Lyn, Harold Davis, André Campbell and Ralph Holding.

Dr Kathy Brown's performance chemistry has everything to do with her ability to enchant and to utilise her God-given gift of artistic resources. Her piano artistry was exemplary and executed with an air of rhapsody.

Full review: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080703t220000-0500_137436_obs_jazz_in_the_gardens_defies_the_theme_melodiously.asp

Kathy Brown played Antigua solo

Jamaican contemporary jazz pianist Dr. Kathy Brown played solo piano at the UWI 60th anniversary celebration dinner held at the upscale Verandah Resort & Spa hotel in Long Bay, Antigua.

Hosted by Ian Benn, Head of Centre at the UWI school, the celebration was attended by Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and other local dignitaries.

Kathy Brown lands BBC interview

A chain of events land jazz pianist Dr. Kathy Brown a BBC interview. Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson inaugurated the US Embassy Lunchtime Concert series (May 30) with the popular Jamaican pianist. Columnist Michael Reckord wrote a review in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper (June 4) that was read by BBC Caribbean presenter Neil Nunes.

Two hours after Mandeville born Nunes found contact information on the All About Jazz website, the Kathy Brown BBC interview was recorded. On Thursday, June 5, Mixing Music with Medicine was aired throughout the region on BBC Caribbean Report.

Listen to Kathy Brown's BBC interview @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2008/06/080605_doctorjazz.shtml

Happy Birthday Ernest Ranglin

All About Jazz, the world's leading Jazz website with over 15,000 musician profiles, is today June 19, celebrating the birthday of the Maestro

Happy Birthday Ernest Ranglin

Review: Kathy Brown US Embassy LT concert

Kathy Brown launches Ambassador's concert series

Michael Reckord, Gleaner Writer

The launch, of what is intended to be a regular noontime concert series, hosted by United States Ambassador, Brenda La Grange, took place at the United States Embassy on Friday.

Dr Kathy Brown was the featured musician. In addition to being a practising medical doctor, the multi-talented Brown plays, sings, composes and arranges music. She's also a band leader and recording artiste.

Seated at her Kurzweil K2500X keyboard half-way up the curvilinear iron stairs, she gave evidence of only some of those talents in her 45-minute concert, but the eight items she presented were quite delightful

See full story @ http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080604/ent/ent1.html

Kathy Brown's upcoming performances:

June 15 - Ocho Rios Jazz Festival - Shaw Park Beach Hotel
June 27 - Antigua
June 29 - Pegasus Jazz in the Gardens

June's Jazz month in Jamaica

Jazz music had it's birth in America around the beginning of the 20th century in the Black communities in Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions.

Its West African pedigree is evident in its use of what is called blue notes (a musical note played or sung slightly lower than usual) , call-and-response (succession of two distinct phrases usually played different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first), improvisation (music performed or done without any preparation or set text to follow), polyrhythms (contrasting rhythms), syncopation (accent is shifted to a weak beat of the bar) and the swing note of ragtime( a style of U.S. popular music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries).

Jamaica musicians adapted and played the jazz form long before the birth of Bob Marley and reggae music. Today, the tradition is being perpetrated mainly among older musicians like Sonny Bradshaw but have pique the interest of few young contemporary players like pianist Dr. Kathy Brown.

Eighteen years ago, in an effort to restore real jazz tradition in Jamaica, Trombonist Sonny Bradshaw founded the Ocho Rios Jazz Festival that features yearly a veritable mix of the purist form of the genre. Bradshaw is responsible for the designation of June as Jazz month in Jamaica.

The Ocho Rios Jazz Festival kicks of Sunday, June 8th at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and climax at the Shaw Park Beach Hotel & Spa on Fathers Day, Sunday, June 15th. The Pegasus Jazz in the Garden is slated for Sunday, June 29.

18 years of Ocho Rios Jazz Festival

Michael "jazzofonic" Edwards says

June is Jazz month in Jamaica and June 2008 marks the 18th year of the Ocho Rios Jazz Fest, the "last stand"for straight-ahead jazz and related music.

Events for the Festival kicks off Sunday June 1 at the Verandah in Kingston (Pulse complex, Trafalgar Road). Other events include Openign Jazz Day - June 8 at the Pegasus Gardens feat saxophonist Yolanda Brown out of England and The 4 Tenors out of Switzerland and closing Sunday June 15 at Shaw Park Beach hotel & Spa featuring Hungary's sax legend Odean Pope, the Kerekes Band and include Jamaica jazz pianist Dr. Kathy Brown