Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

The concert launch of Adan Hagley’s new album, Insomnia, received a standing ovation from audience members, who were awed by the quality of music on display. The launch took place on October 12 at the Little Carib Theatre.

The event featured a talented mix of musicians who are masters in their instruments. They included Hagley on keyboards, Anthony “Tony Paul” Woodroffe Jr. on alto sax, tenor sax, soprano sax and flute, Natasha Joseph on double tenor pan, Sheena Richardson on percussion, Chryston Floyd on guitar, Rodney Alexander on bass guitar and Dareem Chandler on drums.

The first song, Snarkyish, an original piece with a  big band funky jazz sound, featured solos by Paul, Joseph, and Hagley. The band then moved into Shadow Dance, a calypso jazz original with an uptempo beat that had the audience jamming along with the players, including solos from Hagley, Joseph, and Richardson.

Violinist Caryll Warner joined the band for the next number,  The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea by Jean Luc Ponty, a mournful song reminiscent of an Irish chant, full of danger, bittersweet longing and expectation. Centro Habana by Oriente Lopez followed, with solos by Paul and Joseph, in a flirty, fast-paced Latin melody.

Insomnia, the title track of the album, had a Latin jazz feel, and ranged from a sombre and melancholic what am I doing here feeling with flights of fancy, touching on the joy of music, rhythms that keep us up, heartache and love.  It featured solos from Hagley, Paul, Alexander and Chandler. Hagley then used an excerpt from the Beatles’ Yesterday to segue into Sade’s Is It A Crime?, sung by Leandra “LeAndra” Head whose sheer vocal power on the romantic song blew the audience away and elicited gasps of amazement.

The original piece, Run Away, began lively and brisk and gradually transitioned to drifting and dreamy, with the aid of solos by Hagley, Paul, Joseph and Alexander, whose solo had patrons at the edges of their seats. Another original, Gregory Street, incorporated Djembe drums played by Perron Frank, along with solos by Hagley, Paul, and Joseph and had the audience dancing and moving.

Vocalist and drummer Khalen “Ja Moi” Alexander joined the band to perform his original song Afrika, which celebrated the continent and bemoaned the lack of indigenous ownership. The song stirred the blood, and the singer said it was the first time he’d ever had so much fun on stage.

Sonny Rollins’ jazz standard, Oleo, with solos by Hagley, Paul, Floyd and Alexander, had the audience cheering and applauding, especially for the performances by the guitarists, who made their instruments speak, wail and sing.  Break Out by Lettuce was the next piece on offer and the solos by Floyd, Joseph, Paul and Hagley had the audience vibing along and feeling to stand up and shout.

Songstress Sharon Phillips, who recently celebrated a milestone birthday, performed Guiltiness by Bob Marley. Her sultry, powerful voice ministered to the audience and invited them to float away on a musical journey. The final piece of the concert was Cheers to Life, by Aaron “Voice” St. Louis, which Hagley credits with moving him into the public eye. It was a heartfelt rendition with solos by all band members.