Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival 2010-bigger, better than ever

Jazz festivals, like fine wines, get better with age. As the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival celebrates its 15th year, it has found a new venue, enhanced its eclectic roster and garnered a flock of devotees from America, Europe and Jamaica— 30,000 people over three nights.

The festival takes place at the Trelawny Multi Purpose Stadium in Trelawny (the hometown of track star Usain Bolt, 20 minutes from Montego Bay). There’s plenty of parking, ample stadium seating and lawn chairs; more room to graze, groove and commune with fellow music lovers at the pavilions and concession stands. Walk the vast grounds, with a Red Stripe beer in one hand and a tasty piece of jerk chicken in the other, and a smile comes over your face as music fills the air…

Opening night. Sultry blue-eyed, British soul singer Joss Stone got the party started by leaving the stage, running into the audience and getting the crowd on its feet. She danced her way through “Super Duper Love (Are You Digging On Me?),” “Bad Habits,” and upon request broke into the Dusty Springfield classic “Son of a Preacher Man.” Writer/producer/singer extraordinaire Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds followed, and communed with the audience on an impressive string of songs that piqued with a tender version of “Change the World,” a song he’d performed with Eric Clapton. The ladies swooned when he sang “I’ll Make Love To You.” Around midnight, the Whispers, a classic soul group, rendered “Rock Steady and “The Beat Goes On.”

Second night. Tamia, Deborah Cox and Kelly Price, a diva trio dubbed The Queen Project, harmonized on their hits: “Stranger in My House,” “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here,” and “Friend of Mine.” They sounded mightier than Destiny’s Child and nearly as robust as Labelle. Then Trinidadian soca singer Machel Montano whipped the Caribbean crowd into a frenzy with his hip-thrusting gyrations.

Everyone was primed for Erykah Badu, who took the stage in skintight black vinyl pants and mile-high black patent-leather boots, a gray sweatshirt and a top hat that reached the full moon. Surrounding herself with turntables, apple computers and a digital drum machine, she locked into an experimental groove, eschewing most of her familiar songs except “On & On.” She peered into the audience, as if she were looking for something. Perhaps she was searching for a melody, because there was none in her set! Thank heavens, the legendary Billy Ocean capped off the night with a string of his memorable, melodious hits, including “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car.” The white dreads and beard were the only signs that time had passed; his youthful voice was still supple and charming.

The Final Night. A buff Jon Secada performed jazz tunes from his latest album and some of his Latin-tinged hits, including “Too Late, Too Soon” and “Just Another Day.” When ‘80s hit makers Hall & Oates took the stage, their act was reserved at first, but as they completed a cavalcade of their catchy tunes, from “Maneater” to “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” their set got funkier. Maxi Priest joined in on an encore of “One on One,” and Billy Ocean jumped on stage for “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run).” It’s moments like these that make Jamaica’s festival a standout: artists joining forces to giving the audience surprises they won’t find elsewhere.

Only a super-star like Gladys Knight could bring the evening to even greater heights. With the precision of a Las Vegas revue, she and her band breezed through “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Neither One of Us,” and “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” And to the crowd’s joy and amusement, during a Motown medley of hits by Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells and the Supremes, Ms. Knight feigned Diana Ross—overpowering one of her back-up singers. The high point of her set: her “End of the Road” medley, launching first into “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” then “Love Don’t Love Nobody,” and ending with the Boyz II Men classic.

The festival closed with the reggae super-group, Third World, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Jamaica is more than music…

The Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival gives you good reason to head to the island, and with some advance planning you can have a good time before or after the festivities too.

Before Festival: The all-inclusive, 234-room/suite Couples Negril (1- 800-268-7537 or www.couples.com) sits on 18 impeccably landscaped acres of Negril’s famous seven-mile, west coast beach. The waters are so placid there that guests laying on air mattresses and floating up and down along the shore hardly get their hair wet. Water sports, golf and a popular sunset catamaran cruise are included as are all drinks and dining at top-notch restaurants such as Couples’ premier Otaheite Caribbean restaurant:

After Festival: On the island’s northeast shore, at the base of the St. Ann Mountain Range is the seaside town of Ocho Rios and the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach and Villa Golf Resort (1-888-SANDALS or http://www.sandals.com/main/ochor ios/or-home.cfm). The 529-room resort features three locations: The Sandals Beach Club; adjacent Sandals Riviera with beach- or gardenview rooms and suites; and Ciboney Villas, one-, two-, three-, and fourbedroom residences set on a hillside that feature private pools, Jacuzzis, courtyards, well-stocked refrigerators and the privacy honeymoon couples crave. By day, tennis, free golf (complimentary green fees, PGA golf clinics and transfers), swimming, glass-bottom boat trips and spa treatments are available. Eleven restaurants offer Jamaican, Italian and grilled specialties.