Neither a 5.2 earthquake nor a variety of event management mishaps substantially diminished the value of an evening of Latin jazz produced by the University of T&T (UTT) Big Band on April 15 at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA).
In the absence of a programme, a competent master of ceremonies and significant promotion of Buena Onda, only the music remained to redeem the experience. And it did.
It might have taken some time for renowned trumpeter, Errol Ince, to hit the stage as a guest artiste, but the SAPA audience–which by that time included the second year music students who had earlier been on stage–realised that the Buena Onda experience would have been a memorable one.
None of this devalued the presence of Cuban musician Roman Filiu's own masterful contribution to the programme, but when Ince sauntered onto the stage for his part in Juan Andres Ospina's Todavia No, it was clear that a force of musical nature had entered the picture from the first note blown.
Earlier, music tutor/saxophonist/reluctant MC, Anthony Woodroffe, had led his student charges through a set comprising challenging renditions of Arturo Sandoval's Sandunga; Pepe Rivero's Paulia and Tumba en Tres; the obligatory interpretation of Blue Bossa by Kenny Dorham and a lively version of Chantal Esdelle's Kaiso Kaiso.
Vocalist, Noelle Archer, was impressive on Ernesto Duarte's Como Fue and Joshua Khan's saxophone solo on Paulia was soulful and precise.
It was also clear throughout that keyboardist Francis Harewood and guitarist James Joseph (who favours speed and showmanship) knew what they were doing. Guest player, Mikhail Salcedo, on the tenor pan –no questions asked. But it was trombonist, Michael Rodriguez, who caught the ear of many in the audience in a special way.
Music tutor/trombonist and Big Band co-director Aidan Chamberlain and Woodroffe, are likely keeping a close eye on Rodriguez and his abilities.
No disrespect to student colleagues meant, but there is hopefully some agreement in UTT circles that his, together with Khan's, are distinct talents.
Then came the big guns, following an intermission during which patrons were directed to a vending machine "near the box office."
Ticket-purchasing music lovers deserve more, some thought, even if the UTT students were encouraged to raise some extra funds through sandwich and juice sales.
An inexplicable ban on still photography at Sapa, unlike other venues where an understandable prohibition on flash photography and unauthorised videography is imposed, left a few patrons unhappy and is a policy worthy of review.
Producers of events at the venue should ensure they are added to the list of dissenting voices on this.
But the music returned to save the day once more. On came Filiu, Woodroffe and Chamberlain, a drummer and a percussionist, all later to be joined by Ince.
Paquito D'Rivera's One for Tom is easily recognisable by knowledgeable patrons, even in the absence of a programme, and the students who had now joined the audience tapped their feet and looked knowingly at each other as Chamberlain's solo showed them how it's done.
It was also time for Woodroffe and Filiu to stroll through the lively Brazilian paean by the award-winning Cuban composer.
This was followed by Filiu's El Nanga and Summer Son, Todavia and Brazilian composer Eduardo Mercuri's doleful to foot-tapping Meeting Again. Guitarist Dean Wilson was there to prove the point that artful treatment outclasses speed any day (Joseph!).
In the end a great evening of music heard by too few–not unlike other fantastic Academy of Performing Arts programmes, inexplicably understated and under-promoted–beautiful, glowing candles under the bushel.