Mel Cooke, Star Writer

Benjy Myaz on guitar (left) and Courtney Fadlin on saxophone, rock RedBones, the Blues Café on October 3. - Colin Hamilton

A'lisa, the final guest performer at Friday night's concert with Benjy Myaz at RedBones, took the house down, repeatedly, with a combination of her singing and pleasantly in-charge stage personality.

She came on close to the end of the second segment of the show at the Braemar Avenue, New Kingston, restaurant and nightspot, the other guests being Courtney Fadlin on saxophone and Charmaine Limonius on guitar and vocals, both maintaining the standard on a high-quality night.

Guitar and saxophone dominated the concert's first segment, vocals taking pride of place after the break. When A'lisa stepped up after Limonius had given Should I her distinctive vocal treatment, she took on Barrington Levy's Vice Versa Love, not a song for the weak of heart or voice. The audience acknowledged the quality on the first line.

In an all-Jamaican music set, A'lisa again moved the audience with Dennis Brown's Here I Come, keeping the rockers rolling with Too Experienced and dropping in a deejay segment to send the whoops up. She 'pulled up the vibe' Beres Hammond style, the audience felt like jumping and some did when she moved into Marcia Griffith's One Scotch. She deejayed a bit, then smiled and said "me no remember no more".

Laughter all around

Fadlin added his saxophone to the voices of A'lisa and Myaz on the R&B and reggae mixture of their single, Eternal Love, and, when A'lisa ended her segment with Many Rivers To Cross, the applause began before she even sang a line. There was more when she gave the Jimmy Cliff classic good treatment.

Myaz closed the night, the Bee Gees' How Deep Is Your Love following The STAR out of RedBones.

In the beginning, Benjy Myaz relaxed on a high stool and led with his guitar on Just My Imagination and My Girl.

It was a justifiably pleased looking Myaz ,who eased off his perch to officially greet everyone and introduce Fadlin, who he joshed about being a lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. The saying that 'those who can, do, and those who can't, teach,' definitely did not apply, the ladies holding the harmony of In My Dreams as the horn came through clean and clear.

Guitarist and saxophonist stood shoulder to shoulder and played at first, then Myaz retreated as Fanti took it away, returning front and centre to scat as he played.

Fadlin switched to clarinet for a higher pitch on Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone to very good effect.

Before intermission, Myaz sang of loving matters, informing all that it's "never too late to stop and love". An off-stage host, a nice touch to the presentation, ran through some of the songs that had been played, including People Make the World Go Round and announced the 2008 Digicel Rising Stars winner, an outcome which seemed to satisfy most.