Gerald Albright plays amazing set at Runway Jazz

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Patches of the event at the start had taken place not quite as musically with several speeches reminding guests of humanitarian values. A UNESCO representative gave one, as did Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Nigeria’s vice-president. The latter shared a pamphlet containing some activist poetry, which perhaps mercifully was not read aloud. Rather unpleasantly, the night’s host looked quite out of his depth at a jazz event.

The event got better as the music proper began with the Abuja-based alternative act Tay Iwar dressed like an Arabian prince of dubious descent. His music, usually a softly intoxicating brew, ended on a high tempo.

That tempo was brought down several notches by Cina Soul, whose African jazzy set was a highlight of the night. Successive performances were given by Segun Atoyebi Ope and the Sweet Band.

About an hour before midnight, Albright came on with his instrument. “Lagos, Nigeria, did you come to party tonight,” he asked. To the resulting whoops he said, « That’s what I thought. » Bouncy jazz music poured forth. From time to time, it seemed incredible that the excellence of the instrumented music played was produced by only four people onstage.

« It’s been years since my last visit and that’s way too long, » Albright said. He announced that one of his songs was released in 1987, back when he had « a big Afro and a whole lotta beard ». The song was titled ‘So Amazing’. Just before playing the tune, he hailed Luther Vandross, the late soul singer who originally released the song in 1986.

That tribute was deserved for more than one reason. The song become Albright’s first single. It also gave him his first Grammy nomination. He has earned seven more nominations since.

Following ‘So Amazing’, Albright played his 1990 sax cover of Johnny Gill’s seductive ‘My My My’, imploring the crowd to sing the song’s repetitive chorus. Albright seemed to alter his playing for that particular song: in snatches, his sax suggested sex. His excellent set on the night also included a new version of ‘Bermuda Nights’, the title track from his 1988 album.

Tiwa Savage came on about midnight wearing a rare modest outfit consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and full skirt. Probably to remind the audience of her pop artist status, her left leg was bare, half of that limb’s thigh covered by the semblance of a bum short.

« I’m not a jazz singer but I’m a singer all the same,” she said, clearly feeling a level of disorientation. “Is it alright if we switch it…a…bit? »

Like Joss Stone last year at the same event, Tiwa Savage took off her heels. And as she sang the cool ‘If I Start to Talk’, a single from her last studio album RED, her label-mate Dr Sid joined her. She then tore into live versions of ‘Get it Now’ and ‘Bad’, Wizkid’s voice on the latter song coming over the speakers. The tempo for all of these songs was inconsistent with jazz but by performing live, Tiwa Savage found an agreement with the night’s theme.

Her voice was scratchy on occasion, but a hit song is a hit song. By the time she left the stage, she had earned her applause and survived the pressure of performing before a crowd that had only just listened to a master jazz act. As Albright was a tough act to follow, so she was for Heavy Wind. But the man and his band served up a dance-galvanising brand of Afrobeat, making the night an event featuring a quartet of remarkable performances: from Cina Soul, Albright, Tiwa Savage and Heavy Wind himself.

« Goodnight everybody, » he said some 30 minutes past midnight, ending his set and bringing the third Runway Jazz event to a satisfactory close.