The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival made its debut in Greenfields, Trelawny on Thursday January 28, amidst much enthusiasm, anticipation, curiosity and concern. Some regular patrons who learnt of the venue change late last year were, initially uncertain as to the prospects of success and its ability to charm and entice like past venues.

After the first night, however, those fears and concerns were laid to rest.

The event opened to an anxious crowd which came out to see the likes of Joss Stone, Babyface and the Whispers. Jazz lovers, for the most part, were not disappointed as the performances ran like clockwork throughout the night and the organisation was certainly up to the standard that one has come to expect from a festival of this calibre. Walter Elmore and his Turnkey Productions staff, producers of the event, did their best to replicate the layout of the old jazz location and recreate the ambience.

According to Elmore, his team had pulled out every stop to make the patrons happy and comfortable.

“We have over 30,000 square feet of intimate surroundings. Anyone can put on a show but we have created a completely entertaining experience in a perfect venue, with the right parking, security and facilities,” he said.

He pointed out that consideration for the patrons was a factor in the decision to change the venue. With the ongoing construction of the convention centre across from Rose Hall, patrons would likely be inconvenienced by the waiting periods for shuttle service.

Alex Chin of Absolute Entertainment was quite impressed with the parking and said that the grounds provided adequate space for patrons to lounge around and relax.

“The flow of traffic was excellent, I had no trouble getting in or out of the venue. I was also happy with the parking and there was a lot of space for patrons to spread a blanket, relax and enjoy the festival,” Chin said.

Pat Moss-Solomon endorsed these comments saying that the layout was amazing and loved the ease of getting to the venue.

Elmore had promised patrons a grand jazz showcase and vowed to recreate the experience that they had come to know and love at previous venues.

“We worked hard at the layout, look and feel of the grounds to make it seem just like in years gone by. We also added some touches that we thought would be appreciated by the fans of the event,” Elmore said.

The King of the Dancehall Beenie Man said he could not miss the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival as it is one of the events on the entertainment calendar that he tries to attend each year.

“This years’ jazz a murder, the venue nice bad, one of the best so far, I know next years will be even better,” the artiste commented.

Marsha Lumley, brand manager Smirnoff was astounded by the location.

“This is the perfect venue, it seems like it was made for the jazz festival. I think the Turnkey team has found a permanent home in Trelawny. Smirnoff is certainly happy to be a part of it and look forward to many more successful jazz fests right here,” Lumley remarked.

Danville Davidson, head of Customs, said that he’s been attending jazz fest for a number of years and he’s definitely impressed with this new venue and the complete ease with which he got into and around it.

“The traffic management, parking and bathroom facilities have made a whole world of difference. My experience has been a good one,” said jazz fest patron Ian Moore.

“I’ll certainly be back, I like this venue,” he ended.