One thing cannot be said: female jazz performers are an endangered species. The Opening Jazz Day at the Pegasus Hotel Gardens on Sunday to mark the start of the Jamaica Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival was a promise fulfilled as the females of the species were in total command.

The event for which Fae Ellington and Keith Brown shared the honours as emcees, belonged to the women in jazz. This was so, notwithstanding Desi Jones and Friends featuring Andre Campbell with their usual highly absorbing opening set and Trinidadian trumpeter Etienne Charles’ pleasing performance during which his diverse musical talent shone brightly.

Sometimes switching roles from trumpet to percussion, it was a performance that will be remembered for his blending with jazz other musical forms ranging from calypso like Santiman Te (No Mercy) to Bob Marley’s Turn Your Light Down Low. The outstanding trumpeter was ably accompanied by Chris McDonald on keyboards.

In one of her myriad roles, first lady of jazz, Myrna Hague’s reflective offerings Falling in Love with Love and That’s Life, set the stage for what was to come. Canadian born songstress Kiralina, maintained this thematic approach with her enthralling performance of Wonderful World.

And indeed, many more patrons should have been on hand to see her dynamic delivery as well as that of American jazz singer Carmen Lundy and trumpeter Ginetta Vendetta. The small crowd was rewarded with all of the above, but moreso by Lundy’s spicy set that provided intriguing musical expressions from her interpretations of timeless tunes like A Moment With You, Where Love Surrounds Us, In Love Again and Nature Boy.

With all that out of the way, what was left was the jazzy, funky, Ginetta Vendetta to bring the evening to a rollicking end, which she did without her pop quartet. Assistance on harmony and melody came from Cheryl Robinson.

Beginning slowly on trumpet with My Funny Valentine, this her sixth appearance in Jamaica, was perhaps her most memorable. Not so much for her for job on her instrument of choice, but much more for the way in which she worked stage with her raunchy style of dancing during her performance of Caribbean Lullaby and Troppo.

The 20th staging of the annual Jamaica Ocho Rios International Jazz Festival comes to a climax on Sunday (Father’s Day) at Turtle Rivers Park, Ocho Rios. The closing day which begins at noon, will feature Pamela Williams, Kingsley Ettienne, Lila Downs, homegrown percussionist Quida and keyboardist Dr Kathy Brown, veteran Jamaican trumpeter Mickey Hanson, Desi Jones as well as the Fab Five Band.