IT is not the norm for established artistes to open for emerging acts. But that is what happened last Saturday at Redbones Blues Café in St Andrew.

Veteran singer Errol Dunkley set the pace for a singer/guitarist Stuart Wilson. The unusual combination worked.

After an energetic cameo by comic deejay Wippa Demus, Dunkley, a prodigy in the 1960s, lived up to his reputation with an outstanding performance.

The small but vocal gathering demanded an encore after Dunkley did hits like Movie Star, Darling Ooh, You Gonna Need Me, and Black Cinderella.

Returning to the stage, the dapper Dunkley declared, “I want to send a special tribute to the brethren dem I grow up with in the business. Man like Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Sugar Minott.”

He then performed a medley of their songs including Brown’s Lips of Wine, Wilson’s Dancing Mood, Isaacs’ I Don’t Want to Be Lonely and Sugar Minott’s Mr DC.

Dunkley closed with his biggest seller, OK Fred.

He was a hard act to follow, but Wilson was not daunted. Backed by his band Love Culture, the Caymanian delivered an interesting blend of rock and reggae.

Songs that resonated with patrons included Real Come Back Story which he performed twice due to an audience request, What Is It You Represent, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, Bob Marley’s Jammin’ and another original, Rule The World.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer, Wilson, whose father is Jamaican, said he is recording an album with producer Clive Hunt in Kingston.

He also spoke about his sound.

“The canvas is reggae but we paint with elements of blues, classical, rock and jazz. For me it’s more about discovery than creation,” he said.