AT the Redbones Blues Cafe’s recent Pre-Valentine show, Mickey Hanson and Friends, singer Andre Shepherd stole the spotlight.

The 28-year-old Shepherd mesmerised the audience with his incredible renditions of John Legend’s All of Me, the Smokey Robinson original Cruising, the Sam Cooke standard A Change Gonna Come and Sam Smith’s Stay.

With the release of a new single, Head Cornerstone, the 2001 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission contestant, is eyeing a commercial breakthrough.

“I seek to inspire others with the gift of music that God has given me,” said the Kingston College past student.

That ‘gift’ has impressed veteran trumpeter Mickey Hanson.

“I just went by a friend’s home one day and heard him singing, and that’s how I ended up inviting him on the show,” Hanson told the Jamaica Observer.

On the pre-Valentine’s event, Hanson was in fine form with instrumental interpretations of Time After Time, I’ll Be There, For the Love of You, Never Can Say Goodbye and Cherry Pink Apple Blossom White.

Special guest artiste, Cuban violinist Jose Salgado gave the full house an entertaining display on classic jazz numbers such as Waves, Autumn Leaves and A Thousand Years.

The Hanson trio — Kamala Hamilton on keyboards, bassist Paul Madden and drummer Obed Davis — kicked things off with instrumental takes on Grover Washington Jnr/Bill Withers’ Just the Two of Us, Bread’s Everything I Own and the jazz standard, My Funny Valentine.

— Basil Walters