Reggae meets jazz at Kings Theatre
REGGAE Jazz Fest, a show with Monty Alexander and Beres Hammond, is part of the comeback season for the storied Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.
The show is scheduled for August 1 when Jamaicans celebrate Emancipation Day.
Built in 1929 as the Loew’s Kings Theatre, it was a popular spot for vaudeville and movie-goers before closing in 1977. It re-opened in February after renovation of almost US$100 million with a concert by Diana Ross.
The theatre is located at Flatbush Avenue, home to a massive Jamaican community. George Crooks of Jammins Productions is promoter of Reggae Jazz Fest, which he said caters to fans of traditional jazz and lovers rock reggae.
“We have Beres who everyone loves, but Jamaica also has Monty Alexander who is an exceptional Jazz artiste, who plays Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall on several occasions…so we wanted to introduce him to the rest of the Caribbean community,” Crooks told the Sunday Observer.
Alexander has lived in the United States since the early 1960s and established himself a major player in traditional jazz. He has collaborated with a number of Jamaican musicians in recent years, including Ernie Ranglin, Sly and Robbie, Glen Browne and Dean Fraser.
Reggae Jazz Fest is the third concert in the Kings Theatre series — following soul singer Jill Scott and The Whispers/Stephanie Mills. Rock singer Jackson Browne is also on the itinerary.
— Howard Campbell
