WITH a crowded line-up, it took a while for the birthday tribute to Cynthia Schloss last Wednesday to find its natural high.

But that point arrived, almost at night’s end, in the form of Maria Myrie, and the legions packed into the Alibi venue in St Andrew could hardly have gotten enough.

She started off in sparkling form with Schloss’s

Chained To A Memory and also deliveredLove Forever before segueing into I’ve Got Love On My Mind, teasing a few male members of the audience into sing-alongs.

Another member of the tribute roster, Pat Edwards of Ebony fame, also drew for material outside of the Schloss catalogue. Edwards, having thrilled withSend Me The Pillow, unleashed a mighty rendition ofI Will Always Love You that caused a few jaws to drop.

The night started off in customary fashion with ‘house band’ Pon Fyah cartwheeling musically through a range of selections. The band regularly consists of keyboardist and musical director O’zuone, with Sherwayne Thompson on bass (Paul Williams sitting on some numbers), and Cliff Bond on drums. On the night, they were ably supported by Vivian Scott on trumpet and trombonist Romeo Gray.

That combo, or variations thereof, backed a multi-generational cast of female vocalists saluting Schloss who died in 1999. They included newcomer Danielle Edwards, sister duo L & S Symfoni, Rising Stars finalist Chanti-I, and more established acts like Charmaine Limonious, Deon Hardy, Edwards and Myrie.

By the time all performers regrouped to deliver the obligatory anthem, Bob Marley’s

One Love, the audience (including a clearly pleased Monte Blake of Merritone) was truly sated, and Schloss’s memory had been justly honoured.