THERE is always somewhere to go and something to do in the Corporate Area. Entertainment spots are varied and each event has its own audience.

On Sunday, a moderate-sized audience turned out to enjoy this year’s penultimate instalment in the Jazz in the Gardens series at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in St Andrew.

Dubbed Maestros and Divas, the evening’s programme featured male and female acts whose talent truly lived up to the billing. But the night belonged to Jamaica’s first lady of Jazz, the indomitable Dr Myrna Hague Bradshaw.

Hague was her signature smooth, classy self as she took to the stage set amidst the green lawns of the capital city landmark. Effortlessly, she gave her audience insights into what has made her a jazz favourite for decades along with her late husband, band leader Sonny Bradshaw.

Her playlist included The Way We Were — the Oscar-winning theme song from the 1973 film of the same name.Call Me and Falling in Love would give way to a change in tongue as Hague dropped Come Closer,en espanol, and the popular Volare with a hint of Italian. The latter, specially arranged for the evening by drummer and bandleader Desi Jones, would give Hague a little trouble and saw her bursting into riotous laughter each time she missed the lines. But being Myrna Hague she was able to recover in fine style.

Yesterday marked the birthday of noted musician and arranger Marjorie Whylie. Enjoying a pre-birthday celebration, Whylie was in the audience and on the spur of the moment Hague invited her on stage for an impromptu performance. The song chosen was Our Love Is Here to Stay. She would relieve Chris McDonald from his place behind the keyboards and what happened next was magical, as Hague’s vocals, and backed by Whylie on keyboards was a treat.

That out of the way, Hague wrapped up her set with I Wish You Love.

Prior to that performance, renowned drummer and vocalist Grub Cooper of Fab 5 fame found himself in an unfamiliar position. He was front of stage with no drums, only a microphone in hand and asked to sing for the entire performance. He blamed Desi Jones for conspiring against him, but that did not stop him from delivering Stevie Wonder’s If Its Magic, The Way You Look Tonight, L-O-V-E, a rather jazzy rendition of The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up and A Lovely Day, and entertaining the Jazz in the Gardens family.

Karen Smith is one of those acts whose infectious personality is tangible with every performance. On Sunday she was no different. Her mixed set included the standard Mack The Knife, a bossa nova medley of Corcovado — Quiet Nights, Close Your Eyes and The Look of Love and a sultry rendition of Left With a Broken Heart, recorded by the likes of John Holt and the Paragons, Dennis Brown, Ken Boothe and Barrington Levy, but on this occasion arranged by Seretse Small.

Smith would end her set duetting with daughter, Courtni Jackson, on Can’t Take that Away From Me. Jackson, whose father is bass player Jackie Jackson, undoubtedly has an instrument of worth and, with time, will learn the ropes from her seasoned mother.

For openers, this version of Jazz in the Gardens featured Jackson, Alex Welcome and Christina Smith. One final show is set for the end of the year.

— Richard Johnson