VC & Co. @ Christopher's - look out for pics

AN AWARD-WORTHY PERFORMANCE

When word came that the nightclub-turned live music hotspot had won the award for Coolest Watering Hole - again - atthe Observer Table Talk Food Awards, the large audience at Christopher's jazz Cafe was appreciative, yet anxious to rreturn their focus to the night's entertainment, which was itself more than worthy of an award

The evening started off with keyboardist Richie Foulks,RUpert bent Jr on guitar (the elder Bent would take the axe later in the night), O'Neil Walters on drums and Shurwayne Thomspon on bass, threadingtheir way somewhat cuatiously through a number of show tunes.

But as the crowd numbers grew along withthe anticipation, the band members quickly came into their own, and when featured act VC opened with Bobby Caldwell's standby, "Waht You Wont Do (You'll Do For Love)" a vibe was estabished that would be sustained through the night. He delivered "Roll It" Gwaan" and "Judgement Day to rousing cheers, mixing in covers like Beres Hammond's "What One Dance Can Do" "Now That We've Found Love" (the O'Jays via Third World) and others which all found favour.

And he got more than a little help from his friends. Dub poet Charlie Bobus, Canada-bound on an extended stint, delivered a typically high energy burst of "motivational dub poetry, stepping confidently and eenrgetically onto the paths trod by the likes opf Mikey Smith, Oku Onoura, Mutabaruka and others before him. Thereafter DJ Royale endeared himself to the women i nthe audience with his ribald variations on the likes of "Driver" and a near-faithful rendering of Shaggy's "Boombastic" (the latter upon a shouted request.

Women were also involved - separately - in a couple of the show's brightest moments. For his wife, he sang Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much" (an interesting arrangement - this cover could be a hit) while she teased, cavorted and 'wined' on him with playful abandon. That was followed by an original "Made For I" and then, accompanied only keyboard and guitar, his affections shifted to his son, for whom "Joshua[Sweet Child Of Mine] was written.

The other great moment saw Cindy Breakspeare Bent singing "Waiting In Vain" as Rupert Bent Sr accompanied her on guitar, and Jana Bent, who had also supported VC on several numbers, also added her vocals.

Of course the musical vibe was so infectios that even guitarist Wayne McGregor (Black Zebra) could not resit ditching his day-job suit to get in o the action, even contributing a vocal on Bob Marley's "War"

The scheduled end time flew past with crowd in no mood to let either the singer or musicians go, and after another'benefit' performance by Charlie Bobus, VC and his "All-Stars" ended the night pretty much as the band had started, essentially jamming free-form, to everyone';s delight.

It may have been his Christopher's debut, but the now seasoned pefromer. songwriter and recording artiste (he has also graced the Rebel Salute and Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues stages; an album is on the way) demonstrated yet again that there is far more to him than "By His Deeds" (which he dropped towards the end of the night) and that he is parcticing his craft way above the ordinary.

To these ears, he already sounds like a Grammy winner.

-Live Plug