St Lucia Jazz Festival Featuring ~ Augustin Jab Duplessis Augustin Duplessis fondly called ‘Jab’ in the musical circles, started his career as a 15 year old juniour bandsman in the Royal Saint Lucia Police Band. This was a very distinguished position in the small Caribbean island of St. Lucia as one had to be of special character and have a willingness to learn to be hired for such a post in this very prestigious band of academically trained musicians. By 1983, now on his way to being a serious saxophonist, he had a hunger to increase his knowledge and so attended master classes at Berklee College of Music in Boston in the Summer whilst still a member of the Royal St. Lucia Police Band. Acquiring knowledge did not end here as ‘Jab’ in 1989 pursued to study at Five Towns College in Seaford, Long Island, USA, the repair of woodwind instruments, a skill which was not available back home and qualified him to be sought after by the many woodwind instrumentalists in St. Lucia and the region. His insatiable appetite for learning has placed him front row at innumerable master classes with such renowned legends like Bobby Watson (Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz), Bob Berg, Wynton Marsalis Band, Jamey Aebersold, Joe Lovano, and veteran saxophonist Lew Tabackin. This amazing saxophonist has had tremendous exposure and experience in the wider world, as apart from being a member of the St. Lucia Police Band, he has played for audiences in many countries. As part of the West Indies Jazz Band, over a three year period, he toured Europe and the Caribbean. He then founded his ensemble ‘Third Eye’ in 1989 which later produced a multi hit CD ‘Awakening’. In 1992 he joined the all-star team to accompany Vincentian Calypsonian ‘Becket’ for a Caribbean Music Festival held in Cartagena Columbia. He retired from the Police Force in 1993 with the vision to pursue his personal ambitions as a professional musician. ‘Jab’ has been recognized by his country by being awarded Best Performer in the Performing Arts category of the prestigious M&C Fine Arts Awards. In the mid-ninties ‘Jab’ with his band ‘Third Eye’ played the Jazz Festival circuit in Saint Lucia, Martinique and as far as England. Duplessis being recognized among the Eastern Caribbean’s foremost saxophonists, was one of the obvious choices to be a part the Saint Lucia All Star Jazz Ensemble to perform main-stage at the 1996 St. Lucia Jazz Festival. The turn of the Millenium took ‘Jab’ and his band on three successive residencies at the 5 Star Carenage Bay Resort on Canounan Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In 2003 the 12th St. Lucia Jazz Festival saw ‘Third Eye’, led by this skilled musician, arranger and composer who by this time had expanded his musical prowess by playing the clarinet and the flute. On this occasion he included Martinique’s famous Bernard brothers, as they played alongside famous international groups ‘Four Play’ and ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’. In 2004, saw Jab and Third Eye’s lead vocalist Derede Williams, now his wife, taking full-time residency and performing as the duo – ‘Jab and Derede’ at the elite Raffles Resorts where their audiences consisted of clientele which included the rich and famous with the likes of Donald Trump, Bill Gates, The Prince of Saudi Arabia and Leonardo Di Caprio to name a few. There they opened for legendary acts such as ‘The Stylistics’ and ‘El Divo’ as they performed for the Prince’s Trust Charity Fund Raising Event. This placement subsequently opened a world of opportunities in the Raffles contingent as they performed at the 6th annual Columbian Emeralds International Barbados Polo Open held in Barbados. This was followed by a six week stint at the luxurious Raffles Hotel in Dubai and then a wedding gig in Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Canada. Towards the end of that decade, as recent as 2009 a six month residency ensued at the newly opend Raffles in Tianjin, China bringing with it an appearance at Raffles Beijing at the 2010 China Wine and Food Festival and the American Chamber of Commerce July 4th Celebrations. The duo also entertained the Guests at the Birthday party of the owner of the Canounan Resorts Villa in Monaco. 2010 saw the death of St. Lucia’s lady of folk ‘Dame Sesenne Descartes’ and he saw it fitting to release a single track titled ‘Polka for Sesenne’. In 2011, ‘Jab’ was invited by the St. Lucia Tourist Board to perform at The Gaiety as part of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival. Jab welcomed the opportunity afforded to him as he saw it as an opportunity to perform many of his original pieces which comprised of straight ahead Jazz entwined with the authentic Creole rhythms from his roots. Being back home he decided to embark on his second solo album with all songs written, composed and arranged by him and produced by young talented St Lucian producer Danyl Daniel. the album titled ‘Pinnock’s Lane’ named after a lane in his childhood neighbourhood of Georgeville, Castries which was named after his late nephew ‘Pinnock’. “Pinnocks Lane” – is a memorial to things dear, some lost in time, but always alive in memory. Edited by Jackie Cherebin-Weekes of Jackie O. Booking Contact Information: Jackie Cherebin-Weekes Jackie O. Phone: 758-487-4790 or 758-715-7751 or E-Mail: jacweekes2@yahoo bit.ly/18Cuf5W
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 22:03:37 +0000
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