The International Conference Centre was definitely the “house rocking on its heels” this weekend as Jonathan Butler showed it a great many steps on how to enjoy good, rich music.
The program was commenced by a series of great bands that were just perfect to usher the man himself. Bands like Eclipse and the Adisa band took their audience beyond Africa with songs like “Someday, my Prince would come” landing on real Ghanaian highlife, a luxurious dose of our African vibes. Tapping of feet, swaying of heads, snapping of fingers, punctuated by loud applauses became simply thunderous when Eclipse played a number which had a soloist come sing a blues number in twi. To crown off the other performances excluding JB’s performance, was a performance by Danny Nettey; a pleasant surprise for the crowd.
Despite the disappointment to Ghanaian fans in July when he was arranged to perform, JB proved to his audience that their wait was worth every cent. His energy, charisma and pure love for music and the art of music, without a doubt, took Ghanaians by storm. Supported by his beautiful daughter, Joey Butler, a wildly talented bass guitarist, a never-tiring drummer and simply fantastic pianist, began his performance with the typical Africa unite themed jazz piece. It was done so beautifully anyone could have slipped into the patriotic emotion of calling “Africa” passionately. He gradually slipped into a series of great instrumentals: a duet with his drummer, a duet with his bass guitarist and a duet with his pianist, allowing them the chance to show off their skills, and did they have skills!
Jonathan Butler proved himself a man of all genres when he transitioned into slow, romantic jazz, the kind that would serve as the perfect appetizer with red wine, some chocolates, a beautiful skyline, candles and red sheets. Announcing to the men that “I’m gonna teach you how to treat your women…watch and learn”, he proceeded to serenade singled out women, in effect serenading the whole population of women present. He demonstrated that there really is nothing wrong to praise the Lord and recognize your Adam or Eve as well.
This was followed by an ingenious medley of two of Bob Marley’s hits, “No Woman No Cry” and “Redemption Song”, given a jazzy twist and praise songs. He remarkably contrived “Falling in Love with Jesus” (a hit song which impacted churches all over the world) from the Bob Marley hits, and got everyone in the audience standing on their feet and waving their hands.
The next treat on the plate was a changeover to the blues. A rendition of “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone” and other such songs that just put you in the love-is-a-hard-place-to-be-at mood. But JB made it better, by singing softly, “Its gonna be alright”. You could feel the power he had on his audience in the pin-drop silences when he got soft and the roaring applause and sing-along when he got loud.
At the end of his performance, he got what every performing artist dreams about: a roaring applause and a chant, “We want more!” He did give more but unfortunately there was such a thing invented called “an end”.
Thus the end came, and everyone went home with the additional glow that rich music can give you.
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