Jazzing up Bridgetown.

• Author: Goethals, Henry
• Position: Seventh Annual Barbados/Caribbean Jazz Festival to be held in Collymore Hall in Bridgetown, Barbados - Column

Collymore Hall in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, will be a-jumpin' and a-thumpin' for five days in late May, every one of its 491 seats occupied for the Seventh Annual Barbados/Caribbean Jazz Festival.

If you just happen to be on that beautiful windswept Caribbean isle at the time, drop by. The price couldn't be more right--just US$50 for five jazz-packed concerts featuring some of the region's top talents, or US$20 for an individual concert. If you can find an empty seat, that is.

The headline attraction for the May 23-26 event will be fusion flutist Dave Valentin of Puerto Rico. Valentin will be accompanied by Ron Hayes of the U.S. on drums; Jimmy Heath (also known as "Little Bird") on tenor saxophone; Rudy Smith, a noted steel pan player from Trinidad; Steve Williamson, pianist and bright young star of the British jazz scene; Cecil Payne on the piano, and Charmaine Neville, vocalist. Barbados will be represented by the hot Adrian Clarke Quintet.

A fourth concert will be an open-air event in Bridgetown, the scenic Barbadian capital; and a fifth will take place aboard the Bajun Queen, an excursion ship which travels along the scenic west coast of the island. In addition...