Surprise performances for Tuesday Service anniversary tonight

Weekly live music jam session Tuesday Service will mark its second anniversary with a special staging tonight, at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre instead of its usual base, The Compound, as part of Reggae Month.

Organiser Tom ‘Panic’ Jones, preparations are well advanced to deliver an exceptional live music experience.

“We are all in high spirits, everybody is galvanised and ready to go. We are on schedule with everything that we are supposed to get done,” Jones promised.

A defining feature of Tuesday Service remains its signature element of surprise, with audiences discovering performers only when they take the stage.

“The element of the show that people love is the surprise of not knowing who will be there to perform. The people who are performing have already rehearsed ... people like Chris Malachi and Khalia have a decent following ... Tosh Alexander, Imeru Tafari [and] a lot of young up and coming people,” he revealed.

The event continues to serve as an important platform for emerging talent, a mission Jones says remains central to its success.

“Tuesday Service is really based on the growth and nurturing of young talent and getting them to actually get their fans out to see them in this light. I think we have a lot of good stuff going on. Eight females have already rehearsed, but we also have an open mic section at the Compound at Tuesday Service, where artistes come up and perform. We will have a similar setting to that, but instead of just having an open mic where someone comes up and performs, it will be song leading into song,” Jones explained.

Now, a seasoned production after two years of weekly staging, Jones says the team has refined its execution to ensure a seamless experience for patrons. He also underscored the importance of sustained corporate support in keeping live music platforms viable.

“It’s a very tedious task to sustain live music; it’s a lot of moving parts. We have 25 musicians, not counting singers, in one setting, and people wonder how you do that? If we were to do that at cost, we would be talking about $1 million dollars because we have Jamaica’s finest musicians,” he declared.

Jones, a veteran artist, producer and entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the music industry, is also the founder of The Compound, a full-service creative hub that houses studios, rehearsal spaces and production services. His career includes international experience as lead singer of the Canada-based rock reggae band Panic and the Rebel Emergency.

Kerry-Ann Bryan, brand manager at Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, said the company is proud to support initiatives that nurture Jamaica’s musical future “and promoting authentic Jamaican music culture”.

“Tuesday Service represents exactly what Reggae Month stands for. live performance, creative collaboration and opportunities for emerging talent to shine. We are proud to partner in celebrating this milestone and helping to sustain platforms that keep live reggae thriving,” Bryan said.

Wray & Nephew is the title sponsor for Reggae Month.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com