The man behind the annual staging of the elite Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Walter Elmore, looks out towards the field of the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium during a tour of the facility on Tuesday. - Photos by Sheena Gayle

Western Bureau:

From bonfires to colour coordinated LCD lighting at the venue entrance to match the ones onstage, the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium outside of Falmouth is poised for ignition through musical masterpiece and unique decor to complement the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2010.

Through a tour organised by the event's organiser, Walter Elmore of Turnkey Productions, persons were given a first-hand view of how the festival would supersede its previous home at the Aqueduct in Montego Bay, St James.

Better seating

Persons will no longer need to walk with their own portable seats as this year's staging of the musical festival will have a diverse seating arrangement from various angles stationed on three levels.

"Part of the beauty of this venue is that persons can sit comfortably in their seats within a sheltered area and enjoy the music festival, as opposed to the previous arrangement that we had where persons had to bring their own seating and such," Elmore quipped during the tour on Tuesday.

Despite the absence of the ocean and the lush green space that are signature statements of the Aqueduct, a production transformation by Turnkey Productions to enhance the aesthetics at the stadium promises the elevate the festival's capacity to deliver an orchestrated musical magnum opus.

Food has been an important detail in the success of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival over the years. With more than double the venue space at the stadium, a greater variety of food courts and bars will be available for patrons.

Elmore said that adequate parking was an issue at the previous venue.

" ... We have corrected that in our move to Trelawny as, in addition to the parking facility, we will be clearing a huge section of the property to accommodate the commuting public."

Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager, who also participated in the tour, endorsed the move by the festival organisers to come to Trelawny, as he believes the town will benefit from the exposure.

Schedule

The week-long festival will begin on January 24 in Kingston with 'Jazz in the Gardens' at The Jamaica Pegasus, featuring Roy Ayers and Tony Greene; 'Jamming in Sunset' at Jamaica Grande, Ocho Rios, with Maxi Priest, Joe Roy Jackson; and 'A Jazzy Affair' at Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay, with Jon Secada and Roy Ayers on January 25.

Come January 26, there will be 'Grooving' at RIU Montego Bay, featuring Maxi Priest and Joe Roy Jackson, which will be held simultaneously at the Blue Beat Jazz Bar. Grooving at Iberostar in Montego Bay follows on Wednesday, January 27, with Maxi Priest and Roy Ayers. The festival will then move to the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on January 28.

Turnkey Productions' Walter Elmore (left) and mayor of Falmouth, Colin Gager.