You could almost hear the glee at both ends of the arrangement when organisers of the Bermuda Jazz Festival booked The Manhattan Transfer as a headline act.

The organisers would be happy because they'd signed a well-known name, the band because they'd landed a top gig.

Unfortunately this meant the losers were the true jazz fans, as the Transfer's brand of swing and nostalgia was totally out of keeping with the mood established by the rest of Saturday night's performers and smacked of a desire to appeal to middle-aged tourists and a perceived idea of what Bermudians' tastes might be.

There is nothing wrong with a varied programme and a bit of fun, but on the jazz dial this was far too close to the end of the spectrum marked `easy listening'. And it wasn't even that, particularly.

The two men and two women who make up the vocal quartet were trailed as "setting new standards for vocal music.'' What poppycock. Individually their voices would struggle to measure up to a decent karaoke performer and, blended, they struggled to overcome a backing band who, despite their technical proficiency, were dominated by too heavy a bass sound not suited to the style of music. Long before the end of their set, the capacity audience were voting with their feet -- leaving in droves either in disappointment or to avoid missing the late ferry.

A good job then that the preceding performances, both international and Bermudian, were so inspiring.

Kevin Eubanks, the guitarist known to most as the man who provides the chords to accompany the punchlines of chat-show host Jay Leno's jokes, was like a man let off the leash with his trio's crossover of jazz and heavy rock.

Technically brilliant, it was perhaps music to engage the cerbral cortex more than the emotions, but undeniably invigorating and fascinating to watch.

Vocalist Nnenna Freelon was equally enjoyable, fronting an excellent group of piano, bass, drums and percussion, which complemented her fine voice while showing its own individual abilities.

Jazz singing is often quite an acquired taste, with vocal improvisation -- `scat' in the terminology -- often in danger of becoming stylised. However, Freelon managed to employ the technique without ever threatening to alienate those for whom it does little.

She may have laid on the political correctness a little heavily -- talk of the tradition of the feminine spirit, for example -- but at least she practises what she preaches, with a female percussionist and the only young female Japanese jazz pianist I've ever come across.

Meanwhile, Bermuda's own guitar quartet Tempo were also fine entertainment as they swapped between the soul of Earth, Wind and Fire, a combination of jazz and reggae on Bob Marley's Redemption Song and a Gypsy Kings-inspired composition by lead guitarist Randy Lambert.

Lambert is obviously a man who knows how to enjoy himself, adding to the superb Dockyard setting with a guitar solo he played with his teeth.

Either that or he'd forgotten to floss before coming out.

Nigel Henderson JAZZ AGE -- Lee Ritenour (left) captured during the opening night of the 1998 Jazz Festival.

RIPPINGTONS RIFF -- Russ Freeman (left) of the Rippingtons and his brand of cool jazz.

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