Doctor Mathew Joseph, from India and resident in Bermuda and his friends Bermudian Joy Barnum (vocals), David Estes from India and the United States (Cajon and vocals), (?He?s more Indian than I am?, said Joseph) Robert Smith (Bass) and Martin Isaac (Ghanian Jeel drum) performed a programme of original music, classic reggae and recently composed material which was enthusiastically received by a packed audience.

The instruments were from Africa and Spain as well as from high tech instrument companies (such as the Godin Multiac, the MIDI enabled guitar that Joseph plays). The compositions mix Raga and Reggae, Middle and Far Eastern, African, Western and Caribbean styles. The band?s sound was subtle and well balanced with a light afro-reggae feel to it which supported but never overwhelmed the vocals.

Ms Barnum, whom Mathew had met at a poetry evening, performed an original ballad ?One Needs to Rest?. Watch out for this lady. She is developing a vocal talent that I expect to hear a lot more of in future. Estes sang the Bob Marley standards ?She?s Gone? and ?Bad Card? with a superb intonation and delivery which enhanced the originals. In the last 30 years Reggae has gone a full circle across the world and is here given back to us by an American bought up in India who must have heard these songs as a child. Joseph performed new compositions, including ?If I Could Be The Moment?, inspired by a note that his wife had penned and ?Between My Eyes?, a celebration of the beauty of the world as well as songs from his 2004 album ?Firefly?. All were very well received, especially his ?Sunrise? which is a wonderfully evocative sound painting of sunrise in the Himalayas. The final number, ?Lay down?, a passionate plea for world peace, brought the audience to its feet.

Milt sat like a rock in centre stage. The rest of the trio arranged themselves to his right; Geoff Marshall (bass) and Ken Harris (drums). Unannounced, they launched into a cleverly linked (In chord sequence A minor ? D minor ? E minor) series of classical guitar studies played by Milt, nicely enhanced with drums and bass: Leo Brouwer?s ?Estudio Sencillo No 6? (Milt: ?Sencillo. That means simple. It?s not simple?) followed in quick succession by Bach?s ?D minor Prelude No 999?, and Vincente Gomez? ?Romanza?

They then played the Beatles? ?Here, There and Everywhere? and ?Yesterday?with a Jacques Loussier style interlude of the first two part invention by Bach.

Milt talked to us about the study of the classical guitar: ?If you work your buns off, it might throw you a bone now and then?.

Milt?s remark disguises the fact that he has made a lifetime study of the guitar in all its manifestations and has mastery of the instrument, and his love of the guitar is unbounded.

He has perhaps more than any guitarist I know spanned classical and jazz styles. He sounds like Charlie Bird, J.S. Bach or Leo Brouwer when he plays nylon and like Jim Hall or Charlie Christian when plays steel. His phrasing is wonderful. Stephen Weinberg once said Milt?s control and bass/treble separation was the clearest he had ever heard.

Milt?s daughter Michelle (who was one of the first Bermudian Rotary exchange students in Brazil) sang three bossa nova songs in Portuguese: ?Corcorado, Para dizer Adeus?, and the famous ?Garota de Ipanema? (The girl from Ipanema). Her light soprano blended well with the trio and gave us a real insight into how the bossa nova sounded originally.

Stephen Crawford was invited on stage to participate in the next number, ?Estat?, a piece that Ren?e Robinson described as having ?a beautiful, sophisticated melody?. Milt: ?We?re going to change all that?. Not true. The piece was beautiful and sophisticated.

The evening finished with the trio giving their interpretation of ?If I Were A Rich Man? from ?Fiddler on the Roof?.