Soul-jazz saxophonist Elan Trotman
has always taken great pride in his Barbadian roots. A few years ago, the
Boston-based artist leapt at the opportunity to showcase the cozy Eastern
Caribbean locale by creating and hosting a Columbus Day Weekend jazz festival
on the island, inviting a handful of contemporary jazz chart-toppers to share
the marquee. This October 7-10, the native son returns home for his third
annual Barbados Jazz Excursion at the plush Crane Resort with perhaps the strongest
talent lineup yet, a fresh itinerary of unique excursions and a golf tournament
to benefit Trotman’s newly formed Never Lose Your Drive Foundation, which
raises funds for a local music program that provides students with regular
music instruction from local tutors and quarterly faculty visits from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and
other college professors. After all, it was the government of Barbados that
awarded Trotman a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music where he
launched his own music career.
Joining Trotman at this year’s Barbados Jazz Excursion is
four-time GRAMMY®-nominated R&B/pop vocalist Jeffrey Osborne,
guitar-slinging hitman Peter White, award-winning keyboardist Brian Simpson and
urban-jazz flutist Althea Rene. Local musicians will be featured during a Bajan
All-Star Night performance and devout guests can celebrate Sunday at a gospel
brunch.
“The Barbados Jazz Excursion is designed to be an island
festival unlike any other with world-class talent, a wide range of land and sea
excursions for our guests’ enjoyment and non-stop fun at the Crane Resort. Our
excursions are purposely intended for people to discover Barbados through a
local’s eyes. I’m especially excited about launching my new foundation, Never
Lose Your Drive. The NLYD Celebrity Golf Tournament brings together music and
sports celebrities on the links to raise funds in support of our local music
program at the Never Lose Your Drive Community Center,” said Trotman, a popular
performer on the contemporary jazz circuit known for incorporating Caribbean
culture into his distinctive blend of R&B, jazz and gospel recordings that
have earned him a consistent presence on the Billboard Top 10 singles chart.
While live music occupies the primetime slot during the
festival evenings, the daytime and post-concert timeframes are for discovering
Barbados through exclusive excursions. Guests can dive deeply to glimpse the
colorful life aquatic on the Atlantis Submarine Tour; take an Island Safari
adventure; go underground to explore Harrison’s Cave where caverns and massive
crystal formations will leave you marveling; rest, rejuvenate or recreate
during a Beach Day at the Boatyard; sail away on a sunset catamaran cruise; hit
The Gap to partake in the vibrant nightlife that includes fine dining, street
vendors and multicultural exchanges; and play golf with Trotman, Osborne and
other celebrities while basking in glorious sunshine under brilliant blue skies
amidst breathtaking vistas and lush tropical landscapes.
On October 10, former New York Knick John Starks, singer
Javier Colon, actress/singer Suzzanne Douglas and other celebrities and sports
figures are expected to attend the Golf With A Cause Celebrity Tournament at
the Royal Westmoreland and the Never Lose Your Drive Foundation Reception &
Silent Auction. The next day, a NLYD seminar and panel discussion will be held
for student musicians and athletes.
The Crane Resort, located less than three miles from
Grantley Adams International Airport, is set on Crane Beach, which has been
called one of the 10 best beaches in the world on “Lifestyles of the Rich &
Famous,” named by the Travel Channel as one of the Top 25 sexiest beaches in
the world and voted last year by USA Today readers as the “best Caribbean
beach” for its stunning beauty and serenity.
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