Betty Wright performs at the Betty Wright and Friends Show, at Liguanea Club, New Kingston on Saturday night. - Winston Sill

Tarrus Riley has his playful moments on stage and, on Saturday night at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston, one preceded a very serious tribute to the late Gregory Isaacs.

Riley was performing on the 'Betty Wright and Friends in Concert', previously postponed and eventually pulling in a near full VIP section, but many a white chair unoccupied in the general admission seating. He came on after Hezron and Tessanne Chin, who included Oh Holy Night in her set, in honour of the season.

Riley, bringing up intermission in excellent form, started out with 'Lion Paw', many hands reaching into the chilly night air to reflect his five finger clutch. The love songs Contagious and Human Nature came before the Gargamel moment - which was done without introduction, the statement simply in the music.

respect due

Saxophonist Dean Fraser did Untold Stories first, then Riley took his turn, both of them eventually doing the "on and on" together "over and over. A few love songs later, it was the playful Gregory moment. "This part of the show name respect due," Riley said. "If Gregory was here him would say 'Lawd'," Riley said, singing the Cool Ruler's trademark call upon the Almighty.

There were chuckles, as Riley accompanied the word with a passable imitation of Isaacs' distinctive leaning stance. There was no laughter, though, when he hit I Don't want To Be Lonely Tonight, just whoops of delight. "One more Gregory!" Riley announced and did Tune In.

There was much more from Riley on a night of full sets, his jacket coming off in 'Superman' style on the way to earning an encore.

After intermission, Freddie McGregor went through the roots and soul of his extensive career, going from 'Africa' to the heavens with the request Lord help me Jesus. When he hit the dancehall segment, McGregor clarified that it was not a Beenie, Bounty and Kartel thing, but a Studio One approach. Members of the audience stood and danced to Let Him Try, Loving Pauper and Winner, McGregor eventually saying that he was going to take a seat and listen to Wright.

defenceless men

There was a lot to listen to and also look at with Wright being insistent on her opening holler to the audience that they holler back. She opened with After the Pain and closed an hour later with No Pain, No Gain. In the 60 minutes in between, she dismissed the notion that she had been going around the world beating up on defenceless men, chuckling as she gave a holler to the men who will bring the money and the loving home.

She played the congas, dropped a good, old wine up, went uptempo with Clean Up Woman and sincerely did Thank You For the Many Things You've Done, the audience making it clear that they had come for the slow jams.

Wright explained the distinctly Jamaican tinge to some of her expressions and the reggae in the R&B mix, which came through Jamaican King Sporty. "Through King Sporty, I was able to travel the world with the Honourable, Robert Nesta Marley," she said, adding that those trips made her grounded and helped her realise that "You have to wait your turn and you are not the biggest fish in the pond."

Stone Love Movements spun the tracks and Paula-Ann Porter hosted the night.