NIU Steelband & Jazz Ensemble: urgent question

[Liam Teague]

Northern Illinois University’s Steelband and Jazz Ensemble will perform a joint concert on March 20^th, 2010, at the Duke Ellington Ballroom, Holmes Student Center, Dekalb, Illinois. Featured on the concert will be Sune Borregaard’s arrangements for steelband and jazz ensemble. 

We would like to know if anyone is aware as to if there have been previous concerts which have utilized this type of combination (steelband and jazz ensemble)?

We would be very thankful to receive some feedback.

Respectfully,

Liam Teague

Head of Steelband Studies

Northern Illinois University

[e-mail]

[R Kilkenny]

I wish I could be in DeKalb to hear the March 20th performance. Will you be streaming?

Many years ago I had the pleasure of attending the Trinidad and Tobago Pan Jazz Festival at Spektakula Forum in Port of Spain. It was FANTASTIC or should I say PANTASTIC! Among the jazz musicians was T.K. Blue/Talib Kibwe, who is of Caribbean parentage. It used to be an annual festival, but I don't know if it is still around. The other jazz musician who comes to mind when I think of combining jazz and pan is Oliver Lake and his Oliver Lake Steel Quartet.

[mortimer baptiste]

Morning Liam,

Just wondering whether any of the following meets the Steelpan and Jazz combination of which you speak. The concerts were part of the annual T&T Steelpan & Jazz Festival.
1. Phase II Pan Groove and TT Police Services Band (Arranger/conductor Enrique Moore and Len “Boogsie” Sharpe) at Jean Pierre Complex, POS. (2005 October)
2. Desperadoes and TT Police Services Band (Arranger/conductor Eddie Quarless) at Queen’s Hall, POS (2006 October)
3. Trinidad All Stars and Andy Narell with Jacques Schwarz-Bart and others (Arranger/conductor Andy Narell) at Queen’s Hall, POS (2007 October)
4. Grand Festival Orchestra (Arranger/conductor Enrique Moore) featuring pannists from Trinidad All Stars and selected brass and percussion musicians from Trinidad and Tobago.

You may recall performing at the 2005 concert.

Mortimer

[Cathryn]

Hello Liam:

This sounds like a great concert I only wish i could attend. My daughter who plays Tenor and Second pan goes to Boston Arts Academy (which is affiliated with Berklee College) plays with the Jazz Ensembles for her High school and the Berklee City Music Jazz Ensembles - she is VERY involved in integrating the steelpan with traditional Jazz ensembles and playing the music of the Jazz Greats. Will you be recording this show - if so please let me know we would be very intrested in purchasing a recording.

[WerNer]

Andy Narell Steelband Project + WDR BigBand + Relator:
Go to "Comment by bassmande on February 9, 2010 at 4:46am" there you can download two .wav-files of the concert.
But first stop the radio plug in...

[GospelPan]

These songs are fantastic, I don't suppose you have the WAV file for Love in the Cemetery? I purchased the recorded version from Amazon, but would like to hear the live version if there is one?

[WerNer]

Sorry, GospelPan, but "Love in the Cemetery" was not part of the program, that I posted here. I didn't know this calypso, thanks to your asking I could get it on YouTube.

[Dawn K Batson]

The Florida Memorial Steelband program since its inception in 1996 has utilized this combination. The panists are an integral part of the Jazz Ensemble. Some of the panists are also Jazz Studies majors. Just last night the panists as always, were part of the 14th Annual Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival a festival that has featured many top jazz artists and workshops with these artists.

Dawn K, Batson

Director Florida Memorial Steelband

[GospelPan]

Hi Liam,

this sounds like an interesting project, maybe even history in the making? I don't suppose this concert will be streamed online, if so I am willing to pay?

Thanks for all your help,

GP

[Darren Dyke]

Liam,

Hope all is well. Sounds like a nice show you have coming up. I would love to here some of it. Andy Narell just did a concert with Calypsociation, Relator, and the WDR big band in Cologne, Germany. It featured some of Andy's tunes (like Coffee Street and others) as well as some calypso (mostly Kitchener tunes). All the steel band arrangements were Andy's of course and the horn arrangements were done by Michael Abene who is WDR's current director. Here is a link to the WDR site with some photos: http://www.wdr.de/Fotostrecken/orchester/wbb/calypso_night_konzert_...

all the best, Darren

[John Wooton]

Hello Liam, I have not had an entire steel band perform with the jazz lab band here at Southern Miss, but I have had several students play pan with the jazz lab band. I have a few of percussion/jazz majors who play pan.
Best, John Wooton