The yard series - click on the HQ button (bottom right) to watch in high quality Sonatas Steel Orchestra - Three days before 100 Sonatas players take the stage for the 2008 New York Steelband Panorama competition, Basement Recordings captures the defending champions in their yard. This is the fast version of their 2008 panorama offering - "The Ten Commandments of Pan" - a Yohan Popwell arrangement. Sonatas will go on to capture third place in the competition. The CD is available on the "Pan in New York" series

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  • lol this is a funny tease a few hour before sonatas go on stage to make a three peat in 201.1 WST release the 2008 yard performance i saw the words "Sonatas Yard" and immediately thought it was 2011 yard performance i bet WST catch alot of people with this.
  • Sonatas is "SICK WID IT" .... pan fever....I was there when they performed this and they were second best that nite and I couldnt even complain...I just vex dat a band come all de way from Long Island to we Brooklyn House and behave suh bad...but dis year a Brooklyn band tekkin it 4 sure...Sonatas finished second that night and CASYM was third...

    Analysis: Song Ten Commandments of Pan
    IntroKey: No established key...G chord drops...
    Motivic theme from song established in key of G and repeated in A-flat...then cut in half and trend upwards chromatically...
    to E-Flat seventh drops (0:27-0:33)....Verse begins (0:34), but it turns out to be a FAKE!!! Further intro development is "tossed in" as the band journeys thru A-flat arpeggio drops(0:43-0:49)...before again settling in E-flat(0:49)...but then quickly moving off chromatically (0:51)...but yet again settling on an E-flat (0:55) with the top pans spinning a two-note motif and the bottom pans echoing the familiar melodic motif(0:55-0:59) and then the entire band exits the intro with a run thru da entire band that (as I like to call it) ascends looking back e.g. sing/play as triplets Eb-D-Eb; E-Eb-E; F-E-F; G-F-G; Ab. (See 0:59-1:01)...The full rest after this run is very effective!

    Now de verse start-Lawd....after a minute of introductions...like when yuh go 2 a show and da person introducing de guest speaker talk mo' than de speaker....

    Verse and Chorus:(1:01-1:57)Key-Ab major.
    The chorus is played twice, but even this being just the verse and chorus, Popwell spares no one....everybody gotta wuk in dis band...da way it must always be (lol)...

    Variation 1 (1:58-2:15) Key Ab major
    A downward progression (1:59-2:06)...feels very familiar (Cm-Bdim-Bbm-Eb)x2 and then more jamming on Eb (2:07-2:15). Drops at the end mark the end of this section

    Variation 2 (2:16-3:14) Key Ab major
    This variation states the verse and chorusx2. The first time, the upper pans state the opening line (2:16)...and then the lower pans completely carry the melody...and the upper pans "jam" or "ramojay" or whichever adjective describes what dem doin...dis is why we need a pan dictionary...the chorus retruns at 2:40 and is repeated at 2:57. During these choruses the melody pans get an opportunity to perform...this section ends with a simple four note motif across the entire band (3:11-3:15)...

    Variation 3(3:15-4:20) Key Ab major;
    Jam session here...
    Progression - Ab-Gb-Db-Eb (2 beats each)
    In this section the lower pans and rhythm section setup a "music bed" using the above progression for which the upper pans simply "jam" ramojay and straight up "GET DOWN" A lot of nice melodies and motifs are explored in this section...and Sonatas execute them with clinical precision....

    Variation 4(4:20) Key Ab major
    Progression:difficult to pick out but feels like Ab-Gb-Fm-Edim-Ab-Eb-Ab
    This section acts like a bridge for a subsequent key change...it utilizes an interesting run that starts in Ab and ends up in Bb so if I were a betting man, I would say it runs through F7...

    Variation 5 (4:31-5:02)Key:Bb major
    This is the verse coming at us again in the lower pans with some slight variations...the top pans put the flavor in with their counter melodies...this section is highlighted by drops and run on the F-major chord (4:51-4:58)...(use to be E-flat in the otha key) to the entire band rolling on the F-NOTE and exiting on a brief ascending chromatic.....nice!!!

    Variation 6 (5:02-6:03)Key:Bb major;
    This is the chorus with a different feel here...something latin....the lower pans are jamming on a "montuno"(F-F#-G...F-F#-G...G-G#-A...G-G#-A) and once again supplying a "musical bed" for the upper pans to "operate" The upper pans play the chorus in a re-harmonized developed form...before finally restating the closing phrases (5:59-6:03)

    Variation 7 (6:03-6:39)Key:Bb major
    This is an extension of what was started in the previous section but the return of the "panorama beat" (without announcing) in the rhythm section elevates the energy and music... Such sneakiness in pan arrangement is wah does cause jumbie fuh come out (see 6:37-6:45)...at this point the music elevates to such a high it feels like it is approaching the ending...but NO...its another FAKE and in comes a Bb minor section!!!

    Variation 8 (6:39-7:15)Key:Bb minor (lawd what would dat look like on a music score...SMH) and then Gb major
    This minor section sneaks in "like a thief" but minor modes always "wakin jumbie"...when the Gb major section appears (6:54) - I guess this is what is being THIEF... because musically it is really not expected, but these two keys are relative to each other....so it works, and it works WELL!! wish it wasnt SNUCK IN!!!...and then the way this section ends feels really abrupt!!!!!! But if it is "thiefin" section, then I guess it playin its character really well!!!

    Variation 9 (7:16-7:32)Key:Bb major;
    Here comes a chorus again. But this time listen for the work the cellos/guitars put in...some serious arpeggio work!!

    Variation 10 (7:32-7:57)Key:Bb major
    This is the chorus again with a reharmonization in the chords...and some slight variations in the melody.

    Outro 1 (7:57- 8:37)Key: Bb major...This is another jam session....
    Progression: Bb-Ab-Eb-F (2 beats each)
    The lower pans establish a "musical bed" again and the upper pans "operate"...by now we have an idea of how this arranger works...

    Outro 2 (8:37-)Key Bb major
    Here the music is sweetened with drops on what sounds like an F# half diminished to an F7 chord then a B flat chord (8:42) that marks the beginning of the end...Popwell does a few things that features transistions between the relatives Bb major and Gb major...all the while the upper pans spit out arpeggios (8:52-9:00)...before the entire band comes together for the FINAL, final, FINAL, FINAL, one more time FINAL drops.....to close it....wheeew....what a JOURNEY....
    • Thanks for this breakdown...I hope someone puts up a Bradley video soon...Picture on My Wall...hint, hint.
  • Watching this video made me realize that Popwell is a major talent. Big up to Sonatas. Excellent recording Basement.
  • I really like this arrangement...congrats to the players of Sonatas on this accomplishment and congrats to Mr. Popwell.

    Basement, do you guys have this on CD yet, I'd like to add this tune to my Pan Collection?

    Nice man...now that's pan...no beating, pans in tune, great spirit amongst the players, nice arrangement.
    • Hi GospelPan,

      The CD will be available starting tomorrow under "Pan in New York 2008".
      • I will be anxiously checking from 12:00AM !

        LOL
    • wow, what a treat! Gorgeous chords & changes. Excellent sound, and a crips and tasty arrangement.... i especially enjoy arrangements that trade the melody around among all the pans,,,,, and i'm still surprised this tune didn't get chosen by more bands last year. i LOVE it!
  • Popwell has really grown as an arranger. It's time for Clico to move up to the large bands category.
    • Moving to next level is the only thing left for Mr. Popwell to do. He is ready musically.
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