About steel pan artistes tapping into the mainstream music Industry. All genres of music can be utilized. However jazz remains a matured genre for matured minds. It remains a worldwide developer of minds. The steel pan instrument is born out of improvisations. Improvisation is allowed in Jazz. Its music is composed during the performance of the music. Pan players were introduced from day one to improvise at times. In my opinion jazz remains the best genre for the steel pan instruments right down to the bass. What are your opinions?

Steve Taylor

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  • Hi Claude, Thanks for posting my FB post.   If we notice that our most successful pan instrumentalists had and are tapping into jazz oriented music. Jazz is this. Any song from any genre of music can be turned into jazz. Our most successful pan musicians have played some form of jazz on the world market stage. These are some of the top names. R. Greenidge, O Molenno, A. Narell, R. Cliff, B.Sharpe, and K Philmore (my cousin) to name a few. There are younger pan musicians that are now tapping into jazz- the real world music genre. There are many types of jazz. Some names are straight ahead, smooth jazz, cool jazz, to name a few. They each have their circuits and followers worldwide in the millions. Worldwide here means worldwide audiences. Not just in the US. Jazz is now, not just an American genre. It started there. India, Africa, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, South America, and many more large countries have their equivalent jazz.

    Our steel pan instrument right down to the bass have also penetrated many countries and more and more are coming on. The principle psychology to my saying that of all the genres of music that are being played by pan instrumentalist is that jazz in any format with any musical song including classical music can be played in a jazz format with its particular rhythms. It is the most universal music genre now on this planet. Of course it is followed by other genres but it leads the pack. 

    The genres of music we created in T&T are also jazz oriented including Panorama music -Ken Johnson. Kaiso, Calypso and other off shoots all contain jazz both in rhythm and by their very birth from Kaiso. Roaring Lion and others like Attila the Hun have proved this. One of the songs of Kaiso  "Rum and Coca Cola" blew the minds of producers, so much so they stole it and it was redone in a more jazzy manner by the Andrew sisters. It went platinum. Kaiso at that time penetrated the US market and many singers did well with it include Louis Farakhan, Rock Hudson, Harry Belafonte and many other American singers started singing Kaiso numbers. Kaiso therefore is T&T answer to the American jazz in terms of allowing improvisation both in musical structures and lyrics added on the fly while playing the number. This is jazz. 

    Our musical creations both in songs and the pan instrument, still allows for improvisation. Panorama music is really a jazz classification if it were to go mainstream. The music has all the traits of jazz. One can add on the fly. That is how Panorama arrangements are made. One night an arranger can have a certain vibration pull towards something he is hearing and place it within the song. Another night he/she may add to it or replace it with another idea. That's what jazz musicians do with the compositions of any composer right on stage and on the fly.  So T&T music is really a family of jazz music in concept and vibration. It is time. It is time we realize and know these facts. jazz therefore is most likely the only music that can be the one that can bring the most success to pan instrumentalist.

    Last but not least the pan instrument is not just the first pan aka tenor pan. All the classes of pan should be sounded now in a jazz combo band. It is best that the steel pans do not play only by themselves. They become sweeter when played with other musical instruments.

    We have also arrived at having the electronic sound of all the pans and are further developing their sounds to sound almost identical with the acoustic ones. By mere switching one can have all the sound of pan immediately in a combo. In this way one does not stress people's ear out with only the high frequencies of the first pan.  So we have the soprano pan, the alto pan, the tenor pan-i.e.the real tenor range of pitch, and bass pan all of which should be sounded in jazz bands. A pan musician now has to be interested in electronic music sounds as many times on the jazz circuit in very big countries on has to play outdoors. Pans and mics are not close friends because of the winds outdoors. So one has a choice to attend  a gig according to time, place and wind circumstances.  Here is a sample of what I preach. I have included the real tenor pan and alto pan sounds that are electronic sounds of pan. This can now be accomplished and especially in jazz all the instruments must be heard by the audience both indoors and outdoors especially. many times I have seen pan players playing with jazz bands but their instruments are not loud enough to hear all their riffs being offered on the fly. We have arrived at this juncture for sure. Pan instrumentalists should be well advised accordingly.  https://www.distribuware.com/music/footprints2.mp3    There are about 150 very famous jazz songs which can be played over and over, anywhere and any time across the globe. Plus players can play any kaiso or calypso song in  jazz style including Christmas music. This is the full power of this great genre gift to all. It is music at its finest. 

    • Some names adjustments with apologies.  These are O. Molineaux. R. Smith, Kim Johnson.

      1. Othello Molineaux - Wikipedia 

        en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othello_Molineaux

        Othello Molineaux is a jazz steelpan player who spent much of his early career backing bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius. Additionally, Molineaux has worked with other musicians such as Monty Alexander, Chicago, and David Johansen.

      2. Othello Molineaux | Jazz at Wolfson Presents - mdc.edu 

        www.mdc.edu/jazzatwolfson/performances/othello-molineaux...

        Othello Molineaux is widely credited with introducing the steel pan to the jazz world. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago, the dual island republic that also gave birth to the steel pan. He spent much of his early career performing with the late Jaco Pastorius' ensemble after migrating to the U.S ...

        1. Rudy Smith Steel Pan Page 

          www.rudysmith.dk/index.htm

          Recipient of the 27th annual Sunshine Award Hall of Fame New York 2015 - In a career spanning six decades, alto steel pan player Rudy Smith has built a reputation exploring and bridging the world of jazz with his native instrument, the steel pan, finding in each a sincere spirit of musical expression.

        2. It was further developed 1945-1960 with many new inventions in tuning, materials and the making of different types of pan instruments going from Soprano to Six Bass. It was just a matter of time before the first jazzpan soloist would emerge. The pioneer is the legendary virtuoso Rudy "Two Left" Smith, who transformed the pans into a jazz ...

          We must encourage young musically educated pan players to also take this route first created by these two giants. The sky is the limit. There are thousands of young musicians across the globe taking up jazz as well. Jazz is on the come back trail.

  • We are now giving up genuflection at the altar of ancient European classical music, to bend knees on American classical music? Why? The greatest music produced on pan remains the great panorama arrangements.

    • Doctor Johnson: PANORAMA MUSIC has very little (very very little) appeal outside of TRINIDAD except for the EXPAT POCKETS and a few classrooms.

      Audiences like STANDARDS and their OWN MUSIC interpreted ON THE PAN.

      Of course there is still a lot of room for ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS -- but ANDY NARELL has been the only one to master THAT TALENT to date.

      Everyday HUNDREDS OF STEELBANDS are hired to entertain across NORTH AMERICA and you will not find much PANORAMA MUSIC in their repertoires -- no ENTERTAINMENT VALUE in that!!!

      • Phase II - Fire Down Below (version)

        Arranger Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe. SANCH CD9601 SHOWCASE Steelbands of Trinidad & Tobago

  • G.B.T.V. CultureShare ARCHIVES 1990: ROBERT GREENIDGE "Stardust"

    Ken 'Professor' Philmore - Stardust

    Gowin Bowen arranger/keyboard, Junior Wharwood guitar, Albert Bushe jr: bass, Pedro Lezama sax, Ken Philmore steeldrum/steelpan.

  • I believe that a big song on Billboard will do wonders at this time.

  • Actually, I DISAGREE with SIDD!!!

    TOTALLY!!!

    I know where he is coming from, but it is an ISLAND POINT OF VIEW.

    I still would ENCOURAGE  EVERYBODY (TRINIS who have a GLOBAL PAN DREAM) to go back and listen to the WILSON JEAN-BAPTISTE VIDEO. It is like a BIBLE OF GLOBAL PAN PERFORMANCE.

    And even so, it needs a lot of MODIFICATION for the GLOBAL JOURNEY.

    PAN LOVERS WORLDWIDE need to have a CONFERENCE and come to an agreement on how to GLOBALIZE PAN MUSIC!!!

  • Reid Wright and be Happy - Pan On The Move

    Pan On The Move / Singing Dianne / (Ray Holman & Alvin Daniell) 1972

    Starlift - Pan On The Move (1972)

    Arranger/Composer Ray Holman.

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