Five bands have performed “Wrong Again” so far for Panorama 2020. Judging from the results of the Medium bands preliminary round, my fears for this tune are on point. To me this tune is not to be attempted by an arranger who is faint of heart in the first place. It is no surprise that Pamberi placed higher than the Valley Harps and Melodians. The latter two bands were like chalk to Pamberi’s cheese.
The real challenge with a two-chord tune, especially one with as a minimal a melodic line as Wrong Again is to hold the listener’s (judges included) interest, instead of straying needlessly all around the music globe for “playing notes” sake. In my humble view, motivic development is of paramount importance with any Panorama arrangement and more so when the melodic line doesn’t offer much. Wrong Again is made up of three distinct statements…The intro “When ah say ah fed up with horn”…The verse…The chorus…Well ok four statements, if you add in Oh laaard Oh laaard Oh laaard…But hey man that four is enough to make plenty music, if you choose to “stay right with the tune”.
The only band so far that has been successful at “staying right with it” is Pamberi. Everybody else, including Renegades and Starlift last night took us on trips far far removed from the tune.
Now mind you, I don’t expect any arranger to remain “true” to a tune’s melody for the entire eight minutes, but oh gorm man when yuh travelling doh go so far that we have to wonder “…Is what tune dey playin again?” For instance I couldn’t always determine where Starlift was at all times last night. Something tells me that their first time arranger Dante Pantin being thrust into the “Big Band” limelight, thought he should pull as much out of the hat as was humanly possible. I fear for their progress as the competition progresses. But then again it’s only three bands to kick out for the Semis so maybe they will be safe. Renegades I imagine will end up much safer when the prelims dust clears. In my opinion his “quotes” were not as successful (so far) as in the two previous Panoramas that he won…But it’s early days yet and very few arrangers have so much “up dey sleeve” as he does.
This year as in all post nineties Panoramas can’t help I recall Clive Bradley’s advice to us in a lecture many years ago…”Less is more!” Andre White wuk dem good and proper where that is concerned. The entire arrangement style was in keeping with the simplicity of the melody at all times. He didn’t run us all around San Juan and when he so desired his ideas were modern, jazzy even funky too, but never ever over the top.
After leaving the original melody, White entered into a staccato brass-style rift over the verse. Simple lines, preparing us for more expansive and adventurous layering of musical and rhythmic textures as the tune progressed. All the while the orignal melody existed somewhere…on bass, cello, even in the rootsy “Grenada” rhythm. Towards the end he quoted Kerwyn Duboi’s very soothing “Forget about it” over the main theme “Tell me how ah wrong again”… As if to suggest acceptance of the horn…But ah telling allyuh for free… Even if is so sweet ah horn is…Ah still ent want one….
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