Story Time with Mr. Sanch
MINI SERIES ONE - WHAT IS PAN-JAZZ?
Pan-Jazz is the term commonly used to describe the fusion of Caribbean rhythms and melodies with jazz harmony and improvisation. Fronted by the Steelpan (Pan), exponents often venture further to include East Indian and Afro-Latin genres. Its beginnings may be traced to the 1950’s in Trinidad and Tobago, birthplace of the instrument.
The late Scofield Pilgrim, Ray Holman, Earl Rodney, Emmanuel ‘Cobo Jack’ Riley and others, experimented with the form and meter of traditional calypsos while interpolating jazz harmonies and solos in their renditions. Simultaneously, they established the Soprano Pan as a viable lead instrument apart from its context in the steel orchestra.
The Sanch catalogue of original digital recordings is replete with examples of Pan-Jazz. The album Reid, Wright and be Happy features the late Orville Wright (piano), Ron Reid (double seconds and electric bass), David ‘Happy’ Williams (acoustic bass), Harvey Wirth (drums & percussion) and Nia Allen vocals. It continues to be our ‘flagship’ Pan-Jazz production.
It is interesting to note that although technology has permitted smaller notes to be defined on the Soprano Pan, it is still commonly called Tenor Pan in the Steelpan industry. The Trinidad & Tobago Bureau of Standards is currently addressing these anomalies through a series of national standards on the Steelpan and matters related thereto.
Friday August 05th 2016
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Lord Relator - Kitchener Medley
Calypso Fever...live at the Koln Philharmonic Germany featuring...Andy Narell Steel Orchestra, Lord Relator and WRD Big Band.
If I were to describe pan-jazz I would not use soloists as examples , because guys like Rudy and Othello for example, just play Jazz.
It is just that their instrument of choice happens to be the steel pan.
I would not for example say that Theolonius Monk played "piano jazz" , or Miles Davis played "trumpet jazz".
The truest exponent of pan jazz to me would be a group like Panazz.
Of course I suppose the term could be used as a shortcut to describe a jazz group where the pan is the lead instrument , but somehow I think that is shortchanging the instrument , since the instrument is now so accepted in the jazz genre
Panazz Players - Ol' Lady
PANAZZ PLAYERS "Somewhere over the Rainbow", "Summertime"
Awesome.
Ol' Lady = Pan-Jazz Improvisations
"Ol' Lady" by Rudy Smith, Annise Hadeed & Felix Roach
A lesson in PAN JAZZ for RUDY KENDALL!!!
Pan In Harmony = Pan-Jazz Conversations
Clive "Zanda" Alexander - Piano, Annise Hadeed - Steeldrums
There are many exponents who have contributed to the Pan-Jazz musical genre, but please remember Othello Molineaux, cool...
Respect...
Othello Molineaux - It's About Time + But Beautiful
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