Blog 2.0

Trinidad & Tobago’s Phase II Pan Groove, founded by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, celebrates its 50th anniversary in August. Nigel A Campbell looks back at the pioneering journey in the July/August issue of Caribbean Beat magazine.

Caribbean creative and cultural institutions that have achieved the half-century mark are not rare — the National Dance Theatre of Jamaica and the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, for example. But the ongoing adulation and newsworthiness sometimes peter out — not so much as a sign of decrepitude, but possibly as a signal of lagging public awareness and commercial support.

In 2022, HADCO Phase II Pan Groove turns 50. With that landmark, it joins the pantheon of legendary bands that paved the way for sustaining an original sound born in the Caribbean, and elevates the idea that “the audacity of creole imagination”, as coined by steelpan researcher Kim Johnson, has gone global. The band could be a case study for a modern consideration of steel orchestras.

The names of pioneer steelbands formed in the 1930s and 1940s — Renegades, All Stars, Desperadoes, Casablanca, Invaders — suggest both a combative spirit that was a hallmark of early pan life, and the fantasy of cinematic imagination. Phase II Pan Groove, by contrast, was born in the turbulent 1970s. It was a time that saw Trinidad impacted by American Black Power animus, heralding an awakening of cultural pride among a new generation of musicians. They sought new sounds, and to distance themselves from a colonial past.

Phase II would be the bellwether of steelbands born in this era, as it trod an uneven path towards self-identification, self-sufficiency, innovative creativity, and commercial independence. It survived the flux of Caribbean entrepreneurship. But before one gets to 50, a little historical context is needed...

READ MORE at: In the Groove: Phase II at 50 | Backstory | Caribbean Beat Magazine https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-171/in-the-groove-backstory#ixzz7aDALBMXA

Liner notes (as written) for Boogsie's new CD, A Tribute To the Mighty Sparrow: Len ”Boogsie” Sharpe on the PHI

Len “Boogsie” Sharpe has reached a point in his career where accolades are superficial. He is that temperamental genius who can compose in his head without the enhanced skill of an academy-trained musician, the scores for up to eight mini-symphonies for large steelpan orchestras in one short Carnival season. In Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean diaspora and the world, "Boogsie" is an icon of steelpan, that self-sufficient and brilliant musician who can do it all. In that sometimes erratic mind of his, “Boogsie” can cajole melodies and improvisations from any steelpan family member, making the familiar new, and the new, unforgettable. His new instrument, the PHI is an evolution of the acoustic steelpan into the digital age, and in the hands of this master, we can bear witness to some firsts.

Sun Ra, in 1956 was the first artist to release a commercial recording of the electric piano (a Wurlitzer) in jazz on his album Angels and Demons at Play. Walter/Wendy Carlos’ 1968 recording Switched on Bachwith a modular synthesizer system, the Moog, heralded the commercial breakthrough for the synthesizer to the general public. These are artists in the midst of transition of the possibilities of sound, silencing the status quo and creating new moulds. Calypso music was first recorded in 1912, some five years before the first jazz recordings in the USA. In Trinidad and the world, as a matter of fact, aside from the 1940 Decca recording of the proto-steelpan side, The West Indian Rhythm Band accompanying calypsonian Roaring Lion, Casablanca Steel Band was the recipient of the honour of being the first recorded steel band with Trinidad Steel Band in 1948. [Brute Force of Antigua would have to wait a further 3 years before they could supply the fiction of their claim of being first.] That recording heralded an effort to put into the public domain, the new sound emanating from the urban yards, those laboratories of sweat and spit and fire, where the steelpan was created and evolved. In the intervening years until now, the steelpan and the steelpan sound have evolved to a rich timbre and wide sonic range that have taken a place in the sound library of World musics with commercial crossover appeal and demand.

The technical evolution and skill of these early pioneers still amazes. To actually play tunes, and yearn to improve the sound and the instrument was heady pioneering stuff much like the work of the Wright Brothers or Thomas Edison. As steelpan researcher Dr. Kim Johnson says, it is “the audacity of the creole imagination!” The importance of capturing that first sound must have also been significant. From a foreign sound engineer’s perspective, this early sound might have been as much as he could perceive the steelpan could do for a while or forever! In 2011, that magic of captured innovation is so important to us as a nation. “Boogsie”, with this CD, A Tribute To the Mighty Sparrow: Len “Boogsie” Sharpe on the PHI, is entering that domain of those pioneers by recording his tribute to the Mighty Sparrow on the PHI. This recording is the first commercial recording using this Caribbean-created technology of the Percussive Harmonic Instrument (PHI), an electronic descendant of the traditional instrument. One pan, many sounds; the complete range of the steelpan family is within reach with a single PHI. Compact. Convenient. Creative. With it, “Boogsie” is an ensemble.

In our existence in the Caribbean, to be a first would need a recognition that comes from creating in a new medium, on a new instrument, for a new audience. “Boogsie”, whose infrequent recorded output as a solo artist exists in contrast to his numerous live arrangements, has now created a legacy project which can only add to the increasing catalogue of steelpan recordings dating all the way back to 1940. It also juxtaposes the creativity of artist and scientist in the Caribbean milieu and highlights how far we have come, and shows the possibilities that Trinidad-born Nobel Literature laureate VS Naipaul never recognized during his sojourn in the West Indies in 1960-61 that he had published in his definitive and seminal travel book, The Middle Passage: “History is built around achievement and creation; and nothing was created in the West Indies.” The steelpan was about 20 years old at the time of Naipaul’s indictment, evolved from its accidental birth and willed into communal acceptance. 50 years later, Trinidadian engineers have created an electronic instrument that merges the powerful facility of MIDI with a form inspired by the traditional steelpan. History will be vindicated!

Sparrow, that great calypsonian whose canon is unsurpassed in terms of range of melodies, lyric topics, and superior performance both on record and on stage, represents the ideal starting point for the evolution of the recording of calypso melodies. One pioneer interpreting another on a pioneering new instrument is a legacy that can’t be denied. It is the evolution of pan. It is the indictment of a version of history. It is the genesis of a new Caribbean musical aesthetic.

© 2011, Nigel A. Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

I was recently re-animated about the possibilities of programming 24 hours of steelpan jazz and its variants for online radio, when I had to do a little research into the output of this sub-genre of our Caribbean jazz fusion experiment. Some hard realities; we had a proliferation of CDs during the1990s, both in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad, mainly North America. A smattering of offerings out of the UK and Europe did not hold much sway as we entered the 21st century. As a programming niche, there is a thin line between repitition and redundancy.

There is a sort of renaissance in music recording now from the US, by non-Trinidadians as well as diasporic citizens, but the quality varies with level of music academic qualifications. Two names stick out, Phil Hawkins and Gary Gibson, both offering two and four CDs respectively in the 2000s, leaning to what Andy Narell, among others, has termed "progressive steelpan jazz": jazz-based, harmonically intricate music. To quote a review for one of Gibson's CDs: "Speaking a language of harmonic depth not previously explored within the steelpan community in recorded music, Gibson's compositions provide an excellent springboard for improvisations." Both these West-coast musicians attempt to be innovators of music for steelpan. On the east coast of the US, ex-pats Liam Teague and Leon Foster Thomas are creating variety, Victor Provost recently premiered with bebop stylings, while JAOTG alumnus Jonathan Scales released his third CD of musically complex and outside the box compositions. One critic noted, "the music on Jonathan Scales' [three CDs] defies the conventional parameters of jazz or even "pan-jazz" and pushes composition to unprecedented levels of complexity and sophistication."

Local steelpan recordings seem to revolve around ensemble performance by a whole band, with few offerings by our greats: Boogsie, Professor, Ray. Robbie Greenidge, with his collaborations with Michael Utley of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefers Band, has about over a half-dozen CDs, now and then veering towards his boss' carefree tropical blend devoid of the native rhythms that inform Caribbean jazz. I look and listen with keen interest at young Kyle Noel's upcoming offerings. This Trinidad southerner, far from the madding crowd has interesting musical and sonic ideas, and it would be an excellent fillip for the inventors of the PHI to get that instrument into his hands.

Hoping and believing that quantity and quality are what drive a music industry, I look, and wait with bated breath for the day when we get our act together here in the Caribbean, to make that statement that we made years ago when Caribbean people challenged the idea that there was music other than rock 'n' roll that was chart-worthy in the US. Belafonte was a catalyst then, but not a sustainer. It is said that Andy Narell is the equivalent catalyst for the steelpan. Only excellent output will sustain. [Listen to the exfm stream of some collected music here.]

Phil Hawkins Livin Right

Jason Baptiste 546

Victor Provost Her Favorite Shade of Yellow

Annise Hadeed Over-Time

Jaco Pastorius Good Morning Annya

Kalabash From Whence We Came

Richard Bailey Sande Grande Plains

Kyle Noel The Black Whole

WDR Big Band Köln Pan Woman

Phil Hawkins The Big Idea

The Breakfast Band Jazzabel

Hugh Huggins Jr. Carenage

Leon "Foster" Thomas No Looking Back

Ken Professor Philmore Hibiscus Drive

Gary Gibson A Little Poem For You

Canefire Little Bell

Garvin Blake Belle Eau Road Blues

Ron Reid's Sunsteel Dis J'ouvert

Othello Molineaux Hannibal's Return

Lennard Jack What's On Your Mind

Andy Narell Stickman

Greenidge/Utley Trini Style

Ralph MacDonald Samba 4-2

Ray Holman Charlotte Street

Jamani being a solo performer means you have to rely on yourself to run the show, were as in a band you have other musicians to help you out, which is all good as in developing team work skills,  so  getting the corrected balance  between  solo permanences  and band work, is inessential skills to have  for a young  growing  musician.

Over the years locally  Jamani has performed at many venues, like the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre  (NEC) Birmingham Symphony Hall, the National indoor arena, to mention a a few, he has travelled to Africa, Trinidad, guernsey, and many more places.. Also he has done many Radio and TV performances,  recorded TV Advert for the Saint Kits and Nevis Jazz festival, performed on live TV in Trinidad & Tobago the home of the Steelpans

Picture above  was taken in Trinidad TV studios, after   performance by 3 Steelpan solo artist .  Jamani Stewart, "UK'S young Steelpan Soloist" with one of "Trinidad & Tobago's top Steelpan soloist" Dane Gulston & Dad Mighty  Jamma, "UK'S No1 Steelpan Soloist Champion", with Alison Hennessey Trinidad and Tobago TV presenter

To View 12 year old  Jamani Performing  On Children's BBC click on link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6fpB-SESBM&feature=autoplay&list=PL5D0CD40E17D83AF8&index=1&playnext=6

The Steelpan as a solo instrument is capable of playing many different forms of music. The lay out of notes on the  Tenor pan (Soprano )  Jamani is performing on is set to a circle of 4th & 5th. the one pan carries 29 diffrent notes and  was discovered by Trinidad Genius Tony Williams.

Many Steelpan soloist thrive to perform and improvise over well known jazz standards

to view video of   14 year old Jamani  improvising &  rehearsing a piece called Meditation please click on link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKEw3AVNl8w&feature=related

Due to the fact the steelpan is a melodic percussive instrument it is very important to understand Melodies, Chords, & Harmonies as well as  different kinds of beats & rhythms .Playing drums can be very helpful to develop the rhythmic understanding. Drumming  also helps  develop better wrist action for control of  speed, dynamics   & rolling notes.

Jamani started playing drums from 3 years old, and has always kept that passion with him. the next video clip was recorded at perry beaches school concert were Jamani played drums with his friends & Asian dhol drummers

to view 15 year old Jamani,s performance  on drums please click on link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-mO9zVxq2o

For more information on Steelpan  workshops & performances please visit

www.jammasteelpan.net