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2 Jazz in the Islands
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Welcome All Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA is a mecca for music students world over. A few Caribbean musicians have ventured there to improve their skills and theoretical knowledge. Caribbean jazz is better for the fact of a new cadre of musicians who can and do play their instruments at a level that is recognised globally. Ron Reid is a pioneer who went there and is now teaching there, and in turn produces a cadre of artists that benefits the genre. We are looking at a new era of calypso jazz with new recording and now new musicians.Nigel A. [email protected]
WHAT’S INSIDE
5 RON REID Precious MetalsSouvenir Programme. 21 August 2016,
Trinidad. The album launch concert featuring new calypso jazz by the Boston-based multi-instrumentalist.
10 Ron Reid, Precious Metals and Afro-Caribbean JazzBoston-based Trinidadian multi-instrumentalist revels in the debut of his new album and looks forward to the evolution of calypso jazz.
Departments2 First Look A little of this and that; Things to do.
14 In MemoriamThe Ballad of Fitzroy Coleman
16 Pan Jazz Picnic 18 Reviews 20 Recording Roundup
CD/Download Links2 Clive Zanda Gayap Workshop, Pedro Lezama3 Robert ‘Dubwise’ Browne, Jeff Narell 4 Boo Hinkson9 Elan Trotman11 Ron Reid13 Various ArtistsScan the QR codes below the album to connect to the online digital marketplace.
Advertising inquiries 868 366 6104, [email protected] Editor and Manager Nigel A. Campbell Art Direction and Design NiCam Graphics Editorial and Advertising Assistant Amanda Carr Contributors Jabari Fraser, Tony Bell, Harold Homer II. Jazz in the Islands is published periodically by Jett Samm Publishing. All material © 2016, Jett Samm Publishing, except where noted, and may not be reprinted without permission. NOT FOR RESALE. Printed in Trinidad and Tobago by Caribbean Print Technologies. Available online at jazz.tt
Features
Jett Samm Publishing37 Newbury Hill Ext., Glencoe, Trinidad and Tobagowww.jettsamm.com +1 868 366 6104
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JAZZIN THEIslands
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4 ‘Boo’ HinksonSt. Lucia’s jazz ambassador continues to represent the Caribbean jazz scene all over the world.
12 A Good Year for New Music2016 provided a steady supply of new Caribbean jazz for an audience in need.
Issue #3. Mar 2016
9 Elan TrotmanBajan saxophonist adds a hint of tropicality to smooth jazz.
2 Jazz in the Islands
CLIVE ZANDA et alPan-Jazz Conversations/Gayap
(reissue)(SANCH Electronix, 2013)
“Assorted yet familiar is the short description of this double CD set...What you see, and then hear, is a gourmet array of delectables
served for over two hours.”—eCaroh
Available at iTunes.com
PEDRO LEZAMAPure Pleasure
(SANCH Electronix, 2014)
“Pure Pleasure...certainly has its moments of pleasure and is
worth a listen.”—T&T Guardian
Available at iTunes.com
Cuban rhythms and Trinibagonian steelpan combine to take us on a musical conversation unlike any other. Trinidadian steelpan virtuoso Ray Holman joins the late Cuban legend Guillermo González Camejo, affectionately known as “Rubalcaba”!“Rubalcaba Meets Ray: Pan Jazz
Conversations 2” Executive Producer Simeon Sandiford succeeded in
breathing new life into ten intoxicating arrangements by Cuba’s own undisputed King of Charanga with an infusion of ‘overdubs’ by virtuoso Steelpan composer/arranger/performer Ray Holman. It is now possible to re-issue the original album inclusive of two of Ray’s compositions.
FIRST LOOKA little of this and that, things to do.Simeon Sandiford and SANCH Electronix Simeon Sandiford stands as one of the more progressive music business entrepreneurs in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1979, Sandiford incorporated Sanch, primarily for building loudspeaker systems to compliment high-end audio equipment imported from USA, Europe and Japan. Seven years later, in an effort to become globally competitive, the company re-focussed its attention to the manufacture of cultural products. Sandiford has since executive produced more than two hundred cassettes, compact discs and DVDs, mainly of acoustic recordings of the music of Trinidad and Tobago. He uses minimalist microphone techniques, adhering to the less is more principle adopted by audiophile engineers. Sandiford firmly believes that the economic future of the Caribbean lies in harnessing, integrating and marketing of its diverse cultures in the global marketplace. To this end, using the themes One Caribbean Voice®, Reid, Wright and be Happy® and Cultural Rhythms® he has executed several events showcasing combinations of musical, artistic and culinary talent in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States of America. A pioneer in steelband
recording, he has harnessed the sound and timbre of the steelpan in the jazz milieu, capturing improvised steelpan music from Annise Hadeed and Rudy ‘Two Left’ Smith, and the majesty of Clive Zanda. His panyard recordings are legacy items that include the ephemeral joy of Panorama arrangement in situ. Sandiford’s role as a collector of sounds has made its mark on the quality of music produced by local jazz musicians. His connections have broadened the nation’s canon.
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IXPan Jazz Conversations 2: Rubalcaba Meets Ray
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JEFF NARELLSirocco
(Jeff Narell, 2016)
“The interplay of CARIBBEAN steel pans with AFRICAN talking
drums, djembes, strings and chants opens a musical dialogue between old and new worlds.”
—CDBaby
Available at CDBaby.com
ROBERT ‘DUBWISE’ BROWNEGroovy Love Thing
(Dubwise Browne, 2015)
“As the title of his new album suggests, the groove is solid
on this set of ten instrumental tracks.”
—Caribbean Beat
Available at CDBaby.com
FIRST LOOKThings to do!
TUE NOV 08 - 12
FRI SEP 23 - 24
FRI OCT 07 - 10
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Dominican Republic Jazz Festival20th edition of one of the biggest cultural events in the Caribbean. Santo Domingo and elsewhere,
Dominican Republichttp://drjazzfestival.com/
Barbados Jazz Excursion,The Crane Hotel, Barbados
http://barbadosjazzexcursion.com/
Caribbean Sea Jazz FestivalRenaissance Festival Plaza, Aruba
https://caribbeanseajazz.com/
Curaçao North Sea Jazz FestivalWorld Trade Center, Piscadera
Bay, Curaçao
http://curacaonorthseajazz.com/
4 Jazz in the Islands
Shades said: “Bringing forth the sounds of the Caribbean and a hint of that sweet African melody and rhythm often found in the music of the wonderful Jonathan Butler, he is one talent hard to pigeonhole, and how sweet that is. In addition to the Caribbean and Butler-like stylings, we hear some Benson-like scatting, hints of Kenny Burrell and Carlos Santana, and so much more. It is not hard to stop whatever you’re doing, grab a seat (or a dance partner), and fall captive to the gripping rhythms and the exquisite sounds emanating from Hinkson’s guitar.” His musical peers have given him accolades. Stanley Jordan describes Boo
“as a genuinely gifted and accomplished musician”. George
Benson praises his technical prowess and
improvisation. Ronnie Laws has described his
playing as “extremely soulful and intense”. Frequently compared to Kenny Burrel for not only his natural touch on the guitar but also his
polished image, Boo plays the guitar with fire, soul, and astuteness. Added to his accolades are successful performances at the prestigious Lincoln Centre
in NY. In June 2013, he was invited by the White House
to perform in celebration of Caribbean Heritage month.
A busy performer who is constantly travelling and performing, Boo serves as an example of Caribbean jazz excellence who has remained rooted to his region and culture. He is working on a new album with his American label due in early
2017.
Ronald “Boo” Hinkson’s talent transcends cultures and sounds, bringing a fresh and innovative blend of jazz and Caribbean music. A gifted composer, producer, and heralded guitarist, Boo’s unique approach and versatility enable him to deliver a distinctive signature sound. A mainstay at the annual St Lucia Jazz Festival, Boo is an icon in his native land, and a cultural ambassador Born in Saint Lucia and raised on a diet of Ellington, Davis, and Coltrane, Boo’s name is synonymous with Saint Lucian music. His mother – who was also an accomplished guitarist – was his first teacher. His musical career began with the Tru-Tones, a group he started in Saint Lucia, which commanded stages locally and internationally for two decades. So much so in fact, that their eclectic blends of Caribbean and pop rhythms garnered them an appearance at Superbowl XIII. Today, he is an exceptionally accomplished musician who has stayed true not only to his Jazz roots, but also to his West Indian culture. Boo couples his appreciation of the old masters with Contemporary Jazz and Soca in his music and lyrics, and as a result his popularity has continued to spread. After two early records, Urban Drift and Alive and Well, Boo hooked up with American management and a label and produced Beyond in 2003. and some years later in 2011 he launched Shades, which was described as a balance between traditional Smooth Jazz and the Caribbean influenced style. Ronald Jackson, reviewing
Ronald ‘Boo’ HinksonSt Lucian jazz ambassador prepares for a new album
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RONALD ‘BOO’ HINKSONShades
(Zephryn Records, 2011)
“It’s not hard to stop whatever you’re doing, grab a seat (or a
dance partner), and fall captive to the gripping rhythms and
exquisite sounds emanating from Hinkson’s guitar.”
—Smooth Jazz Ride
Available at iTunes.com
RONALD ‘BOO’ HINKSONFriday Afternoon (Single)(Zephryn Records, 2016)
“Brand New Mischief may help to broaden Leon Foster Thomas’
audience, and he certainly deserves to be heard.”
—All About Jazz
Available at iTunes.com
Read more online at jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. September 2016 5
6 Jazz in the Islands
Steel and brass. Precious metals in the alchemy of Ron Reid as he once again engages with the Afro-Caribbean aesthetic to create the music for a renewed calypso jazz era. Steel and brass represent a union of the sound of the steelpan and the sound of the trumpet—and for added flavour, the saxophone—that makes for a novel approach to the music from our region. Ron Reid is an ideal candidate for this new alchemy. Currently, he is an associate professor at the world-famous Berklee College of Music, but more importantly, he is a soldier in the army of original musicians who in the 1970s were tinkering with the melodies and harmonies that make us Caribbean, and innovating ways of listening to the music that makes us dance, that makes us sing, that gives us joy. The zeitgeist of that era has been re-focussed in a modern time to challenge audiences to hear the beauty of the music of Andre Tanker, Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe, Lord Kitchener and Reid himself, as composer. Tonight, Reid and his music contemporaries from Berklee will
join four talented local musicians who are also seeking ways to re-invent the local canon. We will meet drummer Sean Skeete, pianist Gilson Schachnik and trumpeter Arnetta Johnson as they exchange ideas and emotions, and infuse the new music from Reid’s new album, Precious Metals, with the essence and energy of Anthony Woodroffe Jr’s saxophone, Theron Shaw’s guitar, Natasha Joseph’s double second steelpans and Tamba Gwindi’s percussion that assuredly reflect the Afro-Caribbean ethos that distinguishes this music from other musics in the Americas. Vaughnette Bigford provides vocal counterpoint to instrumental composition. This exercise in fusion, this meeting of musical peers from the United States, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago is a world première event that provides a basis for an audience, at one time removed from the creative process, to be important to the reckoning of the resulting creation. RON REID Precious Metals: The Album Launch Concert is an opportunity to renew our faith in our ability to discern greatness and reward it effectively.
THE PROGRAMMESONGLIST:1. Precious Metals
Ron Reid2. Samba for Sista B’
Ron Reid3. Rio de Paz
Ron Reid4. This Girl is Mine
David Williams5. If I Should Lose You
Ralph Rainger6. Moonchild
Andre Tanker7. Freegypt
Ron Reid8. Battie Mamselle
Lord Kitchener9. Blowout
Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe10. Bam’s Goodbye
Ron Reid11. Township Boogie
Ron Reid
* Song selection and order subject to change.
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SOUVENIR PROGRAMME
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RON REIDPrecious Metals
(MudHut Music, 2016)
“Precious Metals is a celebration and a re-discovery of the best we can be as a land of music. With a supporting cast of peers culled from both Boston and Trinidad, Reid plays a mix of original compositions and new arrangements of the music of Lord Kitchener, Andre Tanker, David “Happy” Wil l iams, Len “Boogs ie” Sharpe. Precious Metals is the first new album of music from Ron Reid in more than a decade. This album marks the third commercial recording by Reid who previously produced Calypsoldier in 1999 with his Caribbean pan jazz ensemble Sunsteel, and the Reid, Wright and Be Happy album with fellow Trinidadian ex-pat musicians David “Happy Wi l l iams and the late Orville Wright in 2003. On those two albums, he was featured on steelpan. Reid himself notes that, ‘this new CD has much more of my bass playing that pan playing. With this Precious Metals project, I hope to perform more frequently with the combination of s teel pan and brass and metal percussion, thus the title.’ Being a multi- instrumentalist, audiences and record buyers will savour the fact that the new album also marks Reid’s f i rst professional recording on piano.”
—Jazz in the Islands
Available at iTunes.com
THE NEW CDLiner Notes from Precious Metals Music is a powerful tool of expression and Precious Metals is an exemplar. This mélange of global melodies and timeless rhythms offers an insightful glimpse into the transparent, emotive and reflective life journey of a musician whose love for Trinidadian folk music, Afro-Caribbean culture and jazz is as evident as it is contagious. Ron Reid is a sage with an astute ability to merge the sonic representations of past traditions with contemporary musings. With a supporting cast of peers and former students the expressions encapsulated within Precious Metals are priceless. The Trinidadian-born multi-instrumentalist’s reflections on the streets of his youth are seamlessly interpreted through the title track. In tribute to the strength and compassion of his sister, “Samba for Sista B’” offers a vibrantly passionate and radiantly warm melody played brilliantly by flautist Fernando Brandao and former student Leandro Pellegrino on guitar, both from Brazil. Two additional tracks memorialize loved ones - “Bam’s Goodbye,” a tribute to a dear friend and avid supporter; and “Moonchild,” honoring Trinidadian composer and keyboardist, Rafael “Raf” Robertson. The latter is Reid’s first professional recording on piano. Acclaimed tradition-bearer and cultural curator, Reid invokes the presence of Ogun, the Yoruban deity of metals with “Sumambari Ogun,” acknowledging the Yoruban
influence on Trinidadian roots music. “Village Vibz” represents the sounds of musicians limin’ and refining their skills in the village, Trinidadian Phase II Pan Groove pan yard. Reid’s arrangement of Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe’s “Blowout” pays respect to the “Mozart of Pan,” acclaimed steel pan soloist and the award-winning arranger for Phase II. As an alumnus of the late Lord Kitchener’s Calypso Revue Tent, Reid’s arrangement of “Battie Mamselle” featuring dialogue between steel and brass salutes the legendary calypsonian. Originally intended for the sequel to the celebrated Reid, Wright and be Happy project, David “Happy” Williams’ “This Girl is Mine” is offered as a calypso-samba ballad. In response to the civil unrest in Egypt, “Freegypt” evolved from a teaching moment in the master educator’s Afropop course at Berklee College of Music. Precious Metals is filled with rare glimpses of potent sounds of the Afro-Caribbean Diaspora, certainly a valuable offering worthy of note.
—Emmett G. Price III, Ph.D
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THANK YOU!The producers of RON REID Precious Metals would like to thank and acknowledge the following persons and organisations for their commitment and effort to make this album launch concert a reality.
MUSICIANS AND SINGERS:Ron Reid....................................Electric and Acoustic Bass, VocalsGilson Schachnik.......................................................................PianoSean Skeete..............................................................................DrumsTheron Shaw............................................................................GuitarsArnetta Johnson................................................Trumpet, FlugelhornAnthony Woodroffe, Jr.....................Tenor sax, Soprano Sax, FluteTamba Gwindi...................................................................PercussionNatasha Joseph.................................................................SteelpansVaughnette Bigford................................................................Vocals
ADMINISTRATION AND HOSPITALITY:Marielle ForbesHOUSE MANAGER:Malene Joseph, Jaime Bagoo, Tonya-Joy IbleLIGHTING DESIGN:Kevon LaFleur, Clinical Media GroupFRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER:Robin FosterSTAGE MANAGEMENT:Michelle Roach, Gabriella Samuel, Stephen Samuel.
CENTRAL BANK AUDITORIUM:Jeffrey Joseph, Jovon George, Joanne Darsan and the technical staff.
Thank you to those individuals who assisted in-kind and supported in spirit: Wayne, Jean-Marc, Serious Music, Birdsong, Dennis Phillip, and you the patrons who came to be part of this celebration.
SOUVENIR PROGRAMME
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Elan TrotmanBajan saxophonist gives jazz with a hint of tropicality.
Saxophonist Elan Trotman, quickly becoming one of jazz’s most thrilling and emotive performers, continues to stand out and push boundaries as a composer, performer, teacher and recording artist. Trotman’s playing, though inspired by Grover Washington, Jr., Kirk Whalum and Arturo Tappin (Elan’s childhood mentor), displays his own fresh ideas and distinctive tone. So much so that the New England Urban Music Awards, and The Barbados Music Awards both named him Jazz Artist of The Year on multiple occasions. While growing up in the tropical island paradise of Barbados, Trotman learned to play the piano at age seven and picked up the sax five years later. The Barbadian government granted him a full scholarship for the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he earned a degree in music education. In turn, Trotman, who was mentored in high school by Barbadian sax great Arturo Tappin, also serves as a music educator in the Boston public elementary school district. As a recording artist, Elan has already been credited with 10-top 25 Billboard Radio singles, from his own
albums Love and Sax (“Heaven In Your Eyes“), Tropicality (“Tradewinds” and “Masterblaster“), the single “Thoughts of Summer feat. Will Downing, and from collaborations with Brian Simpson (“Just What You Need“), Greg Manning (“Groove Me“), Cal Harris Jr (“Smooth“) Lin Rountree (“As“), Marion Meadows (“Magic Men”), Julian Vaughn (“Ride Along”). Known to compose and produce all of his projects, Trotman’s discography is currently at 8 and growing, with the success of his latest albums: ”Tropicality” and “#LiveAndUncut“. Trotman is straightforward in his choice of smooth jazz as opposed to straight ahead: “Trying to launch a career in the U.S. after coming from a tiny island can be a very humbling experience, but it can also inspire you to be different and push you to find ways to make your voice distinct. To that end, I try to use young producers that don’t typically work with smooth jazz artists. Then I write catchy, sing-able hooks, bringing in my influences and experiences. I see myself as part of the new generation of contemporary jazz artists, and hope to be a part of the new movement that will help to preserve the art-form.” Trotman has found his groove with the deliberate fusion of island rhythms with the tropes of smooth jazz. It’s working because he’s a busy man, and now is releasing a new album called Double Take with this band, rechristened Tropicality. It is described as “Caribbean Jazz & Pop Fusion featuring saxophone and steelpan. Trotman and his band revisit some of their previously recorded fan favorites including billboard topping singles “Heaven In Your Eyes”, “Tradewinds”, “Smooth n Saxy”, “Master Blaster”, and “Thoughts of Summer feat. Will Downing”. Casual observation would suggest that Barbados is the home of sax men in the Caribbean. Who knows? They are successful and widely popular. Elan Trotman is now part of that clique.
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ELAN TROTMAN’S TROPICALITYDouble Take
(Island Muzik 2016)
“Caribbean Jazz & Pop Fusion featuring saxophone and
steelpan.”—AllAboutJazz
Available at iTunes.com
ELAN TROTMANTropicality
(Woodward Avenue Records, 2013)
“Elan Trotman brings to us on Tropicality, his sixth and latest solo album, the very rich and tasty melodies of the lands of
warmth and serenity.”—Smooth Jazz Ride
Available at iTunes.com
10 Jazz in the Islands
Ron ReidPrecious Metals and Afro-Caribbean Jazz The news release was direct, as it should be: “Ron Reid is currently an associate professor of contemporary writing and production at the world famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, and he will be returning to Trinidad for an exclusive performance of new music from his latest album, Precious Metals, and the launch of a new era in calypso jazz.” The promise of launching a new era is grand, but in the hands of this able task master, it may be a reality. Trinidad and Tobago is a land of potential, sometimes obscured by a nagging defeatist attitude. Most of the time, when it matters, the creative energy inspires some to make cultural shifts that last longer, and thus sustain. As part of the group that made up the “protégés of the Schofield Pilgrim
generation” of calypso jazz pioneers, Reid stands among giants who made our music global. With a storied career of over 30 years composing, performing, and teaching, Reid has been a standard-bearer for improvisational Caribbean music that includes an eclectic mix of Trinidadian folk, Afro-Caribbean and jazz music. From composing the theme music for pioneering local television programmes in Trinidad and Tobago to being the musical director with touring troupe of Derek Walcott’s Trinidad Theatre
Workshop to participating at the heights of academe at Berklee, Ron Reid, with this new album, Precious Metals, continues a journey towards defining excellence. By shining a light on the
musical gems within our local repertoire, we share in an album of “priceless” offerings.
Precious Metals marks the third commercial recording
by Reid who previously produced Calypsoldier
in 1999 with his Caribbean pan jazz
ensemble Sunsteel, and the Reid, Wright and Be Happy album
with fellow
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REID WRIGHT & BE HAPPYPan-Jazz from Trinidad & Tobago
(Sanch Electronix, 2003)
“This is not pan-jazz; it’s jazz, plain and simple. Down to its classy presentation, Reid, Wright and Be Happy sets a new standard
for Caribbean jazz.”—Caribbean Beat
Available at iTunes.com
RON REID’S SUNSTEELCalypsoldier
(Mud Hut Records, 1999)
“This CD is a polished blend of human and instrumental voices
in a well honed Pan work.”—Jack Kopstein
Available at iTunes.com
Trinidadian ex-pat musicians David “Happy Williams and the late Orville Wright in 2003. On those two albums, he was featured on steelpan. Reid himself notes that, “this current CD has much more of my bass playing that pan paying. With this project, I hope to perform more frequently with the combination of steel pan and brass and metal percussion, thus the title.” In the dozen years between recording projects, Reid has been a standard-bearer for Caribbean jazz— improvisational Caribbean music is a term Reid uses often—and it is worth noting that in his two decades at Berklee, Reid has been instrumental in bringing a cadre of Caribbean students to benefit from that important centre of music learning. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Contemporary Writing and Production, he also teaches percussion, including the steelpan. Critically, Reid has served as a producer for Trinidad artists, in particular Theron Shaw on his most recent album Gumbo Caribe creating a space for Caribbean creativity outside the box. An interesting concept happening more often among those musicians who are composing and performing improvised Caribbean music, is the use of musicians with no connection to the Caribbean, but versed in the technique and theory of music. Reid, in that space in Boston thrives on a wave of peers and students who can learn, but importantly, can produce the music that arises from the intersection of the African aesthetic and modern Western music. This cultural exchange, in which Reid is a partner serves to actively spread the music, and inform it with a stricter
sense of musicality and performance. When one ponders the genesis of a major strand of calypso jazz with its locus at the Queen’s Royal College in the
1960s, one is reminded that there were risks taken by young students, “who had nothing to lose” unlike professional musicians at that time. Jazz is risk. By the modern musical conversations that Reid is encouraging among a new wave of international students
at Berklee, we can see that this is indeed the ushering into being of a new era in the evolution of Caribbean jazz. Local audience are sometimes starved of this musical exchange save the return infrequently by the messengers of the music. The world of music, of art, of commercial creativity is stymied by a kind of dogged indifference to excellence that local audiences sometimes harbour. Ron Reid, has taken the mantle of forming new audiences in the diaspora and wider Americas, of creating new musicians who can effectively spread the music of the isles, and keeping alive the traditions that feed our musical heritage. The commercial exploitation of this original music from the islands is normally a task taken on by artists themselves, as records labels have very rarely associated with this jazz fusion genre, Latin jazz being an exception. The exploits of these early pioneers who have sustained careers for over three decades play a major role in cementing the idea of Afro-Caribbean jazz as valid. For his part, Ron Reid, the curator of native melodies and rhythms, continues the journey to deliver the next episode in the evolution of jazz touched by the isles and nurtured by the creole imagination. Precious Metals is further proof of that next step into discovery.
12 Jazz in the Islands
A Good Year for New Music2016 is proving to yield a bumper crop of new Caribbean Jazz After years of slim pickings of new and original music, 2016 has turned into a year of relative abundance. The key word is relative, since more than a handful of new releases signals a sort of tsunami of Caribbean jazz and pan jazz releases in a segmented world where this music is a sub-sector of a sub-sector. A couple interesting things are happening, which signal a potential for the steelpan in particular. Ropeadope Records released this year so far, a new album by Leon Foster Thomas, Metamorphosis, and is cueing up another by Akinola Sennon, Cousoumeh, for release in September 2016. These two Trinidadians join label mate Jonathan Scales to create a new steelpan music hegemony that has jazz firmly planted in the centre. Sennon’s new album in intriguing
more so for the artist’s statement:“Cousoumeh’ is a period of becoming.That moment when the stove’s heat is lowered, the contents of the pot stirred one last time, the lid goes on and it is left to, well, cousoumeh. It is there that plural becomes singular, pieces become whole, the individual becomes the collective. The etymology too represents that coming together- of languages and experiences; French and African, oppressor and oppressed, colonialism and independence. These fusions allow for the creation of a word that is 100% Trinidadian, like the steelpan. This instrument, the only one created in the 21st Century, is in fact a representation of a people and their history. From the depths of oppression, rebellion, struggle, [and] power imbalances emerges a story of uprising, triumph, hope and empowerment. This instrument, single-
handedly, tells the tale of the community and the masses while giving a voice to the most peculiar orator.” Coupled with this movement by the label that has among its many artists Grammy winner Snarky Puppy, is the revelation of a new double album by American pannist Andy Narell, Dis 1. 4. Raf. His focus is on the expansion of the idea of Caribbean-ness beyond the tried and true, and with that, he continues the musical conversations with his French Antillean and Cuban musicians to great effect. Consisting of one CD of group play and the other a duet with Cuban pianist Janysett McPherson. Caribbean jazz, or that could be jazz from the Caribbean, always gets a critical and commercial bump when Trinidadian trumpeter Etienne Charles releases an album. His latest salvo is a panoramic view of the connection jazz has with the wider Americas, San José Suite. Britt Robson writing in JazzTimes says, “In theory, San Jose Suite is pointedly geographical. Armed with a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation (via Chamber Music America), trumpeter-composer Etienne Charles sought out indigenous people in the cities of San Jose in both California and Costa Rica, as well as St. Joseph (once called San Jose de Oruña) in his native Trinidad, mining their respective musical cultures and political histories. The common thread—and inevitable theme of his 12-song, 55-minute opus—is building community by retaining musical culture as a means of resistance to further conquest. In practice, for better or worse, however, most of San Jose Suite is not unlike previous Charles projects in its polyglot of progressive music born out of the African diaspora.” This mature contemplation can be juxtaposed with the debut of drummer Zane Rodulfo’s new EP Pathways. A cerebral romp that celebrates the Caribbean sound, Rodulfo’s album marks a pressing forward of a new generation
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ETIENNE CHARLESSan José Suite
(Culture Shock Music, 2016)
“Overall, Etienne Charles offers his listeners a truly enlightened
musical narration and a diverse recording filled with vivid
colors, rhythms, harmonies and melodies.”
—AXS
Available at iTunes.com
LEON FOSTER THOMASMetamorphosis
(Ropeadope Records, 2016)
“Metamorphosis is a tapestry of music delights that transcends
any perceived limitations or expectations of Leon’s
association with the steelpan instrument.”
—When Steel Talks
Available at iTunes.com
ANDY NARELLDis 1. 4. Raf
(Listen 2 Entertainment Group, 2016)
“It will probably be an exasperating cliché to suggest
that this is Narell’s best work yet, but it is so completely true all the
same.”—Latin Jazz Network
Available at iTunes.com
ZANE RODULFOPathways
(Zane Rodulfo, 2016)
“This EP is a great launching pad for a stellar international
career.”—Caribbean Beat
Available at iTunes.com
of songwriter and musician. Trumpeter Rellon Brown released an album with his Dominant Seventh CalypsoJazz Band, Homegrown, which marks the debut of another kind of exploration of what this music is that blends the dissonance of jazz with the rhythm and melodies of spirited joy. One review said, “Trumpeter Rellon Brown along with his young Dominant Seventh CalypsoJazz Band, on their new CD HomeGrown, peel back the pomp and gloss of current tropes to resurrect the idea of creole dance band music. The music, recorded live in the studio, serves as a kind of instigator for moving hips and feet, and as a beacon of native pride in what worked and what did not.” Two Berklee peers also released albums this year. Multi-instrumentalist and associate professor, Ron Reid with Precious Metals and Bajan saxophonist Elan Trotman and his band Tropicality, with their Double Take are maintaining a tradition of sustaining an identity outside
that speaks to their Caribbean heritage. All in all, a renewed effort is being made by regional musicians to release original music to an audience looking for the varied and colourful sounds of the Caribbean. 2016 is proving to be a good year, and with 3 months to go, and the buzz suggesting at least three more albums to be released before Christmas, the market for Caribbean jazz music looks good.
14 Jazz in the Islands
The Ballad of Fitzroy ColemanA tribute to a pioneering Caribbean jazz guitarist
Legendary jazz guitarist Fitzroy Coleman died on Tuesday, July 23 in Trinidad with little recognition or fanfare. Regarded among the top 100 jazz guitarists on various polls, Coleman’s demise and retreat from public accolade paints a sobering picture of a nation. Journalist Jabari Fraser offers up a moving eulogy that gives deserved value to Coleman’s worth as a jazz pioneer.
“Fitzroy Coleman’s fingers dancing on the fret / And when you think that he through / He ain’t start nothing yet.”—”Calypso Music”. David Rudder, 1986.
While Rudder’s lyrics are now a clichéd reference to the jazz /calypso guitar great, it is Fitzroy Haynes Coleman’s saviour from obscurity in the land he was born in, that shaped his style, and failed him terribly. The few videos available of Coleman at work capture the sweet chromatic chaos and the intricate, complex choreography that he performed every time he picked up the instrument. His fingers stretch to form personalized chords and voicings, while
his thumb does the tango to pivot his fingers into unimaginable positions and sounds on the fret board. The chords and licks that made him famous are the innovations and inventions of a young boy with perfect pitch, who, from 1932, stole alone-time with his father’s precious guitar when that gentleman was at work. Performing almost like a minstrel with other youth for the estate owners of St Clair earned him the nickname “Little Boy Wonder”, which led him to England in 1945 with an all-star Caribbean band. He was chosen above experienced guitarists who read music. At the time he couldn’t. Throughout the 1950s, he was constantly rated among the best guitarists in Europe. He created jingles for Barclays Bank. Being black then, Coleman said, was a hindrance to landing big gigs and recognition. By the mid-1950s, his performing in excelsis could not go unnoticed. He was frequently featured on BBC radio, and television broadcasts. He accompanied Mahalia Jackson, Lena Horne, Marlene Dietrich, Tony Bennett and many other international stars.
Coleman and Kitch: Race and Love No doubt his guitar work played heavily on Kitchener’s pre-soca sounds of the 1950s and 60s. Coleman once said that he and Kitchener were friendly before he left for England. When his calypsonian friend arrived in 1948, they would improvise music and lyrics in their performances, trading and feeding off mutual respect and brilliance. Although musically and lyrically Kitchener may not be remembered for socially conscious songs, early Kitch was different. He was at the forefront of building West Indian identity among burgeoning immigrant communities in England. Fitzroy Coleman was his right-hand man in composing and recording the sounds and stories of black West
Indian immigrants in the UK. Coleman’s chords and colours are clearly heard in the important social chronicles such as “When a Man is Poor” and “If You’re Brown”. Without his melancholic tones, the social commentaries of the tribulations of the Windrush Generation would have been far less impactful. At the time, he also worked with and helped Lord Beginner and the Mighty Terror find their feet in a new country. (Coleman’s solo in “The Monkey” is a lesson in instrumental soloing for calypso). In England, he gigged at every club, restaurant and hotel imaginable. The performances were organized by his friend Enid who had owned nightclubs before World War II. In an interview on Power 102FM this week, Foster said she always took diligent care of his business. Tricky fellow musicians took advantage of the island boy in the “mother land” metropole until she came along. One day, Foster says, Enid asked Coleman, “Why don’t you marry me and let me take care of your business?” Coleman and Enid got married in 1947. She had told him she was ten years older than he was; it was more like twenty. When she died, he discovered the truth. Whatever the state of their love, her professional care for him lasted late into Coleman’s old age, as he used to receive pension cheques from England before he died. She defended him and strongly opposed anyone who had anything to say about his colour. Foster relates a story of the couple walking the streets in London one day when someone called him a nigger. Enid said to Coleman, “Darling, wait here.” She walked to the taunter and said: “You didn’t know they were niggers when they were fighting for us in the war!” She beat him up.
The flawed genius As a young reporter and musician, I
P
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HUEL
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IN MEMORIAM
Read more online at jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. September 2016 15
once tried to interview him. For years, I had researched his music. I picked up the telephone directory, found his name and gave him a call. His second wife, Edna, who he lived with in Laventille answered the phone. She called him and he sounded excited that a youngster knew of him and wanted to talk. I got there a few minutes late and called at the gate. He chased me furiously, warning me never to come back. Discouraged, I never tried again. “Like most geniuses, he was very fragile,” Foster tries to piece together some of the experiences that made the genius such an emotional man. He explains that Coleman frequently remitted money to his mother while he was in England. On a visit to Trinidad in 1960, he was very upset to see his mother still living in a dirt-floored Woodbrook barrack yard, with alcohol a key part of her existence. Older musicians ostracized him when he left Trinidad. They were jealous that a young man, who, at the time, could not read music, was taking their place to go to England in search of a musical living. He learned to read and began to learn the theory of the things he had already been doing on the guitar without being taught. The rejection he faced from some of his own countrymen continued in England. His return to Trinidad to play music was difficult. In response to his style
in Kitchener’s Frederick Street tent, he got: “Mr. Coleman, you bound to make all them chords?” And: “You playing rubbish! We don’t want no Englishman here!” That led him to self-imposed exile in the Matura forest. He bought ten acres of land and began to garden. Music was a thing of his past. Lord Relator, one of his guitar students says, “Kitchener would dig what he was doing. It was like school for me. Men couldn’t relate. They would look back like he playing s–t, when he played a 13th or a flatted 5th. He fattened the chords.” Mas’ man Teddy Pinheiro, a fabulous collector and archivist of cultural trinkets and records, says in one musical lime decades ago, Coleman picked up Relator’s guitar and played all sorts of songs for forty minutes. After, Relator exclaimed, “Ah never hear my guitar sound so good!”
Coleman the experimenter As an innovator, he is unmatched. He would take bass guitar and banjo strings and put them on his guitar. One of the recordings sounds like he was using synthesizing technology which did not appear until the decades of the 80s and 90s. Foster chronicles some of the work of the intense innovator and says that Coleman had written countless chords
that he imagined in his head onto paper. “It took him two years to perfect a chord.” Foster says that John Williams, recognized as one of the greatest classical guitarists ever, once looked on in tremendous respect at Coleman playing. He said Coleman was “the world’s greatest chord-player.” His chordal
playing is unlike anything heard before or since. Sometimes, he would play a separate chord for every note of a bass line (which he played), walking a mile a minute, cajoling from unsuspecting ears, the impression of two or three guitars, all while he played intricate melodies. In much of his calypso soloing, the sound is rooted in a Trinidadian joie de vivre. Brief solos, peeping from behind calypsonians’ lyrics are high craft, fast and sweet. Listen to Roaring Lion’s “Mary Ann”. After a chorus, Lion’s lyrics instruct him to “Come up, Mr Coleman!” He lets rip a fast, high-pitched barrage of demisemiquavers and semiquavers, rattling the frets. Pinheiro, Relator and Foster relate the story of Coleman playing in a band assembled by Sparrow, and being fired because his soloing sorcery was stealing the limelight from the Calypso King of the World. What can be done to preserve, beyond Rudder’s words, the already frail legend of Fitzroy Coleman? UWI and UTT researchers should compile a detailed discography. The archives of Pinheiro (with his direction and blessing) should be made an important part of every library’s heritage section. Relator’s chords, handed to him by Fitzroy Coleman must be written and taught in fine arts programmes at UTT. Foster should be given the funding and support to make his recordings of Coleman into a documentary. These are just a few suggestions.
“I have no regrets. The thing is, I’ve made a lot of people happy in this
world, and I contribute to mankind. As far as I’m concerned, if I close my eyes now, I didn’t waste my life. I’ve done something constructive for mankind.
That’s how I look at it.”—Fitzroy Haynes Coleman 1923-2016
— © 2016, Jabari Fraser
16 Jazz in the Islands
PAN JAZZ PICNIC
The Pan Jazz Picnic continues with a sampling of music from around the world played on the steelpan. As was noted in the beginning, the theme of the artist in exile in the diaspora could have been a linking theme for the articles in the magazine. This is reflected mostly in the idea of pan jazz, or just steelpan recording generally. The continued dearth of original pan jazz from the birthplace of steelpan is troubling. Even more so when one considers that even ensemble music is recorded for commercial release by one producer alone.
Many promising pannists in Trinidad and Tobago hesitate to put on record some fine playing despite the accolades garnered from live performance. Markets are muted in the islands. It is noteworthy that original pan jazz is still being recorded in the US, Japan and France to make a telling statistic, and to signal an opening for new listeners. The selection overleaf speak to a new horizon for what is possible with the instrument created by youngsters in barrack yards and behind walls. The American fascination with the instrument has grown to a mini industry with soloists
experimenting with sound and timbres and rhythms. When Steel Talks website reviewed an album by Jonathan Scales thus: “Many can talk the talk - but few can walk the walk. Pannist Jonathan Scales without a doubt is ‘walking the walk.’ On his sophomore release called Plot/Scheme, Scales takes the listener not only into unexpected territory, but clearly uncharted real-estate. The fact that he takes us there with the steelpan instrument navigating the journey - is all the more fascinating. All notions of an island-like, ‘smiley, smiley’ facade are dashed from the onset.” The islands, by right, should not be far behind.
Read more online at jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. September 2016 17
ANDY AKIHONo One To Know One
(Innova Recordings, 2011)
“[H]is approach hangs between playing with strong accents,
melody, and power in a jazz sensibility, with baroque associations in melody and
arrangements.”—Psychemusic
Available at CDBaby.com
ANDY NARELLTatoom
(Heads Up International, 2007)
“If you have prejudices about steel bands, prepare to shed them when you hear this CD. Andy creates a wonderfully
chromatic mix of rich harmonies.”
—Tony Augarde
Available at iTunes.com
PHIL HAWKINSH2O
(Ramajay Records, 2005)
“With steel pans as the lead instrument and a lineup that also includes drums and percussion, there is little doubt that H2O will have an emphasis on groove. ”
—AllAboutJazz
Available at iTunes.com
JONATHAN SCALESPlot/scheme
(Jonathan Scales, 2008)
“Many can talk the talk - but few can walk the walk. Pannist
Jonathan Scales without a doubt is ‘walking the walk’.”
—When Steel Talks
Available at iTunes.com
CHRIS WABICHCaribbean Standard(Chris Wabich, 2015)
“The album, “Caribbean Standard,” is considered by many to be a landmark jazz
album, primarily due to how its featured artist was utilized.”
—PAN Magazine
Available at CDBaby.com
LIAM TEAGUE & ROBERT CHAPPELLOpen Window
(Chappell &Teague, 2010)
“Open Window is marvelous. Teague and Chappell make an excellent duo and Liam’s virtuosity is at times breath-
taking.”—Michael Colgress
Available at iTunes.com
18 Jazz in the Islands
Andy NarellOui ma Chérie! (Listen 2 Records)
Trinidadians are notoriously protective of their national instrument, the steelpan, so much so that when iconoclastic American pannist Andy Narell releases a new CD, the chauvinistic hubris echoing among local voices can and does sting. Narell’s riposte in this instance is an album of five long musical interludes, a balance of originals and Trinidad song /calypso that defines broader genre options for the steelpan. Jazz dissonance and tropical rhythms that suggest the wider Caribbean outside of Trinidad move the body of music for the instrument several steps ahead. Narell single-handedly plays all the parts of a small steel orchestra to capture with near sonic perfection the timbre of the modern steelband, and blends it with solo guitar and trumpet to imagine newer possibilities. After 18 previous albums, it is clear that the sound born of “the audacity of the creole imagination” in Trinidad is now global, and this album is apt proof of Narell’s significance.
Elan Trotman Group#LiveAndUncut (Island Muzik)
Barbadian saxophonist, Elan Trotman serves up on this eighth album #LiveAndUncut (“Live and Uncut” for the Twitter hashtag averse) a tropical feel that defines the elements of smooth jazz that have a legion of fans reaching for a Rum Punch and the resort menu. Combining catchy hooks and warm melodies, with the purposeful blending of danceable calypso and reggae rhythms
is a strategy that would separate Elan from the rest of the pack of smooth jazz saxophonists. Lead single, “Smooth ‘n’ Saxy” aptly describes the mood of the album that introduces the listening audience to the steelpan sound as an ambience enhancer. The track “Simon Paul” slyly mimics Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” melodic charm to cheerful results finding the Caribbean jam where there was a hint before. “Bop & Run” is a calypso re-invented while “Funkalypso” is a jazz soloist’s paradise. This album should be a must-have on any jazz or Caribbean playlist.
Zane RodulfoPathways (Lavway Music)
Drummer Zane Rodulfo, on his debut EP Pathways shows a maturity beyond his 26 years as composer of and rhythmic support for a short set of original jazz instrumentals. Dissecting the music, one is awed by the seemingly cultivated approach of the musical themes on this production. As a graduate of both Oberlin College and NYU, one expects a studied approach, but the artist’s youth throws a wrench in the theory that this level of quiet contemplation must come with age and experience. Rodulfo’s Trinidad roots are reflected purely in the sound, not necessarily the rhythms. Composing four out of the five tunes on this collection, the superlative interplay between jazz guitar or saxophone and the effectively anchored rhythm section suggests that as a producer, he is not selfish and his gifts lay in creating environments for musicians to run free without bombast. This EP is a great launching pad for a stellar international career.
REVIEWS
Available at:Available at: Available at:
Read more online at jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. September 2016 19
Clifford CharlesHomeward Bound (Yazara Music)
Guitarist Clifford Charles fifth CD, Homeward Bound, continues a trend of re-definition of the music of these isles. Charles has endeavoured to convert soca’s high beats-per-minute freneticism into smooth jazz for easier consumption by an audience less inclined to be defined as “bacchanalist.” This may not be high achievement for the jazz connoisseur, but in the hands of this player, the ongoing efforts of many Caribbean artists to “crossover” make sense with this music on this album. The music never veers towards the kitschy excess of the genre. Recent soca hits such as Destra’s “Call My Name” and Bunji Garlin’s ”Differentology” evoke the essence of universal popular appeal. Recorded live in studio with his quartet, Charles maintains the chops that are recognizable for the effortless rhythm playing and solid soloing. Three originals balance the five soca smooth jazz covers and provide the basis for a soundtrack for a resort-inspired frolic.
Various ArtistsTriniJazz Project (Parlemusik)
Michael “Ming “ Low Chew Tung is the architect of 21st century jazz recording and performance in Trinidad and Tobago, following on from mentors like Clive Zanda and Mike Boothman, prolifically producing original music to add to the local canon. Now, he acts as mentor and producer for a new generation of young jazz musicians and singers with a new CD, TriniJazz Project.
Polished arrangements and smooth jazz elements shouldn’t suggest any sell-out to the aesthetics of Caribbean luxe tourism or middlebrow leisure culture, but in the hands of the players, Tony Paul (sax), Rodney Alexander (bass), Modupe Onilu (percussion), Dean Williams (guitar) and smoky voiced chanteuse Vaughnette Bigford, these ten tunes are a celebration of how we sing, dance and live in these islands. The reframed calypsoes of Bigford, the rhythmic pulse of Onilu, and the improvised joy by the others say “trinijazz” is the definition of accomplished.
Jacques Schwarz-BartJazz Racine Haïti (Motema Music)
Guadeloupean tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart heard, as a child, Haitian vodou ritual songs played by his mother and celebrated author, Simone Schwarz-Bart, as a soundtrack to their life of literary idyll in the Caribbean. That memory of the music, and his own yearning to create jazz that is reflective of his French-Caribbean heritage propelled Schwarz-Bart to first perform and later, to record Jazz Racine Haïti as a document of the spiritual journey beyond Haiti all the way back to Africa. “That dialogue with silence [music] creates a doorway to the unknown.” To re-arrange vodou music for this band featuring jazz musicians and two houngans (vodou priests) was an exercise to engage with the greatness of this music. “Legba Nan Baye” fuses, in real time, ritual music and jazz, voice and tenor sax. African-Caribbean grooves that drive this music beyond spirituality achieve a synergy where modern jazz and vodou are one
REVIEWS
Available at:Available at: Available at:
20 Jazz in the Islands
RECORDING ROUNDUP
DOMINANT SEVENTHHome Grown
(Rellon Brown, 2016)
“The music, recorded live in the studio, serves as a kind of instigator for moving hips and feet, and as a beacon
of native pride in what worked and what did not.”
—T&T Guardian
Available at Amazon.com
REGINALD CYNTJESpiritual Awakening
(Reginald Cyntje, 2015)
“Spiritual Awakening is a beautiful enigma, with mystery in every corner of the album, from its
melodies and harmonies to its texture and improv
structure..”—Washington City Paper
Available at Amazon.com
EDDIE BULLENSpice Island
(Thunder Dome Sounds 2015)
“Spice Island is a musical reflection of my life as
a teenager growing up on the “spice island”
of Grenada in the Caribbean.”
—Eddie Bullen
Available at Amazon.com
ALEXIS BAROGuilty Pleasure
(G-Three Records, 2015)
“His work as a performer and composer on this
album along with his cast of headline players is a
demonstration that first-rate music is alive in Canada.”
—Jack Kopstein
Available at iTunes.com
CéCILE MCLORIN SALVANTFor One to Love
(Mack Avenue Records, 2016)
“Depending on your perspective, this album can either challenge
expectations or satisfy the soul ”
—Caribbean Beat
Available at iTunes.com
DION PARSON & 21ST CENTURY BAND
St. Thomas(Dion Parson, 2015)
“...the band utilises native music forms like quelbe,
and broader reggae and calypso rhythms to transform the sound of Caribbean jazz into a new fusion that points
to a new direction.”—Caribbean Beat
Available at iTunes.com
LIAM TEAGUE & ROBERT CHAPPELL
For Lack of Better Words(Rhythmic Union Records, 2002)
“This album is an amazing display of virtuosity, and
that is heard in more than one style of music.”
—Amazon.com
Available at Amazon.com
JONATHAN SCALESJonathan Scales
Fourchestra(Ropeadope 2013)
“Steel pan jazz fusion artistic complexities for the
modern ear.”—CDBaby
Available at iTunes.com
Read more online at jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. September 2016 3
4 Jazz in the Islands
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