Woodshed Entertainment Collective

David Angel Mattos, Jazz Showcase, HLS Community College, British Virgin Islands

Friday, May 09, 2008

Gerald Rampersad, 110 Jazz and Calypso Lounge, San Fernando, Trinidad

Sunday, May 11, 2008

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My mind was squarely on the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s Jazz Showcase for all of Friday, May 09, 2008.  Set to perform at the college’s auditorium on that night was Puerto Rican pianist Angel David Mattos’s Boricua Trio.  His appearance would be the very last by an international artist for this the thirteenth season 2007/2008.  There is one last show to come at the end of the month of May when the H.L. Stoutt Community College will showcase the BVI’s own in a Summer Music Fest.

As luck would have it though, Angel Mattos’ show was the first in what will turn out to be a three-week run of Jazz concerts in the British Virgin Islands. 

Last weekend, Jazz on the Hill 2008 ran for two days, Friday 16^th and 17^th at the grounds of St. Mary’s School on Virgin Gorda.  The headliners included Trinidad’s Élan Parlé and the Caribbean Jazz Project of vibraphonist Dave Samuels.  The United States Virgin Islands was represented by saxophonist James Smith.

Then on May 25^th, St. Thomas pianist Louis B. Taylor and the Caribbean Project will appear at the BVI Music Festival.

Finally on May 31, the HLS Community College’s Summer Music Fest will present the College Woodwind, Flute and Brass Ensembles, the Jazz and Concert Bands and the College Chorale.

But on Friday, May 09, Mattos put forth a spirited set of compositions that updated the folkloric traditions of his native PR.  In so doing, he added a helping of Jazz syncopation to the ‘Danza Festivo’ (Festive Danza) and the ‘Danza Romántico’ (Romantic Danza).  The result was an exemplar to the kind of fusions that have been experimented with in the Caribbean from the Second World War when Calypso was infected with Classic Jazz brought to Trinidad by the Yankee soldiers based there and of course US radio stations that filtered Jazz music through the airwaves from the mainland.

This was a wonderful Mother’s Day concert by Angel David Mattos, his brother Hector Mattos on drums and Alemar Valentin on electric bass.  It was a pity that the mothers were very few in numbers to experience this.

Over in Trinidad, saxophonist Gerald Rampersad and friends gave a special tribute to mothers in South Trinidad at 110 Jazz and Calypso Lounge in San Fernando.

 Rampersad

Originally a percussionist like his father before him, Rampersad gravitated to the saxophone after seeing Sel Duncan perform with his grandfather’s band Sitar Hind Orchestra.  He was just 13 years old then.

Moving to Queens, New York a year later, Rampersad was tutored by Paul Litrenta who was then the lead trumpeter for Tito Puente.  

Rampersad would go on to become quite an accomplished student under Litrenta.  He then brought that talent to the bands of John Farnsworth (trombonist for the Glen Miller Orchestra) and trumpeter Wallace Roney.  

As regards Caribbean Jazz, Rampersad appears on a recently released CD called ‘Standard One’ by St. Vincent’s Sir Frankie McIntosh and ’Sahara’ by Guyana’s Philip Nicholas last year.  He has one album to his credit as a leader and is currently working on a Contemporary Jazz record under his own name.  We can probably expect to hear Rampersad’s take on the so-called Jazz Soca Fusion sound and the cross of Jazz riffs and progression with Indian and Chutney chords in the Indian Jazz Soca tradition as created by the JMC Treveni band with which Rampersad worked in the mid-nineties.

Gerald Rampersad dedicated ‘To Mother With Love’ to his own mother whom he credits for introducing him to music in general and Jazz in particular.

I attended the David Angel Mattos Showcase with his Boricua Trio and will share my thoughts subsequently.  You attended the Gerald Rampersad Mother’s Day treat in San Fernando and you will share your thoughts with the Collective.