Jazz at the Carib
by Joan Rampersad | Friday, October 7 2011
Guyanese-born Richard Bailey who started his drumming career in Trinidad at the age of nine, but who now resides in London, will be drumming all weekend during “Jazz in the Carib” at the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook.
Produced by The Arts Support Alliance (TASA), the two-day event features two jazz bands, one with Dougie Redon and Chantal Esdelle, and the other with Ray Holman. What they will both have in common on both days is the service of Bailey as their drummer.
Bailey is the younger brother of Robert Bailey, who played keyboard and led the popular Osibisa group in TT in the 1970s, and son of Emmanuel McDonald Bailey who held the world record for the 100 yards and won an Olympic Bronze for England. Robert also ran but left athletics behind to play drums at age 15 in London where he was residing at the time.
The following year he was recording and touring the UK and USA with Johnny Nash and the great Bob Marley…
From then to now Bailey continued recording and touring, doing rock, reggae, jazz, pop and Latin music, and the past 15 years, drumming with the British acid jazz/rock/soul fusion band “Incognito”.
… Steelpan player, arranger and composer Douglas Redon will open both nights at 6.30 pm. He will have performing with him, songbird Patti Rogers doing two of his songs and then pianist Esdelle performing her brand of Caribbean jazz.
The Berklee College of music graduate with a degree in jazz composition is noted for her “Love Changes” and albums New Hope and Imbizo. At the shows she will be doing a couple of her pieces as well as another of the late Andre Tanker.
After intermission composer, arranger and steel pan performer Holman will take the stage… His set will include performances of his songs by Kenny J and Candace Alcantara, accompanied by Anthony Woodruffe on saxophone and flute, Lance Nicholls on guitar, Mark Brewster on keyboard, Michael Germaine on bass guitar and Kenneth Clarke on percussion.
More here…
Martha’s Vineyard Summer Institute ends on a high note
Mr. Wright, a pianist and composer with a distinguished career at Berklee College of Music [spoke] at the Hebrew Center on Sunday, Aug. 14.
The Martha’s Vineyard Summer Institute [concluded] its regular season…with a pair of musical programs which, though quite different, are based on the same premise: that while great music is timeless and able to stand on its own, the experience of that music can be greatly enriched when you know the story of its creation.
…[M]usicians with a gift not only for performance but for that added element of storytelling [presented] programs that…shed new light on great works from the American traditions of Broadway music, blues, and jazz.
The mind & music of Bernstein
On Thursday night, Aug. 11, Dr. Richard Kogan [presented] a program exploring the mind and music of Leonard Bernstein, with a special focus on his greatest Broadway musical, “West Side Story.”…
Roots of blues & jazz
…[M]usicians and professors Orville Wright and Leonard Brown [presented] another evening of music and education exploring the origins of American jazz in the traditions of field hollers, spirituals, and blues music.
Mr. Wright, a pianist and composer with a distinguished career at Berklee College of Music (chairing its ensemble department for 15 years), has traveled the world performing and teaching, from South Africa to Italy, from Japan to Puerto Rico.
Mr. Brown, a saxophonist and composer, has a joint appointment in the music and African-American studies departments at Northeastern University and is fresh from a month in Tobago as a leader of the university’s Afro-Caribbean Music Research Project. He is co-founder and co-producer of the John Coltrane Memorial Concerts, a tradition in Boston since 1977.
In their program on Sunday, says Mr. Wright, the two performers [hoped] to leave their audience with a deeper appreciation of how jazz grew out of spirituals and the blues, two musical traditions forged in the crucible of America’s slave years.
It’s one of the ironies of our nation’s story, Mr. Wright says, that our greatest musical art form emerged from our darkest time: “Probably had it not been for the slave period, all of the spiritual music would not have been born. In spite of the fact that it was a brutal time, musically there’s a lot that came out of it, and this morphed into the blues and jazz.”
Mr. Brown entirely agrees: “Our musical tradition has always had to do with freedom, from field hollers to spirituals, to the blues and jazz. It’s always been about freedom.” And he has dedicated a good portion of his life to telling the story of saxophonist John Coltrane, whom he considers “one of the greatest musicians ever to grace this planet, in any tradition.” The music of Coltrane will be a concluding focus of Sunday night’s program.
Mr. Brown sees his musicianship and his teaching work as finally inseparable. “We have a responsibility,” he says, “to teach the truth of what our musical tradition is all about. That’s something that comes with our attainment of these degrees and such — it’s a responsibility to set the record straight.”
Richard Kogan would agree. “Great art can stand on its own,” he says. “The question is what you surround it with — will it enhance or detract from the art? We learn something about ourselves when we understand why it is that these works move us so deeply.”
More here…
Jazz & Fusion Tuesdays – Mikhail Salcedo and Band
by Nigel Campbell
Being his third show, Trinidadian pannist Mikhail Salcedo opted for a trio with Sean Thomas and Russell Durity on drums and bass respectively on this admittedly “jazzier” set Salcedo played at Jazz and Fusion Tuesdays, La Casa de Ibiza on Tragarete Road, Woodbrook, Trinidad, May 31 2011.
“Autumn Leaves” (are falling!) was a crisp start for the two top instrumentalists Salcedo landed for the gig. Following was “All Blues” where the pan, as a lead instrument in jazz, transformed the original intent of Tony Williams, Bertie Marshall et al. But then Jazz will do that. Look at the sax.
Hardly fifteen minutes in and this killin’ trio changed the pace to a speedy canter with Salcedo improvising with 4 sticks. Chords? Thomas’ soloing – well-placed fills behind a dominant Mikhail – and Durity’s bass licks, pushed the leader to excellence. The result was great, magical changes, moods, rhythms and conversations in the funk vein of “All Blues.” This is jazz in the Caribbean.
Next, Mikhail jazzed up “Feel Like Making Love” and Ralph McDonald’s “Mister Magic.” In the case of “Mister Magic,” Russell Durity defined where this tune went. The change of tempo was easy, the foundation solid. Drum and pan duel for you! Palaver. Statement. Resolution. Jazz. I could not help wondering if McDonald ever saw the possibilities for this classic outside of Smooth Jazz.
Like me, the audience was held in rapt attention as the trio segued into Hancock’s “Chameleon.” And they got it! Education, baby. Bravo Mikhail! Bravo.
Intermission…
Mikhail Salcedo introduced Akinola Sennon from Siparia on double second to kick off the second half with a solo. (Says Mikhail, pannists from South Trinidad are boss!) Salcedo’s Trio joined Akinola after that on an arrangement he did for the band. Mikhail set this one on fire as Sean Thomas pushed him to improvisational success. The late Dave Marcellin must be smiling at his student’s ability.
Benjai’s “Trini” is always a crowd pleaser and an excuse to sing…badly! Here is where I drew the line: ”Hey there fellas, rein it in. Bass and drum, stop!”
Arthur Peters aka “Bolo” on double tenor provided a lighter touch on the timely “All The Things You Are” that was instantly pleasing to my ears. “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael was written before pan was “invented”. Poor Hoagy, if only he knew that Bolo would someday be making music with his composition using four sticks on a double tenor!
That said, artistes must be aware when guests tief the momentum of their show. Salcedo must realise that gestures of music solidarity must be tempered with knowledge of an audience’s threshold for excess. Lesson learned? Not yet.
This show should have finished on a high note, but Mikhail chose to make space for anybody. If “You Want Some Sorrel Owa” could create a buzz and be popular, anything goes. Tonight though, the joke must be on us.
Goodnight, I have to turn off this Blackberry before I pelt it.
Thankfully, Salcedo regained control and, as advertised, played “Blue Bossa.” I saved my BB for that and got to witness a Sean Thomas solo, which was a concert in itself, and a pan solo full of fresh ideas. Mikhail’s dexterity with four sticks is a sight to behold. I swear I heard chords and melody at the same time.
Let me say this, on tenor pan, Mikhail Salcedo is pannist number one in these isles! There, I said it. Now you can sue me, form an opinion about my music knowledge, etc. At the end of the day, superlatives in music are subjective. Without fanfare or much bravado, but lots of exposure as a leader, we can pinpoint musicians malking statements as opposed to just eating a food.
…and we’re out.
Perfect Timing
The Ethnic Jazz Club’s Sound Connection project for 2010 is moving along well. The thing that has been most encouraging for me, since our launch on August 19th, is the response. Since the launch I have shared with several people how the Sound Connection project’s service of allowing for the quality recording of live instruments performed simultaneously may be seen as the best way to capture Caribbean music, especially since it is the interaction of musicians and participants that has contributed most to the creation and development of our universally acclaimed musics.[...]
…The Ethnic Jazz Club [conferred] with the Cuban team from EGREM/CUBADISCO on the best possible recording process for the format of Sound Connection since the beginning of this year. The auditorium [was] booked, our technical liason Victor Donawa [got] the preliminary list of equipment requirements and a scouting visit [was] scheduled for the end of September to make sure everything was in place…
Since it is always the right time to record and to bring the Caribbean together Sound Connection is not a “one off” project. The EJC will offer the service again and again. If you [weren’t] able to record in this first run, the next one is scheduled for April 2011. So keep in touch ethnicjazzclub@gmail.com and cast an occasional eye on my blog. The recording sessions for Sound Connection [were] held from October 11th-18th, 2010 at The CLR James auditorium at the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-opreative studies. The public [was] invited to view some of the sessions…
Chantal Esdelle
The Savannah Jazz Festival has generally made its name by booking traditional acts, but this year’s headliner [offered] a more electrified alternative.
The Grammy-nominated outfit Spyro Gyra, which [performed] at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 25 in Forsyth Park, is often filed under “smooth jazz,” but [they didn't] serve up the sort of easy-listening instrumentals favored by most smooth jazz practitioners. The band’s most recent record, 2009’s “Down the Wire,” illustrates their electrified, distinctive mix, focusing on saxophone and keyboards but remaining grounded in hard-edged drumming, electric guitar and bass. Depending on the tune at hand, they can handle anything from Caribbean flavors to funk and mainstream jazz.[...]
Smooth, cool jazz at Aura by JOAN RAMPERSAD Saturday, August 28 2010
JAZZ @ AURA, which showcased five artistes coming together for the first time lived up to all expectations. It was a well enjoyed night of contemporary jazz.
The show on Wednesday night [August 25] at Aura Restaurant on Cipriani Boulevard, Port-of-Spain, featured jazz artistes Sean Thomas, Michael “Ming” Low Chew Tung, Marissa Gomez, Natalie Wei and Douglas Redon.
The musical entertainment got going at 8.30 pm with the big jazz trio comprising Thomas on drums, Redon on bass and Ming on keyboards. They charmed the very appreciative audience with their interpretation of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and “Footprints” by Miles Davis.
Saxophonist Wei then joined them on another Miles Davis composition, “So What” before making way for vocalist Gomez to sing “Misty”.
Wei returned with “All Blues” (Miles Davis), then the entire quintet had the audience lapping up their version of the bossa nova classic, “Girl From Ipanema.”
Throughout this first session, Ming, leader of popular Caribbean jazz band Elan Parlé, Wei on her alto saxophone, Redon, an accomplished arranger of steel pan music, and powerhouse drummer Thomas ‘ramajayed’, eliciting spontaneous applause at the end of each stint.
During the intermission, jazz artistes took the opportunity to meet with members of the audience. Among those taking in the show was TT’s finest jazz vocalist, Patti Rogers.
The trio began their second set with “St Thomas” by Sonny Rawlins, followed by Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island”. Wei returned to the stage to take the lead in “All The Things You Are”, a song composed by Jerome Kern for the musical Very Warm For May.
She was followed by Gomez who sang the popular Duke Ellington number, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”, then it was back to the trio for some exemplary improvisations on another bossa nova hit, “Blue Bossa”. Once again the quintet came together to delight jazz afficionados with Peggy Lee’s “Fever”, the final items for the evening, leaving patrons completely satisfied after a good night of classic and contemporary jazz.
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Jazz, Fashion Meet on Runway by caribbeanaxis.com
The Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago (Jatt) presents Jazzup The Runway on June 26, at Starlift Steel Orchestra Panyard, 1 Mucurapo Road Ext, St James. Jazzup The Runway is a fund-raiser for Jazz Alliance’s Music Scholarship Fund, which in December 2009 raised $8,000 for former Trinity College student, Jesse Ryan, to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. This “multiculturalism” event, similar to BET’s Rip The Runway, brings together fashion designers and jazz musicians simultaneously on one stage in an environment where people meet, greet, vibe and smile.(Source: caribbeanaxis.com)
Music: JATT Jazz Ensemble led by Sean Thomas Starlift Steel Orchestra Limited
Folklore engages Jazz Festival crowd by Doug Fischer, The Ottawa Citizen June 25, 2010
They are young, interested in traditions, and even more interested in pushing those traditions into the future.
Performing Friday afternoon at the TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Trinidad-born trumpeter Etienne Charles and his power-packed band Folklore played an engaging set of music that mixed jazz improvisation and harmony with folk rhythms and chants inspired by the African experience of Trinidad & Tobago.
Much of the music, taken from Charles’ 2009 album Folklore, was based on mythological characters that have been part of Caribbean folk tradition since they were brought over by West African slaves four centuries ago.
Charles says he uses his compositions to explore these stories, interpreting images and tales by opening rhythmic and harmonic dialogue between history, tradition and multiple music genres.
For instance, Douens, inspired by a demon whose backward feet trick people into thinking they are running away, was performed at a lilting tempo, and featured the bright sound and sharp attack of Charles’ trumpet and a slowly-unfurling solo by saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart that evolved from a slow chant into fierce wailing that might be heard in a chase.
Dance with La Diablesse, part of a suite that celebrates a woman whose “purpose is to take men and lead them to doom,” was a shifting, sensuous canopy of tempos and moods, suggested a struggle with dangerous temptation.
The finale of the lively five-tune set was a calypso, Santimante, that pulsed with energy and a wild, sometimes dissonant solo from the terrific young pianist Sullivan Fortner.
The band’s strong horn-piano frontline was pushed throughout by the splendid rhythm section of Benn Williams, a bassist of power and melodic invention, and the splashy drive of drummer Obed Calvaire.
June 25: Etienne Charles and Folklore
Entirely different, but displaying the same collective enthusiasm, Etienne Charles brought his Folklore quintet to the Library and Archives theater, for an afternoon performance that satisfied existing fans and undoubtedly brought the Trinidad-born trumpeter some new ones as well. With his own impressive educational résumé —Berklee, Florida State, Juilliard — Charles brought along some of his partners in crime from the much-lauded Folklore (Self Produced, 2009), including the multi-cultural Jacques Schwarz-Bart on tenor saxophone, and Obed Calvaire, a particularly exceptional drummer who is already delivering on a wealth of promises with everyone from Dave Liebman and The Clayton Brothers to Barney McAll and David Kikoski. Not on Charles’ album, but so familiar with the music that they may as well have been, bassist Ben Williams (Stefon Harris and Blackout) and the relatively unknown but impressive pianist Sullivan Fortner rounded out the group, which had the audience on its feet for a standing ovation by the end of its exhilarating, 90-minute show.
Redolent of the Caribbean (closing, as he did, with a calypso) and New Orleans, Charles’ music is, nevertheless, thoroughly modern, comfortably marrying a deep-rooted understanding of the traditions that are at the core of his music with more sophisticated harmonies, especially in the case of Fortner, who brought a rich sense of thoughtful invention, even when the group delivered a blues mid-set. His eyes often on the rest of the group, he demonstrated a keen sense of when to inject a driving harmony to push some of this very accessible music ever so slightly on its edge.
Eye contact, smiles and, at times, enthusiastic laughter amongst the players created an infectiously strong connection with the audience, made all the warmer by Charles’ relaxed and affable song introduction—and his band intros as well, which clearly demonstrated his respect and appreciation for those around him. When not playing trumpet with a plangent tone and fluid delivery, Charles switched to percussion, thickening the compelling grooves and becoming an engaging foil for Calvaire, especially towards the end of the set, where they engaged in thrilling combination of trade-off and in-tandem soloing.
Williams only took one solo, but he was an unshakable anchor throughout the set—lithe yet muscular, and seemingly as happy to work a simple pattern as he was pushing the music forward with more complex ideas. But, amongst a group of standout musicians, Schwarz-Bart was, perhaps the most charismatic, a powerful presence who was capable of executing Charles’ high velocity heads, but was equally disposed to solos that built to fever pitch with the saxophonist working a single note over and over again, often in the upper range, not unlike alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett.
But singling out any performer in a group this good isn’t meant to diminish the rest of the musicians. Whether swinging with fiery intensity, or grooving with Afro-Cuban polyrhythms, Charles and Folklore delivered an afternoon show that pulled a bit of the outdoor sunshine and warmth into Library and Archives Canada.
Etienne Charles has a full roster all locked in through to the summer months. Here is a sampling of those dates with a forward link to the complete listing:
04.23.2010: Dwyer Cultural Center, NYC leading NJMIH All Stars
04.30.2010: Jazz Spectacular, E. Lansing, MI with MSU Professors of Jazz
05.05.2010: St. Lucia, W.I
More dates here…
Jazz lovers enjoy Caribbean Jazz Fusion by Sheldon Osbourne, guardian.co.tt
The Jazz segment of the annual WeBeat St James Festival took place on June 9 before a small but enthusiastic crowd of Jazz lovers at the St James Amphitheatre, on the Western Main Road, St James. JazzBeat has become a key element of the Festival, and is the real high point of WeBeat for some patrons, but T&T Guardian learned that JazzBeat 2010 was in danger of being cancelled because of poor funding.
…This was the fifth installment of the nine-day festival first organised in 2001 as an event to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the incorporation of the suburb of St James into the city of Port-of-Spain. The festival is also an opportunity for the community to recognise and honour residents who have made notable contributions in their various fields. The JazzBeat audience enjoyed the voices and instruments of Ray Holman and Friends, Johan Chuckaree, and the band Moyenne, with Chantal Esdelle, Douglas Redon, Darryl Sheppard, and Glenford Sobers. Holman and his band, and Sobers, who played as part of the band Moyenne, are both well-known for their skill and versatility with the steelpan. They are both becoming even more popular for their skill in blending the national instrument with Jazz in a variation of the genre sometimes referred to as “Caribbean Jazz Fusion.”
Moyenne members—Esdelle, Redon, Sheppard, and Sobers—brought the show to a fitting climax with their skillful blend of traditional Jazz with traditional calypso. Patrons were sill dancing and singing as they made their way out of the Amphitheatre at the end of the show…
Chantal Esdelle and Moyenne performed Esdelle’s original compositions and those of guitarist Theron Shaw, Sobers and Douglas Redon at the Caribbean Jazz Festival Series in June. Esdelle and Moyenne entertained Shaw as their special guest at the Carlton Savannah, 2-4 Coblentz Avenue, Port-of-Spain, Trindad and Tobago on Sunday, June 06.
Anthony Woodroffe, Blue Culture and others for “Woodroffe & Associates’ Annual Student Concert “2 is better than 1″ on June 3 at City Hall, Frederick St. Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Jamaican SONGBIRD, Niquet Goldson launched the 2010 edition of SONGBIRDS…live™, the concert series produced by Production One Ltd., featuring new Caribbean female vocalists at AURA Restaurant & Bar on Thursday 03, June from 6:00 pm.
Currently in the process of graduating from the University of the West Indies, Mount Hope, Trinidad, with her degree in Veterinary Medicine, Niquet Goldson will debut the series on June 3 before returning to her native Jamaica to pursue both her academic profession and her first love, music. The captivating smile along with the warm and inviting personality of Niquet is only but a precursor to the experience of this emerging starlet performing centre stage. The pretty, petit Jamaican born singer who wears a beautiful crown of dreadlocks has been singing for the greater part of her life. Now at the age of 24, she has successfully made the seamless transition from background harmony vocalist to become a sensational solo singer in her own right. Her musical inspirations include Beres Hammond, Ella Fitzgerald, Queen Ifrika, Whitney Houston, India Arie, and Taurus Riley.
Heralding from a family of six in the parish of St. Mary, Jamaica, Niquet was raised by her two parents as the youngest of their four offspring. “Growing up in a house with three older brothers, some might consider me to have been the little princess. But as with everyone, life still did have its fair share of ups and downs,” clarifies Niquet. “My family was very conservative, and being raised in the church, my earliest experiences singing were strictly gospel music. It wasn’t until in my late teenage years and early twenties that I began singing harmonies for popular reggae artists such as Tony Rebel, Abijah, Richie Spice, and Andrew Tosh among others.”
Niquet attended Wolmer’s High School for Girls in Kingston, and it was whilst there that she was able to pursue voice training at the acclaimed Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. During these years although studying classical voice, she was able to appear both in studio and on various stages with gospel artistes such as Prodigal Son, Judy Mowatt, and Carlene Davis to name a few.
Highlights of Niquet’s career include singing on the internationally acclaimed Reggae Sumfest stage with some of the previously mentioned artists, as well singing with artists in Trinidad and Tobago whilst attending to her tertiary education studies in Trinidad and Tobago. Her work in Trinidad includes background harmony vocals on stage and in studio for icons such as Brother Resistance, Ataklan, Ziggy Rankin, Levi Myaz, and Umi Marcano amongst others. She is currently working on original music and performs both as a solo singer and harmony vocalist. One can be sure to expect phenomenal things from this package of voice, beauty, intelligence and charming personality.
- SONGBIRDS…live 2010 photos of Niquet Goldson
Production One Ltd., recently off the commercially successful Jazz Artists on the Greens in March, continues in 2010 the performance showcase for the female voice that began last year. SONGBIRDS…live™ features, from June to December on the first Wednesday of the month (with the exception of June), some of the most notable upcoming and unheralded female voices in contemporary music in Trinidad and Tobago with an ear turned to Jazz and World Music. These smaller productions serve as a platform for the recording of the singers and their performances. The musical range, from world jazz to neo-soul to quiet storm, places SONGBIRDS…live™ in a position far separate from the plethora of jazz gigs popping up around the city of Port of Spain.
Tues. June 1st, 2010 at La Casa de Ibiza, Kern Sumerville FINALLY emerges as the musician that everyone has been waiting to hear with his original compositions. Kern has remained silent but promises to deliver his works on the Steelpan and through his voice…
Come see Etienne Charles in his Washington DC debut as a bandleader at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, kick off his Caribbean Heritage Month Tour as part of the DC Jazz Fest on June 01.
featuring
EC- Trumpet/percussion
Brian Hogans -saxophones
Milan Milanovic – piano
Eric Wheeler – bass
John Lamkin – drums
plus special guest!!
The Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago celebrates THE SOUNDS OF BRAZIL, CLIVE ZANDA and MILES DAVIS on “INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY,” Saturday, 29th MAY, UNDER THE TREES at THE NORMANDIE HOTEL, 10 Nook Avenue, St. Anns.
From Brazil, there is guitarist and vocalist, Camila Costa with her band, courtesy the Brazilian Embassy. Bassist Michael Boothman, keyboardist Clive Zanda and special guest vocalist, Damian Salandy, vocalist Patti Rogers, drummer Sean Thomas among others will represent Trinidad and Tobago.
In addition, Costa and her band will conduct a workshop on the “Approach to Brazilian Rhythms” (percussion, piano, accordion and guitar). It is free to all musicians UNDER THE TREES of THE NORMANDIE HOTEL, 10 Nook Avenue, St. Anns, Trinidad from 11:00 am – 01:30 pm.
Brownman (electric trumpet), Tyler Emond (electric bass) and Maxwell Roach (subbing for regular drummer Colin Kingsmore) was also booked on Thursday, May 20, but at Trane Studio, 984 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Caribbean Dinner Jazz – May 2010 - added by Nicholas Charles
Sunday May 16th a special day at Caribbean Dinner Jazz as we paid tribute to two of the biggest giants to come out of the Caribbean.
It was May 11th 1981 that the great Reggae Legend Bob Marley passed away. It is also 10 years since the passing of Calypso and Jazz Calypso extraordinaire Lord Kitchener.
In tribute of these two great Caribbeans, we hosted a show of their music featuring Jazz Guitarist Cameron Pierre, Panists Robert Clarke and Justin Russel. Along with the Engine Room Band they performed some of the best of Kitch and Bob in true Caribbean Jazz style…
Music, cuisine and history at Festival Chaguaramas |newsday.co.tt
On the opening day… (May 01), the Festival…(highlighted) outdoor activities…(climaxing) with a concert Potpourri Musicale, a fusion of pan, jazz, soca and chutney, featuring top…(Cuban saxophonist) César López (and Trinidadian acts) 3 Canal (which has been thrilling audiences at home and abroad with their conscious brand of Rapso music), Ray Holman (composer, arranger and pannist who has arranged and recorded with steel bands and artistes in the US, Canada, Latin America, Japan and Europe) and much more. This (was) held at Williams Bay, Chaguarams…
Headlining the show (was) César López of Cuba, who has been dubbed by critics as the “Cuban Charlie Parker”, named after the legendary US Jazz saxophonist. López has toured more than 45 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa with his repertoire of jazz classics and Cuban music…
Cuban Jazz Blows up Chaguaramas Intensely
by Simon Lee, Trinidad Guardian
…From a strictly musical perspective, few could quarrel with the programming: Pelham Goddard, Theron Shaw and Dave Marcelin demonstrated the versatility of true professionals in their accompaniment and, accomplished as they are, they needed everything in their training and experience to pull off the night’s undoubted climax: a blistering set from the Cuban Carl Lopez. Unfortunately for Latin and especially Afro-Cuban jazz aficionados, live performances by the Cuban greats are all too infrequent in T&T…
Carl Lopez, despite diminutive stature, put down a massive set, stretching the local musicians, enchanting the crowd with his easy humour and virtuosity. From hard Latin to Afro-Cuban, to softer numbers (including a version of Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely) Lopez culled inspiration from the ozone and brought the sound of Cuba direct to Chaguaramas[...]
The Theron Shaw Project performed back up duties for famed Cuban saxophonist Cesar Lopez at the Pot Pourri Musicale, Festival Chaguaramas on Saturday May 1st. For this event, the Project was Brian Cezair on bass, Barry Howard on drums, and Dave Marcelin on keys.
Anne Fridal: I am so excited learning all this new repertoire for my show at Movie Towne, “Boogie Blues,” “Tenderly” and many of those catch Broadway and Jazz melodies; and singing with a Jazz Band. Wow!! I am ready to go.
MY LIFE IS A SONG, BE IT HAPPY OR SAD. I AM AN OPERA SINGER BY PROFESSION BUT I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES, BROADWAY, SWING, BOOGIE, CROON AND GO ”GUNGHO” SCATTING. PLACE YOURSELVES AT THE ‘SAVOY’ OR HARLEM’S ‘COTTON CLUB’ DURING THE 1920′s, 30′s, 40′s, OR 50′s, AND BE READY FOR ‘FIESTA PLAZA’
LETS SWING, CROON, SCAT AND BOOGIE ON THE 24TH APRIL AT 8.30PM SHARP
TRINIDAD/Brazil
The hot Brazilian sounds of LUANDA JONES & her Brazilian 4′tet shook the winter chills out of the Trane Studio at 964 Bathurst Stree, Toronto, April 16 with a blend of bossa nova, funk, Jazz and samba with her inspiring quartet.
Featuring Luanda Jones on vocals and guitar accompanied by award-winning Trinidadian trumpet player Brownman (playing flugelhorn exclusively); electric bass master Ian D’Souza of LAL and Sisters Euclid fame; and iconic Brazilian percussionist Maninho Costa.
LUANDA JONES BRAZILIAN 4′TET
:: Luanda Jones – vocals, guitar (Brazil)
:: Brownman - flugelhorn (Trinidad)
:: Ian De Souza – electric bass (Uganda)
:: Maninho Costa – drums (Brazil)
On Tuesday, 23rd March 2010, Chantal Esdelle, leader of the Caribbean-Jazz group “Moyenne”, joined scores of her fans at La Casa de Ibiza, a venue that has become host to the thriving Trinidad Jazz scene.
Live music flows at Casa de Ibiza on Tragarete Road, Woodbrook, every night of the week. (Monday 22 and Tuesday 23) were no exceptions, as Collis Duranty and The Unlimited Soul Project with Muhammad Muwakil and jazz ensemble Moyenne, led by Chantal Esdelle, graced the stage. On Monday night’s acoustic event, popular poet Muhammad Muwakil started things off, delivering his poignant and powerful brand of lyrics to a packed house.
…At Tuesday’s jazz session, Moyenne was in fine form, playing original items like Kaiso Kaiso, Love Changes, Yemanja, Lo Mejor de Mi and Blues for Sale.
With Esdelle on vocals and keyboards, Junior Reid on percussion, Douglas Reddon on bass and Kevin Sobers on tenor pan, the group sounded relaxed and well rehearsed, their ease and comfort in playing together creating sweet mellow grooves, to the enjoyment of the small audience. Saxophonist Tony Woodroffe made a cameo appearance at the end of the set for a funky interpretation of Footprints. (edited from Trinidad Guardian post by Gillian Moore)
On Tuesday, 30th March 2010, it was an Easter holiday edition at La Casa de Ibiza featuring Tony Woodroffe Jr & friends playing Jazz Standards with vocals. The Tony Woodroffe Quintet was Michael (Ming) Low Chew Tung (keys), Dean Williams (guitar), Russell Durity (bass), Karl Doyle (drums) and Tony Woodroffe on saxophone.
- TONY TAKES ON TUESDAY!
- Anthony Woodroffe Jr & Friends (Shurlan Griffith’s Photos)
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Tuesday, 13th April, 2010, groove behind the bluesband, TABANCA…
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO/Guyana
- Russell Leonce, Rizon and Ruth Osman talk about their April 04 concert
- Rizon, Ruth & Russell deliver an amazing presentation to the people of the South
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