TRINIDAD voted Jazz capital of the Caribbean by Woodshed Warriors

Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago was this past June voted ‘Caribbean Jazz Capital’ by Woodshed readers. The month-long Woodshed Poll asked the question, “Which country would you say is the Caribbean Jazz capital?”

The results of that poll show that 36% of Woodshed Warriors favour Tn’T as the place to be for Caribbean Jazz action.  Second in line is St. Lucia at 27%. Guadeloupe leads Martinique 18% to 9%. Barbados is tied in fourth place with Guadeloupe.

No votes were cast for Anguilla, Jamaica or the United States Virgin Islands, which all have active Jazz scenes. Similarly, none of our readers suggested any of the other Caribbean islands such as Cayman Islands, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, countries with well-established Jazz scenes.  In our view, therefore, this simply means that Woodshed Entertainment has not sufficiently penetrated these countries.

Add to that is our failure to attract one single Jazz Author (one who would regularly submit news on Caribbean Jazz events to this blog) after two years of trying.

Anyway, the vote for Trinidad now sets the stage for the Woodshed banner to be altered to reflect Trinidad‘s place on the Caribbean Jazz landscape.

However, there is one more question that needs to be asked to determine whose images should be included in the collage that will make up the head banner.  That is “Which TRINIDAD Jazz artists – past or present, heavenly or earthly, at home or abroad – have influenced CARIBBEAN JAZZ the most?” The answers are for you to provide.

All of you Woodshed Warriors, not just Trinis mind you, are eligible to share the names of the Trinidad artists you think fit that bill.  Share those names and your justifications in Comments, if only to grow a dialogue on the subject.

The strongest candidates will form the basis of another Woodshed Poll that anyone (ANYONE) can vote on.

Now, Woodshed Warriors, ready? Woodshed Warriors, Go…

The first suggestion and rationale is LORD KITCHENER (Aldwyn Roberts).  This comes from The Scribe, John Stevenson.

First off, congrats to the Trinis on the land of the hummingbird being the top jazz destination in the region – as per the opinion of the ‘Shedders.

In response to your question, Iz, the first person coming to mind for me, is Aldwyn Roberts, though many would argue that he wasn’t a jazz musician per se.

Lord Kitchener was a man of immense taste and rare depth in terms of compositional nous, wide-ranging influences, and, in turn, his influence on Caribbean music.  Period!

He played acoustic bass, composed calypsos in Trinidad and England where he resided for a time, all the while utilising Afro-Cuban and bossa-nova motifs, big-band jazz orchestrations with accustomed ease and matchless innovation.

He was also, in the lineage of people like his countryman CLR James, imbued with a marked Pan-African consciousness.

His compositions were also very influential during the Soca (Soul & Calypso) period ushered in during the 1970s.

But above this, the Grandmaster’s sweet lyricism has inspired countless jazz improvisers to immortalise his many tunes as working Caribbean jazz standards.

Who hasn’t heard Andy Narell performing Rainorama or Raf Robertson riffing rhythmically on Margie or Clive Zanda’s keyboard wizardry on Old Lady Walk a Mile and a Half?  If you haven’t now is the time to grab those reverential recordings.

ADD YOUR RATIONAL IN COMMENTS and TAKE THE POLL!

Previous Poll: Woodshed Poll for ‘Jazz Capital of the Caribbean‘

Rules of Engagement: Should there be less than three (3) adequate nominations, meaning the submission of complete names and justifications, within the next fortnight, the whole idea of making the Woodshed banner Trinidad-centric, will be scrapped altogether.  The administrator of Woodshed Entertainment Collective will not undertake to singlehandedly pick the most influential Trinidad Jazz artists for that would render the name “Collective” meaningless.