Tn’T Steelpan Jazz Festival ‘08 climaxed November 01

Trinidad

update 2 on November 04, 2008

The Trinidad and Tobago Steelpan Jazz Festival revved up and raced headlong from the media launch in October to the Festival Finale on November 01, 2008.  The Steelpan Jazz Festival was launched at the Kam Wah Restaurant by producer Ainsley Mark, Chairman of the Queens Royal College Foundation, a thirteen year-old charitable trust, established to assist the namesake college with its programmes.

This TT$6 million event got going in earnest on Tuesday, October 21 with a Photo Exhibition at the National Museum.  Entitled ‘Steelpan and Jazz: the Trinidad and Tobago Experience,’ the exhibits stood through to the end.

The main launch was, however, a free event on Friday, October 24 at the Skiffle Bunch Theatre in San Fernando.

On Saturday, October 25, the action moved to Festival Square in Pointe Fortin, the Mayaro Resource Centre and Queen’s Hall in St. Anns.

Veteran Jazz pianist Raf Robertson led the pack at Festival Square; the John Arnold Quintet Jazz Ensemble of Tobago and Canadian pianist, arranger and composer Jeremy Ledbetter‘s Canefire were the headliners at the Resource Centre; and the Etienne Charles Quintet stood guard at Queen’s Hall, for a tribute to Slinger ‘Mighty Sparrow’ Francisco, the man dubbed the “Calypso King of the World.”

Boston’s Berklee College of Music Quintet and Ottawa, Canada’s Diane White Quartet held court on Sunday, October 26, again at Queen’s Hall.

All of the shows held were free events except for ‘Slinger: The Music of Sparrow.’

The members of Canefire gave a ‘Young Musicians Workshop’ on Monday, October 27 at Trinity College East, Trinicity; at San Fernando City Hall on Wednesday, October 29; and finally on October 31 at Cascadia, St. Anns.  Canefire also performed at the Exodus Pan Theatre in St. Augustine on the night of the 29th with the Diane White Quartet and others and as an opening act for Al Jarreau on November 01.

On the evening of the 27th, ‘Lyric Notes: Poetry, Rapso & Jazz’ took place at the Central Bank Auditorium (CBA).

Tuesday, October 28 saw a ‘Lecture/Demonstration’ by the Berklee Quintet at the CBA in Port of Spain and EVENING RHYTHMS OF PARADISE at the Harvard Club, St. James at 6 pm featuring Canefire and Cuban trumpeter Alexis Baró and Mark Mosca, a pannist of Trini descent, KV Charles, Tripolians, St. James Tassa Drummers, Parang and Chutney.

With Baró and Mosca’s help, Canefire concocted a hybrid sound from Calypso, Latin, Jazz and Blues, all the ingredients necessary for a truly unique Caribbean Jazz experience.  Little wonder that the Harvard audience lapped it all up.

Canefire is, from right in the above photo, Jeremy Ledbetter (leader, keyboards), Chendy León (drums), Mark Mosca (steelpans), Alexis Baró (trumpet), Canadian saxophonist Braxton Hicks (saxophone), and hidden from view are Yoser Rodriguez (bass) and Alberto Suárez (percussion).

Thereafter, the tempo picked up with several other heavy hitters that included local and international Jazz artists.

The bassist David ‘Happy’ Williams Quintet featured trumpeter Eddie Henderson and saxophonist Javon Jackson paid tribute to Miles Davis in a show dubbed Steel N’ Jazz held at the Central Bank Auditorium at 08:00 pm on Thursday, October 30.  Also on that bill was the saxophonist Oliver Lake Quartet as well as Trinidad’s elite Jazz group Èlan Parlè of pianist Michael Low Chew ‘Tung’ Ming.

To close the festival was Al Jarreau Live in Concert at Queen’s Hall, St. Ann.  Opening for Jarreau was Robert Greenidge‘s double second steel pans, first with the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and then New York All Stars featuring Jazz singer Vanessa Rubin.

The New York All Stars in action

Vanessa Rubin

The New York All Stars was joined briefly on stage by Trinidadian trumpeter Etienne Charles who accompanied Rubin (of Trinidadian heritage) on a couple of songs, ‘Quiet Nights’ among them.

Pannist Robert Greenidge in the musical spotlight

Percussionist Ralph McDonald, calypsonian David Rudder and Canefire, and sax man Tom Scott rounded off the evening.

(Sources: Al Jarreau returns to TT; KV and Canefire light up Divali night show; Smooth jazz from Jarreau)

The Woodshed Coalition is putting out a call to patrons of the festival and to the Trinidadian Jazz artists alike to Comment on the shows here, either by e-mail or in Comments.