Etienne Charles launches into Common Wealth of Sounds

Trinidad

Trumpeter Etienne Charles celebrated the release of his new album Folklore with a listening party and CD signing Monday, 03 August 2009 at Satchmo’s on 42 Ariapita Ave, Woodbrook, Port of Spain.

Back in Trinidad especially for this event, Charles performed a brief set comprising of a few cuts from the 11-track CD including ‘Santimanite‘ and the title track.

Etienne Charles at Satchmo's (Photo credit: Gillian Moore)

Backing up Charles to a packed Satchmo’s club was a home-grown band of saxophonist Anthony Woodroffe, bassist Reynold Woodroffe, pianist Ronald Acquis, drummer Karl Doyle and percussionist Modupe Folasade Onilu.

The trumpeter told the Trinidad Guardian, “I just feel lucky to be able to present who we are to a whole new audience.” The American audience in particular has embraced Folklore, he says, “captivated by the power of our stories,” thus pushing the CD up the US Jazz charts.

Charles returns to the United States later this year to take up a teaching position at Michigan State University. But before he does, he has a few more engagements in the land of the hummingbird.

The very next one was Common Wealth of Sounds on Sunday, June 16, 2009. Common Wealth was put on by The Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago. It featured “America’s Classical Music” performed by Charles (trumpet), compatriots Clive Zanda, Dave Marcellin (piano), Douglas Redon (bass) and Sean Thomas (drums), as well as two overseas saxophonists, Barbadian Arturo Tappin and St. Lucian Luther François.

Swing time for Common Wealth of Sounds was 06:00 pm at the C.L.R. James Auditorium, Cipriani Labour College, Valsayn, Trinidad on Sunday, August 16.

Some of these very artists (Charles, Tappin, Zanda, Thomas) and others (Trinidadians, Clifford Charles – guitar, Jason Baptiste – pan, Chantal Esdelle – piano, and Dr. Hollis Liverpool aka Mighty Chalkdust) were scheduled to lecture at JATT‘s “Summer Holistic Jazz Workshop.“

François, Zanda and Tappin (Image courtesy Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)

Common Wealth of Sounds formed part of the JATT‘s “Summer Holistic Jazz Workshop.”  The workshop was launched at AURA on Tuesday, August 11 and got under way on Wednesday, August 12 at the National Library of Trinidad and Tobago.  It came to an end on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.  By that time, the students were fully exposed to Sean Thomas‘ Calypso Real Book, Theory Classes, Dr. Barry Harris’ phrases, lectures and videos of Jazz masters in action.  They would also have participated in Jam Sessions with their lecturers and interacted with the public on the subject of Jazz.