ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:
ALAN BATES - Arranger, Producer, lead & dbl. 2nd steelpans, vibes, timbales, talking drum, vocal on track #10.
Alan Bates is as a drummer, vibes player and steelpan player who has made New York City his home for the past 25 years. His recent studio work includes playing the steelpans on TV and Radio jingles for Chase Manhattan, Morgan's Rum, Mastercard, and steelpan on Steve Adelson's CD, "The Answer is Inside," which also features Larry Corell & Tony Levin. He also played drums on Brother Jack Mcduff's "Live It Up," the Bill Warfield Big Band, "The City Never Sleeps," and Drums & Percussion on Oscar Sulley's "Music of Africa." Alan spent a year with Japan's #1 Big Band, The Sharps & Flats playing for TV shows, live radio, recording, and touring Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
Bates began playing the steelpan while living for a year in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands in 1989/90 where he played vibes & drums in the house band at the Hyatt Regency/Virgin Grande Hotel. Since returning to New York City in 1991, the steelpan has gradually become Alan's main instrument. He free-lances and leads the group, Island Breeze, a Caribbean Music Ensemble. For a more detailed bio. check out www.panvibe.com.
JEROME HARRIS - electric guitar & nylon string guitar.
Guitarist Jerome Harris is best known for his many years of performing and recording on guitar and bass with jazz great Sonny Rollins. He has also played and recorded with many other well-known artists including Jack DeJonnette and the World Beat/Reggae group, Oliver Lake and Jump Up. Recently Jerome has been traveling all over the world on U.S. State Dept. tours. For more on Jerome and a look at his very extensive discography, check out his website at www.jeromeharris.com
DAVID MEADE - Drums, conga, djembe, cow bells, hand percussion.
Drummer/percussionist Dave Meade has played with Aretha Franklin, Bobby McFerrin, Larry Coryell and many others. With rock solid tempos and incredible versatility, Dave always sounds like the "right" drummer for the job whether he's playing with a Brazilian Group, Salsa Band or the Rainbow Room Orchestra. A total drum nut, Dave even marches with the top pipe & drum bands. Among his many recordings are two CD's of his own group, Primary Colors.
RAS MOZ-I - electric bass and lead vocal tracks 6 & 7.
Originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Moz-I has toured and recorded with Reggae artists such and Mejeek Fashiek, Nasio Fontaine, The Last Poets, and his own group, Roots Alive. He also played with African Drumming legend, Babu Olatungi. Moz-I has brought his Caribbean music and culture to thousands of school children as a member of the Island Breeze (trio) concert program for Project Impact.
NYDIA "LIBERTY" MATA - congas, bongos, maracas & guiro
Rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba, Nydia "Liberty" Mata is a dynamic percussionist and an electrifying performer. Best known for her recordings with Laura Nyro, Isis, Latin Fever, Deuce and Lillian Allen, Nydia has also performed with legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Patti La Belle and Pete Seeger. She is co-founder of the Latin Caribbean duo, Harpbeat, which she also writes and arranges for. Nydia is also now seriously studying the lead steelpan and performing with Island Breeze and others.
DAVID YEE - Congas, & misc. hand percussion
Dave is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and currently teaches and freelances in the New York city area. He has been trained in orchestral percussion, but also specializes in hand drums & percussion instruments from Brazil & the Caribbean. He has backed up artists such as Debbie Gibson, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Melissa Manchester, and James Ingram, and performed in many Broadway shows, including Man of La Mancha, Tommy, Beauty & the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. As member of the Island Breeze trio he has brought the sound and story of steel drums to thousands of young people through school concerts for Project Impact.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
1. Pan Fried - The title track is a Latin-tinged blues, and is one of the 4 originals on the CD. After the intro with some very tasty percussion, guitar & steelpan play the melody. Jerome adds some barbeque sauce as his guitar takes the lead on the 8 bar interlude. The conga, bongos, & steelpan sprinkle some cayenne peppers on the ending.
2. Signal For Lara - This is a cover of the socca hit by "SuperBlue" about the Cricket champion, Brian Lara from Trinidad. Instrumental except for the "start the carnival" chant in the beginning - only an advanced Yogi can keep their body still while listening!
3. Cachita - The classic mambo is updated by adding some new sections for improvisation. Nydia adds some Cuban soul with her bongo and conga solo's. The ending features a very spirited conversation between all the instruments.
4. Beautiful Maria of My Soul/Beautiful Barbados - Great for kicking back with your feet up or for close dancing with someone special; this ballad medley features some lyrical pan playing and gorgeous solos from nylon string guitar and vibes.
5. Taco Taco - This original in a samba groove features an intro with short solos from timbales, congas & drum set - each separated by a unison rhythmic energy-burst. The steelpan & guitar come in unexpectedly with the theme which leads to solos by pan, guitar & vibes. The finale has another course of spicy trading - a conversation with each amigo putting in their 2 pesos.
6. Brown Skin Girl - The calypso classic is given new life by Moz-I's spirited 1st take vocal. Then it's time for a steelpan solo & a rhythm section breakdown. It's steadily into high gear from there, with building interplay between the voice and steelpan.
7. The Harder They Come. - Moz-I again shows that he's not content to just sing a song; he makes it his own! You could also forget that Jerome is a first class jazz guitarist - on this track he seriously "rocks out."
8. We Got It Too! - This Bates original begins with a "spacey" intro with some "Chinese" percussion by Dave Yee filling the holes. Then comes the insistent melody based on the chord progression of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm," always a favorite of jazz musicians to "blow on."
9. African Friend - This melodic ballad from Jimmy Buffett is performed instrumentally with steelpan taking the lead, aided and abetted by the mellowness of the nylon string guitar. The shakers, djembe drum, & African talking drum all help to evoke the "mother continent" that is the source of so much of the planet's rhythmic energy.
10. Under the Sea - Bring your mask and oxygen tank! This arrangement of the lively calypso from "the Little Mermaid" starts 2000 leagues below sea level then rises for air and Alan's fishy vocal interpretation. The ending tonality suddenly plunges to Davy Jones Locker again.
11. Q.P. - The final track is a modern sounding Latin jazz original; alternate title could be "Dezi Arnez rides the Hale Bop Comet."
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.panvibe.comTrack List:
1. Pan Fried
2. Signal For Lara
3. Cachita
4. Beautiful Maria of My Soul/Beautiful Barbados
5. Taco Taco
6. Brown Skin Girl
7. The Harder They Come
8. We Got It Too!
9. African Friend
10. Under The Sea
11. Q.P.
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