Every so often a local "feel good" album comes along that restores faith in, and strengthens appreciation for this country's rich and diverse music industry. Feel good is a term synonymous with light, middle-of-the-road, non-alienating music that has wide appeal for people of all ages.
Best of Panazz 20th Anniversary CD and DVD set is one of those priceless musical treasures. It is a very solid compilation of the best selections from the aggregation's four albums, brilliantly remixed by Sean Poland and remastered by Martin "Mice" Raymond, with enhanced quality, into a single album that is an unrelenting succession of happy, well-known hits. Accompanying it is a DVD of one of the group's stellar performances.
Interestingly, one of its 14 tracks is the late Godfather of Soul James Brown's I Got You (I Feel Good) that shares space on the disc with age-old standards Misty (Errol Garner), Shadow Of Your Smile (Mandel/ Webster), Fly Me To The Moon (Bart Howard), Making Whoopee (Donaldson/Kahn), and Tico Tico (Abreu/Oliveira).
Also included are local compositions Portrait Of Trinidad (Len Ward)), Old Lady Walk A Mile and Pan In The 21st Century (Aldwyn Roberts), Pull The Bull (Andre Tanker) and a bonus of two Christmas selections-O Holy Night and a House to House Medley (Bottle and Spoon (Relator) and Drink A Rum (Kitchener).
The album has a very clean, detailed sound. There is an absence of surface noise, and every instrument is heard clearly and distinctly, making for a greater appreciation of the creative arrangements contributed by Sheldon Webster, Yohan Popwell, Barry Bartholomew, Natasha Joseph and Arturo Tappin. Guest performers include Tappin on saxophone, Stanley Ruiz on electric guitar, Ralph Davies on keyboards, Robert Munro and Friends, and Sterling Gittens and the Youth Pulse Choir.
The name Panazz Players (Pan and Jazz) was coined by Bartholomew in 1993. It was an integral part of his mission to form a self-sufficient steel ensemble that expressed the musical interest of players who had a flair, not only for calypso music, but especially for the jazz idiom.
Initially, the aggregation participated in the Pan Ramajay competition, a brainchild of the late Amin Mohammed and Exodus Steel Orchestra. The group was extremely successful and dominated the event for several years. "The Pan Ramajay Competition was one of the main motivations for forming the band, coupled with the opportunity to select music that would be challenging and at times out of the box," said leader/arranger Bartholomew.
Apart from astute panmanship, dexterity and suave arrangements, the players always enjoyed themselves while performing. They loved to "get on" and this endeared them to their many patrons. "To have found such a talented bunch of players with great improvisational skills and clever arranging abilities was very exciting and a real blessing," added Bartholomew.
"But what really worked in our favour was the palpable chemistry and showmanship that developed and clearly shone through on stage. I thank all the players for having made it work so well." After winning four consecutive Ramajay competitions, the band travelled throughout the United States, UK, Japan and the Caribbean, including two consecutive appearances at the St Lucia Jazz Festival.
"We performed in some amazing venues," stated Bartholomew. "But what stands out in my mind were our two sold-out performances at the prestigious Boston Symphony Hall. There, along with our talented saxophonist Arturo Tappin, we received no less than three standing ovations."
After ten years, the group eventually disbanded in 2002. The following year Bartholomew decided on another career path, and chose the culinary arts to become a very successful chef. "I have always been cooking," he said, "so I decided it was time to go abroad and become certified."
He entered the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York from which he graduated in 18 months. His internship as a chef was spent at the Tabla Restaurant in Manhattan, specializing in "Indian fusion" cooking.
Currently, he spends the warm months working in New York, but returns home during winter season to ply his trade of supplying "authentic Indian grilled foods" at special events. Recording engineers who worked on the Best of Panazz 20th Anniversary CD were Sean Poland, Robin Foster and John Afoon.