Lehdistötiedote 8.11.98

Karjaan Steel Band-Yhdistys
Ari Viitanen
Pitkämäenkatu 9D
10300 KARJAA puh/fax 019-232 925 0400-903 864

MONTA ASIAA:

1. Suomen ykkössteelbandi Steel Pan Lovers julkaisee kolmannen levynsä.
Virallinen julkaisupäivä on 25.11.

2. Julkaisupäivänä pidetään konsertti Karjaan Suom yläasteen salissa. Konsertti alkaa klo 18.30. Liput 40/20 mk

3. Konsertissa esiintyy myös Kalifornian (ja ehkä koko USA:n) paras nuorisosteelband PANic ALL STARS.

4. Toinen konsertti on Kanneltalolla Helsingissä 26.11. klo 19.00.
lisäksi PANic esiintyy muutamissa paikoissa ja tilaisuuksissa vierailuviikon (viikko 48) aikana

1. Steel Pan Lovers on toiminut vuodesta 91, monet orkesterin soittajista ovat olleet mukana alusta asti. Tämänhetkinen orkesterin vahvuus on 18 soittajaa ja 35 tynnyrinpohjaa. Suurin osa soittajista on opiskelemassa tai töissä jossain muualla kuin Karjaalla, mutta pitkätkään matkat (Joensuu, Lappeenranta, Turku, Nurmes, Helsinki) eivät ole tyrehdyttäneet soittohaluja. Esiintymisiä on kyllä pitkien matkojen takia pitänyt valitettavasti karsia hieman. Steel Pan Lovers on julkaissut aikaisemmin kaksi levyä ja esiintynyt tärkeimmillä kotimaisilla festivaaleilla ja tulevaisuudessa on esiintymissuunnitelmia yhdessä brasilialaisen lyömäsoitinlegendan Airto Moreiran kanssa. Steelpannunsoittoharrastus on jatkunut Karjaan yläasteella. (Keväällä myös Karjaan ala-aste pitää jo 5-vuotisjuhlakonsertin!)

Kolmas levy äänitettiin Karjaan yläasteen musiikkiluokassa syyskuun 5. päivänä. Äänitysteknikkona toimi Lauri Paloposki ja kannen suunnitteli Harri Larjosto. Levyn nimi on The Midnight Pan ja se on ehkä tyyliltään nimensä mukainen. Levyllä on kappaleet

1. SARAH (L.Sharpe) Trinidadilainen Soca

2. OYE COMO VA (T.Puente) Santanan tunnetuksi tekemä Cha-cha-cha

3. PAVANE Op.50 (G.Fauré) Ranskalaisen Gabriel Fauré´n hurmaavankaunis kappale

4. ESTOBLAND (C.Wabich) Los Angleleslaisen ystävämme Chris Wabichin sävellys, jolle lähetimme nauhan, jolle Chris äänitti soolon autotallistudiossa kotonaan. (Eläköön nykytekniikka!)

5. PANAMA (D.Rudder-P.Goddard)Trinimusiikkia taas

6. IS THIS LOVE (B.Marley) Bob Marleyn iki-ihana reggae

7. CALYPSO 1 (J-M.Jarré) Synttikkavelhon Karibia-aiheinen sävellys

8. CRYIN´ (L.Sharpe) Tobagolaisen Our Boys- steelbandin tunnetuksi tekemä kappale

9. LET´S MOVE TO CLEVELAND (F.Zappa) Liian nuorena (53 v.) kuolleen mestarin Frank Zappa´n hauska ja monimutkainen sävellys.

10. SPAIN (C. Corea) Jazzklassikko, joka alkaa kauniilla J. Rodrigon Aranjuez-konserton toisella osalla

11.´ROUND MIDNIGHT(T.Monk) Tunnelmapala, Thelonius Monkin tunnetuin sävellys

Levy julkaistaan kahdessa konsertissa: 25.11.98 Karjaalla "kotiväelle" (=Karjaa on steelpannujen KOTIPAIKKA Suomessa!!) Karjaan suom. yläasteella klo 18.30. Liput 40/20 mk

ja 26.11. Kanneltalolla Helsingissä "suurelle maailmalle" klo 19.00. Liput 50/30 mk

2. SUURI STEELBANDKONSERTTI "With a Little Help from my Friends" 25.11.98 Karjaan suom. yläasteen salissa. Alkaa klo 18.30 Liput 40/20 mk

Esiintyjät:

Karjaan suom yläasteen soittajat
Karjaan suom. ala-asteen steelband PanJam Steel Pan Lovers (kolmannen levyn julkaisu!)
PANIC All Stars (Los Angelesista), luultavasti USA:n paras nuorisosteelband Panicia johtaa CHRIS WABICH, joka on käynyt Suomessa ahkerasti (tulee neljättä kertaa puolentoista vuoden sisällä!)

3. Chris Wabich ja Panic All Stars

Chris Wabich is a percussionist of many abilities. He stays busy playing drum set in many Los Angeles based jazz groups, and spends his spare time building, teaching, and composing for steel drum. Chris has been a guest artist with the University of Montana, Universityof North Carolina - ASU, Pori Jazz Festival, Hesperia Carnival and FACES Ethnofestival in Finland as a soloist for Steel Pan Lovers, Jazzat the Indian Wells, Modern Drummer Drum Festival, Long Beach, Virginia, and Buffalo Symphony Orchestras, Nixon Library concert series, CSU Summer Arts Workshops, and the National Theater of Taiwan. Chris' playing on "The Caribbean Standard" and the PANic All Stars "What We Do" CD summarizes and breaks new ground in the histories of jazz and Caribbean drumming. He has combined traditional 2 and 3 player concepts adding personalized improvisational freedom. Chris has performed and recorded with Sam Most, Slide Hampton, Luther Hughes, Ray Holman,Jimmy Johnson (Allan Holdsworth), Eliot Wadopian (Paul Winter), Larry Koonse, Buddy Collette, Brad Dutz, Llew Matthews (Nancy Wilson), Larry Steen World Jazz Ensemble, Karen Gallinger, and others.

PANic All Stars are THE up and coming steel band in the WORLD! Its members were formed from the top school and professional steel bands in Southern California. PANic All Stars were selected to perform at the 1997 Percussive Arts Society Convention, and have been featured in concert with Boogise Sharpe, Ray Holman, and Robert Greenidge. Their latest CD "What We Do" is an honest documentation of the seriousness and world class talent the band has to offer. (PANic All Stars, featuring Boogsie Sharpe) The opening cut is "Let's Move to Cleveland" by Frank Zappa (arraged by Ari Viitanen). This arrangement is zany, out of control, and TIGHT! The second cut "Poinciana", showcases the beauty of the instruments that Chris Wabich has created. The rest of the album is a live concert with Boogsie Sharpe as a guest. In his own words, Boogsie said that "the guys in this band, they have a gift, they feel the music!" Unedited, honest, and on FIRE!! Boogsie plays some amazing and tasteful solos, and the band complements this with some of the most unified and energetic versions of Boogsie's panorama charts to date! This also showcases Chris Wabich's unique and revolutionary style of playing panorama tunes on drum set WITHOUT a percussionist, and still making it sound full! Insane, sincere, and energetic, this band is on the move!

KUVASSA KUVASIVULLA

PANic All Stars: Vasemmalta oikealle kuvassa

Chris Wabich, Rummut, Bandin johtaja
Rachael Morgan, Triple Cello
Ted Goslin, Triple Guitar
Jim Thornburg, Six Bass
Edessä seisoo
Michael VanValkenburgh, Sopraanopannu
Kuvan saa netistä tästä klikkaamalla

Tästä saat Chris Wabichin kuvan, jonka otti Sirpa Viitanen Porin Jatseilta -97

Ja tässä on alussa mainittu Chrisin kirjehaastattelu:

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am a full time, working drum set artist located in Los Angeles. Most of my spare time is taken by building and playing steel drums. I have a wife, Arlene, who is a school nurse.

When and how did you start with steel pans?

I started playing in college in 1987. The steel band at Appalachian State University was founded by Dr. Scott Meister. He was rejected by the university for money to start the steel band. Instead of quitting, he decided to build his own drums. That is how I first learned to build and tune. The first drums at ASU sounded crude and rather poor, but it doesn't matter because that was part of the process. Without ASU I definitely would't be where I am now. I played as a solo guest artist with ASU last Spring. It was the first time I played there in 11 years. Their band is much better now, and they play a wide variety of music, not the standard island songs.

Tell me about pan playing in USA, California, Los Angeles?

There are hundreds of bands in the USA. Most of them are on the east coast, New York and Florida have the most bands because of the larger West Indian population. There are probably only 2 or 3 out of the 52 states where pan is not played YET!! I am guessing Alaska is one of them. Dave Beery and I started the first 7 public school groups in Southern California. There are many more now, and Los Angeles has TOO many pan players!!

You have been in Finland very often lately. Tell me about it.

I have been very lucky to have met Ari Viitanen of Karjaa. We have had a series of exchanges where Dave Beery and I observed his teachings in Finland, and he has visited Los Angeles and seen our programs. In lots of ways we are similar in that we both build drums for our students, have bands in public schools, and arrange songs for pan. Through Ari I have met all of the other pan pioneers of Scandinavia who are inspiring people.

What do you expect from this visit?

Lots and Lots of SNOW!!!! Truthfully, I want to share the talent of the All Stars with Finlanders. We will be playing some of the most difficult material yet to be written for the pan. I definitely want the All Stars to experience the power and enthusiasm that Ari's band has. They have a kind of energy that comes from playing together for a long time, something rare in school bands or even professional working bands. Both bands are relatively young and I think this kind of exchange will energize all of the players to want to learn more. Its funny when bands get together. It puts the focus on the music. That kind of environment always helps.

Something else to say?

Maybe its time to apply for dual citizenship??

Chris

Soita ja kysy lisää. Voit tulla käymäänkin. Yhteystiedot yllä. Auttakaa meitä, antakaa julkisuutta! Ari