What is “The Panoramic View?”

There are so many ways to express music. Percussion has opened doors to education, relationships, and experiences across the globe. Growing up, my brain craved virtually every genre of music. Classically trained as an orchestral percussionist, I entered the job force free-lancing in world music and jazz before landing several cruise show band contracts, a cross-continental punk-rock tour, and eventually settling into a full time steel pan career when Cabo Jack pointed out that my home town is surrounded by the ocean, and island life is the perfect recipe for island music. In general, cultural crossover enriches music, and a touch of Caribbean sound brings vivid energy and positive vibrations to virtually any other genre.

My quest for Steel Pan music eventually left me starving for my past life as a jazz drummer. Composing jazz turns the “factory” setting off in my brain after pushing hard to complete Caribbean repertoire. Leading a 5 piece jazz combo at a monthly gig, I took the opportunity to premiere new original tunes every month until we had enough material to do an all-original performance. This collection recycles and adapts the jazz tunes back into Caribbean styles.

My collection of musical artists who sway in and out of performance projects with me took on the name “Panoramic View” in 2013. Using Caribbean influence in jazz music and jazz influence in Caribbean music, the group made an effort to fit clients’ performance needs at social events. When they needed a vocalist, we found one. If they wanted a duo, a combo, or a full band, we offered that. We could pull the gig off acoustic or electric. Indoors or outdoors. But they received so much more than they could’ve known to ask for.

As we started out, we didn’t always tell the clients they’d be getting a mix of OUR original compositions in between their requests for Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, and The Beatles. Pretty soon, folks told started confusing our music with the artists they wanted to hear. In fact, we saw more dancing to original works than to the same old humdrum tunes they thought they wanted. Our music took a broad approach, including everything from radio hits to the authentic traditional cultural story telling found in Calypso. Steel Pan has a history. I’d like to think that in some small way, we became a part of that history when we started slipping our musical concepts into the mix.

In a sense, our Panoramic View exposes the musicians’ and clients’ musical horizons.