Jamani Duo Integrates and Expands On The Musical Prowess of Pan
It’s that rainy, misty, Sunday morning on the porch of the B&B at the ocean. And despite the percussive basis of their percolating sounds, the music of Jamani Duo makes me feel serene. Of course, the soothing sounds of their steelpans contribute to that ambiance. But here, on their debut album Timeline, it’s served in a totally non-traditional cocktail of classical and southern hemispheric rhythms.
The music is refreshing, the same way Andy Narell integrated pan into the smooth jazz scene. But idiomatically more Euro, as evidenced in Allegro, which might suggest a more classically trained leaning by these two Canadian percussionists, Matt and Jodi Groenheide. Creativity here is prescribed but pleasantly and professionally orchestrated.
Initially I thought I heard some Jonathan Scales in their expression of Andy Akiho’s Momo-Iro. But I later attributed that to the high level of execution on the part of these skilled pan-percussionists. A similar level of detail and nuance is achieved with Allegro, a classical piece by famed Italian composer Joseph-Hector Fiocco. The addition of a drum beat on the cajón gives the piece a modern, whimsical feel.
Another notable piece is the duo’s execution of Robert Chappell’s Open Window. It delivers a beautifully haunting and rich soundscape, allowing marimba and steelpan to work together seamlessly. The intricate and challenging piece is expertly executed with the dynamics highlighted perfectly throughout.
Timeline is innovative, no doubt; and maybe trailblazing. The album features a fascinating combination of instruments, including: steel pan with cajón; flute with marimba; toms with bongos, claves and conch shell. It suggests Jamani Duo is on a path, though still searching for what is uniquely theirs. And they are not afraid to try different ideas until they get there.
In all, the project is a pleasant excursion, a positive thrust in the direction of a goal still to be defined, or refined. It grabs you subtly and grows on you the more you listen.
The album is produced by world-renowned steel pannist Tracy Thornton (Pan Rocks), engineered by Benjy Johnson (Cory Wong, Charlie Hunter), and mastered by Peter Letros (Our Lady Peace, Beyoncé). Timeline is available for streaming on all major streaming platforms and for purchase here.
