To be considered jazz, a song has plenty of places to go. It can have an R&B groove, only two chords and a simple melody and still fit the bill. By comparison, some tunes have lots of changes, multiple styles and a bunch of improvisers, but may not be considered jazz. Luckily, most of the tunes on our list are easy enough to define as being part of one of the subgenres of jazz, such as Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Bebop Jazz Funk and even Calypso.
We’ll let you be the judge if we got it right. Here are our 10 picks, in no particular order, for the best pan jazz tracks you need to hear right now.
1. Kai Fusion – Leon Foster Thomas
This hard-hitting groove starts out strong and mellows into a steady pace with a frantic melody on top. If you’ve never heard of LFT, this is a good place to start. Thomas is one of the most bombastic, powerful virtuoso pannists on the scene today, who has the ability to show off his knowledge of chord structure and music theory while maintaining his own style and a penchant for playing fast and loud. The sax solo on this track is also worth hearing.
2. Eastern Standard Time – Victor Provost
Having built a reputation as a bebop player, Provost shows off his expertise in the genre with a blend of styles, from classic bop to his dazzling speed and pure command of his low G tenor pan, which adds its own flavor. During the solo section, he takes the listener through his ideas slow at first, then picks up steam quickly, dancing around the chords and finding a voice of his own quickly. The rest of the album, Bright Eyes, is also worth a listen thanks to a rich blend of genres that Provost and his band take to a whole new level.
3. Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington, Jr. feat. Robert Greenidge
Sung by R&B legend, Bill Withers, this Grover Washington, Jr. classic features one of the best steelpan solos ever recorded. Legendary pannist, Robert Greenidge, flexes his skills here by placing notes with melodic phrasing and lively rhythmic patterns while expertly traversing the chord progression. As the song picks up intensity, Greenidge matches it in cleverness and speed. It’s a masterclass in how to seize your moment in a short time span.
4. Dance Class – Andy Narell
While there are many compositions from the master of Caribbean jazz, this one is a perfect representation of his style and performance capabilities. With an elegant and classy presentation, featuring a 90s smooth jazz instrumentation and recording style, this piece was featured in the movie, The Firm during a bar scene set in the Bahamas. It’s fitting since the song makes you feel like you’re at a cocktail party in the Caribbean. It’s elevated by the stylistic and tasteful playing of Narell, who’s delicate touch leaves you feeling both relaxed and intrigued at once.
5. Find Your Place – Joy Lapps-Lewis
This intriguing composition highlights the many genres that inspired it, with Lapps-Lewis citing her love of Afro- and Latin-Caribbean jazz, with a little funk mixed in. Lapps-Lewis’ work in steelpan is reflected well in this piece, not just for what you hear, but the work she put in to craft her own style, having studied in Paris with Calypsociation and separately in St. Lucia with Andy Narell. These influences and more are reflected in this tune, along with the influence of her famed drummer husband, Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy.
6. Liberation – Andre White
The debut solo album of award-winning pannist, composer and arranger, Andre White, is filled with powerful arrangements, but perhaps the best is the opening track, Liberation. This song, and the album, feature a full steel orchestra, brilliantly executing a complex arrangement, complete with a horn section and vocals. White proves why he’s one of the biggest names in the game with a beautiful melodic structure that manages to highlight tenors and vocals at once, while leaving room for supporting lines from double seconds and horns. His solo manages to be beautiful, haunting and dazzling all at once.
7. Hydra – Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, arranged by Ken “Professor” Philmore
Perhaps the best start to finish pan jazz record ever made, this album features several tunes worthy of this list, but we went with Hydra due to its unique rhythmic riff, stylish melody and killer solo section. The late Professor Philmore really outdid himself with this Grover Washington, Jr. cover, which features perfectly understated drumset playing to set the groove, syncopated rhythms in the seconds and guitar pans, and some fun licks played by the tenors and double tenors throughout.
8. Old Lady Walk a Mile and a Half – Rudy Smith Quartet feat. Rudy “Two-Left” Smith
One of the great instrumentalists and arrangers in pan is also perhaps its most unsung hero. He has a chance to shine in this jazzified arrangement of the Lord Kitchener classic, while managing to showcase the talent of his quartet, along with his own improvisational prowess.
9. Focus Poem – Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
It’s hard not to be impressed by this brilliantly composed and executed piece of jazz-fusion greatness pulled off by none other than the master of odd-metered, film score-inspired insanity (in a good way). Accompanied by the legend himself, the famed banjo maestro Bela Fleck, and a stellar lineup of seasoned musicians, Scales’ writing shines with a roller coaster of changes, unison moments and time signatures that’ll make your head spin as you groove the minutes away.
10. Opus Pocus – Jaco Pastorius feat. Othello Molineaux
One of the true legends and innovators of pan jazz shows off his skills in this tune, made famous by his long-time friend and collaborator, the late Jaco Pastorius, who many consider to be the greatest bass player of all time. The tune features one of the trickiest opening riffs on this list, and a fat groove to follow. You’ll have this one stuck in your head for a while, but good luck if you plan to cover it yourself on a gig. It might take some practice.
Honorable Mentions:
Awe – Akinola Senno
Abiku – Zane Rodulfo
Blanchisseuse – Patrick Fitzgibbon
Killer Joe – Kareem Thompson
Introvurrito – Lord Shambleton
Check out our playlist below for many of these tracks and more:
