Everyone’s got an opinion on their favorite of all time in any medium. But, there are usually a few most people can agree on that deserve to be on a top 10 list. In the steelpan medium, it’s pretty easy to find out who the best of the best are. Join any steelpan related Facebook group and you’ll generally hear the same names repeated a lot.
Whether or not you agree with this list entirely, I’ll make sure it’s clear why each person was chosen. In no particular order, here’s our list of the 10 most innovative steelpan artists of all time.
1. Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
Born Lennox Sharpe, “Boogsie” is considered to be a living legend, both in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and around the world. With perfect pitch and his bluesy, groove-oriented musical style, Sharpe has achieved cult status in the pan community for writing and arranging countless pieces that many consider modern works of art. His work as an arranger for Phase II Pan Groove has made them one of the most famous steel bands in the world, having won Trinidad & Tobago Panorama seven times and second place 12 times. His composing and arranging skills are matched by his dazzling virtuosity as a soloist, given his ability to play incredibly fast and create rich, harp-like pieces by self-accompaniment. Some of his most popular songs include “Sarah,” “Cryin,” “Woman is Boss,” “Pan Rising,” “‘Dis Feelin’ Nice,” “More Love,” “Birthday Party,” and his arrangement of “Fire Down Below” for the 1989 Panorama competition.
2. Jit Samaroo
Known lovingly by friends, family and fans as “Dr. Jit”, Samaroo was born in Surrey village, in Lopinot, Trinidad and Tobago as the seventh child in a family of thirteen. At the age of 10, he joined the Village Boys pan-round-the-neck group. By 14, Samaroo was fully immersed in steelpan and had mastered how to play every instrument in the steel orchestra. He began arranging for the Lever Brothers’ Canboulay Steelband and eventually took over Renegades Steel Orchestra. This path set him up to become one of the most prolific and successful arrangers of all time. His sound incorporated elements of classical music, with complex countermelodies and syncopation incorporated throughout the arrangements by the guitar and double second sections. Under Samaroo’s direction, Renegades won Panorama nine times. He also gained notoriety for leading his family band, The Samaroo Jets, to victory in Pan is Beautiful IV. Some of his most popular arrangements include “Iron Man,” “Mystery Band,” “Pan Rising,” “The Bee’s Melody,” “Guitar Pan,” “Pan in A Minor,” and “Somebody.”
3. Ray Holman
Known for his “sweet” steelpan sound, rich harmonies and no-nonsense approach to the artform, Holman has earned a reputation as someone seeking to constantly push the steelpan to new heights. As the first person to write an original piece for Panorama with Pan On the Move in 1972, Holman broke down a barrier previously thought to be taboo as only sung Calypsos were arranged for the competition before that. His work led many others to write original pieces for the contest, including Pelham Goddard and “Boogsie” Sharpe. Holman’s musical style is characterized by having long, flowing melodic arcs with complex chord progressions supporting underneath. Popular pieces he wrote or arranged include “Penny Lane,” “Pan on the Move,” “Pan Woman,” “Carnival Woman,” “Panic,” “Queen of the Bands,” “We Just Can’t Go On Like This,” “Celebration,” “Suzie,” “Playa Larga,” and “My Band.”
4. Ken “Professor” Philmore
Known for his fast-paced arrangements, exciting solo playing and positive demeanor, “Professor” enhanced the steelpan movement through his innovative style with arrangements like “Pan by Storm,” “Pan Ecstasy,” “Pan in the Party,” “Woman on the Bass,” and “Carnival is We.” As the arranger of Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, Philmore led the group to victory at Panorama . But more so, he gave the band and its Southern region notoriety as traditionally, the top bands come from the Northern region of Trinidad, near Port-of-Spain. He was also the chief arranger and composer for the popular album, Pan Jazz ‘N’ Calypso, and a popular clinician and visiting performer for many universities around the globe. Sadly, he died in 2018 due to complications from a car accident.
5. Andy Narell
Narell fell in love with pan at a very young age. His father, New York social worker Murray Narell, was instrumental in bringing famed builder and arranger Ellie Mannette to the United States in the 1960s. Narell remained continuously inspired by his friend and collaborator Mannette as he built a career as a producer, composer, recording artist, session musician, and educator.
He has performed and recorded with a wide array of artists, including Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Sakesho, The Caribbean Jazz Project (with Dave Samuels and Paquito D’Rivera) and was the first foreign arranger to arrange for Trinidad Panorama in 1999 with Skiffle Bunch performing his original tune, “Coffee Street”. Other popular pieces by Narell include “The Hammer,” “Hannibal’s Revenge,” “Iso’s Mood,” “We Kinda Music,” “Little Secrets,” “Kalinda”, and “The Songlines.”
6. Liam Teague
Nicknamed “The Paganini of Pan,” Professor Teague is regarded as one of the most gifted pannists thanks to his virtuosity, hand speed, and versatility in the number of musical styles he can execute with ease. From jazz to calypso to classical, Teague has composed a number of popular pieces that are performed throughout the world by soloists, small groups, and large steel orchestras alike. Some of his most popular pieces include “Chant,” “Panoramic,” “Hands Like Lightning,” “Cell O Vibes,” and “A Visit to Hell.”
He has arranged consistently for Silver Stars Steel Orchestra in Trinidad and Tobago, with his challenging and exciting arrangements landing his band in the finals year after year. He is Professor of Music and Head of Steelpan Studies at Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he also directs the renowned NIU Steelband. Teague is also the recipient of an NIU Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor Award. He has received many awards from his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, including the Humming Bird National Award (Silver) and the Ansa McAl Caribbean Award for Excellence.
7. Robert Greenidge
Born in Laventille, Trinidad, the birthplace of pan, Greenidge has become a household name in his home country and around the world as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and the instrumental group, Club Trini. Possibly the most recorded pannist in history with regard to appearing on chart-topping pop albums, Greenidge has been featured on albums by Earth Wind & Fire, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, and on hit singles that include “Just the Two of Us,” by Grover Washington Jr. and “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” by John Lennon. Despite his commercial success, Greenidge has continued to work in Trinidad and Tobago, including carnival for Panorama, where he won twice with Desperadoes Steel Orchestra in 1991 (“Musical Volcano”) and 1994 (“Fire Coming Down”), both original compositions.
8. Ellie Mannette
Known to many as “Father of the Modern Steelpan Instrument”, Mannette is one of the founding fathers of pan, having been there at its inception. What he is most known for is his continuous innovation with the instrument, having pushed the boundaries of what was possible time and again throughout his illustrious career. Legend suggests that Mannette was the first person to use a discarded oil barrel to build a steelpan. Before that, smaller objects, such as biscuit tins and soapboxes, were used; however, they lacked the full range of notes required to make up a chromatic instrument.
As the pan developed, Mannette was credited with the invention of several instruments in the steelpan orchestra, including the Invader Lead (Soprano), Double Second (Alto), Quadduet (Baritone), Triple Guitar (Baritone), Cello (Baritone), Tenor Bass, and Six Bass. He brought his talents to the U.S. in the 1960s, to develop the U.S. Navy Steel Band. Later on, he transitioned to working with inner-city bands in New York City. He freely taught his building skills to an army of apprentices at universities all across the U.S., helping to usher in a renaissance of school steel bands throughout the country.
Mannette was also a prolific pannist, arranger and bandleader, having formed his own band in the late 30s, The Oval Boys, traveled to Great Britain with TASPO (Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra) in 1951, and recorded several albums in the 1960s with his band the Shell Invaders, which still exists today. He received the National Heritage Fellowship Award from the NEA in 1999, the Chaconia Medal from Trinidad in 2000, for being inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2003, and for having his work showcased at the Smithsonian Institution. He died of natural causes in 2018.
9. Othello Molineaux
One of the first to use steelpan in the jazz medium, Molineaux gained notoriety for his work with legendary bass player, Jaco Pastorius, from his Word of Mouth jazz fusion group. Molineaux also worked with big names in jazz and pop such as Monty Alexander, Chicago, and David Johansen. Albums he collaborated on included Ivory & Steel with Monty Alexander, Chicago X with Chicago, and collaborations with Jaco Pastorius on 13 albums. These projects included the mysterious Holiday for Pans, which was left unfinished when Warner Bros. refused to continue funding after deeming it too “esoteric” for mainstream audiences. The album has developed a cult following since and is currently for sale with some additional tracks not previously meant to be included on the album. Some of Molineaux’s most recognized works include John and Mary, Opus Pocus, Good Morning Anya, She’s Leaving Home, Happylypso, and his original album, It’s About Time, featuring Hannibal’s Return and Horatio.
![Jaco Pastorius & Friends "The Chicken" [Live in Montreal Jazz Fest 1982]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t3mmALcrSHI/0.jpg)
10. Tony Williams
As one of the steelpan’s pioneers along with Ellie Mannette, Winston “Spree” Simon and Neville Jules, Williams began his career in the 1940s. He developed the Spider Web tenor pan, one of the most commonly used designs still used today by steelbands around the world. He was one of twelve panmen selected to join TASPO (Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra), which went to the 1951 Music Festival of Britain in England. Williams worked in different bands before taking over leadership of the Pan Am North Stars, where he made a mark as a leader, pan tuner, and arranger of the band. The band won Panorama twice, in 1963 and 1964. Popular arrangements include “Voices of Spring,” “Moon River,” “Hold On To Your Man,” and “That Happy Feeling.”
Did we miss anyone? Be sure to reach out in the comments section and let us know who we should have included.
The title should be The most innovative panmen from the last century. I agree they brought a lot of new inputs to panmusic, but this is a long time ago. Nowadays they produce nothing new and keep repeating themselfs. The mentioned musicians have my highest respect for what they did, but come on, its not all about Trinidad and Panorama, pan is happening everywhere in the world and could be much more innovative than these guys are doing right now. Just go around and find out….
How could you omit Leon Edwards, arranger for All Stars for the past forty years and having the most Panorama wins or places of all, more than Jit and Boogsie.
Because as mentioned above the title is about innovative panist. And Leon with all respect is the one who just keep repeating himself all the times. Arrangement- wise All Stars are stuck in the 80‘. The only reason they win from time to time is the high standard of their performances…..