Island Jazz Chat: Episode 9 - Theron Shaw

Reticent. Diffident. Two words to describe the personality of guitarist Theron Shaw of Trinidad and Tobago. Another pair of apt adjectives would be determined and inventive. In a revealing conversation, we get into what made Shaw the popular choice for the islands' premier jazz guitarist. Three acclaimed albums, years of touring and working at defining for a new generation what the essence of kaisojazz is and can be for that demographic are hallmarks that are explored and revealed.

• Programme Date: 28 July 2022
• Programme Length: 01:20:25

2014: Another Year in Music - an excerpt

"Jazz artists hold a place of special importance in my view of local music, and the continuing production of only a handful of commercially released albums—Chantal Esdelle & Moyenne, Clifford Charles, the Ming-produced TriniJazz Project, Theron Shaw, Pedro Lezama—does not create significant impact for industry growth but acts as a statistical indicator and marketing tool for a buying public of live music as well.

 

The concert and festival scene saw increased numbers at shows, increased events showcasing Caribbean jazz artists (the return of Shades of Vaughnette, an All Star tribute to Ralph MacDonald, Eat Drink Jazz), and an increase of ticket prices for the Tobago Jazz Experience coupled with the “concept of the fence.” The near-completion of the multi-seat Shaw Park Entertainment complex may ease the logistical problems that the over-subscribed beach location exhibited in April 2014. Despite these factors, jazz artistes still validly complain about the burden that the small economies of scale here has on their careers. That cabal of musicians must continue the symbiotic relationship with its audience here..."
—Excerpt from "2014: Another Year in Music. © 2015, Nigel A. Campbell. All Rights Reserved."

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Shades of Vaughnette III: Milestones - a review¹

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Resplendent, as always, in the couture of southern design team, Zadd & Eastman, Vaughnette Bigford made a successful return to her annual concert series, Shades of Vaughnette, at the Sundar Popo Theatre at the NAPA South Campus in San Fernando after a two-year break for the recency of motherhood. With a mix of local and jazz/R&B covers, Bigford reclaimed her status of the premier jazz stylist in these islands whose palette knows no geographic boundaries. She is well known for handling the American jazz songbook, international hits in many languages, and especially for her take on the local song catalogue and suffusing these tunes with the dissonant harmonic tones of jazz. And that night, Saturday November 8, she did not disappoint.

This year’s show, the third in the series and subtitled Milestones to celebrate a decade as a professional performer follows a pattern of expanding the local audiences' understanding and appreciation of a global repertoire of songs, and reinforcing the idea that the local song—whether it is calypso, soca or island pop—can become a celebratory anthem beyond a narrow Carnival season cycle that predominates the industry. Opening the show with a nod to American jazz singer Carmen Lundy with a cover of her hit “Wild Child”, Bigford soon engaged the senses with a phonetically accurate reading of French chanteuse Annick Tangorra’s “Lolita Fleur Creole.” Language is not a barrier for the appreciation of great songcraft.

The din of nostalgia: The Keate Street Jazz Octet at Martin’s Piano Bar – a review¹

Aidan Chamberlin, assistant professor at UTT informed the small audience of about a couple dozen at Martin’s Piano Bar that the performance they were about to witness that cool Friday night (3 October) was the debut public performance of the newly formed Keate Street Jazz Octet conscripted from the staff of UTT Music department with Alea Nicholson sitting in as guest pianist. Their agglomeration was inspired by a visit earlier in 2014 by the Michigan State University jazz professors including Trinidadian trumpet ace Etienne Charles, and students. The Americans showcased the possibilities of big band and especially the octet ensembles in the context of jazz: four horns and a rhythm section can swing.

In the context of jazz in Trinidad, the audience was in for the uninspired reading of stock music charts of the jazz greats. With almost sonic perfection—one would expect no less from UTT music instructors—especially from the horn section of Chamberlin on trombone, Anthony Woodroffe, Jr. on tenor sax, Yevgeny Dokshansky on alto sax and Errol Ince on trumpet, the octet moved through a selection of early- to mid-20th century jazz standards ranging from Gershwin (Fascinating Rhythm) and Fats Waller (Ain’t Misbehavin’) to Erroll Garner (Misty) and Dizzy Gillespie (Night in Tunisia).

Theron Shaw: Gumbo Caribe - a CD review¹

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Theron Shaw is well known in local music circles as the go-to man for guitar support ranging from jazz to calypso. His two previous releases signalled a willingness to engage with native cultural mores and tackle Caribbean Jazz not only as a way to “tropicalise” harmonically complex original music, but as a way to validate and valorise calypsos, ethnic music and folk songs in a surprisingly new context. With his third release on CD, Gumbo Caribe, Shaw almost exclusively utilises the talents of a cadre of Boston-based Berklee College of Music faculty and alumni to expand the thematic influences beyond the border.

Those musicians include Trinidad-born professor of music, Ron Reid, who acts as producer and earns an album artist credit, along with dynamic drummer Harvey Wirht, originally from Suriname. Reid has honed his skill of pulling superlative performances out of musicians — last year, that was on display at his One Night Only concert at All Saints Church Hall with local jazz talent — and on this album, the challenging variety of moods is adequately handled. Wirht leads by example to masterfully interpret the varied rhythms that are explored on this album. The challenge, if there is one at all, of playing live with musicians “outside the box” is recognised by the listener as the new aesthetics of jazz: just play...well!

Shaw says:

Gumbo Caribe represents a mix of styles and influences that I’ve been nurturing developing for a number of years. You will hear influences from the French Caribbean via the mennde and mazurka [mazouk], a Brazilian textured partido alto, and of course my own twists of calypso and folk rhythms.