Backyard Jam: Soca in Jazz Content
by Anthony Woodroffe

ABSTRACT

For a long time, it has been the practice of local and regional jazz musicians to place calypso and (as of late) Soca into a jazz and funk context. It builds a connection with audiences using familiar material presented in a way which is sometimes less common. In keeping with the aims of the jazz studio of reframing calypso repertoire within the jazz idiom while keeping core musical elements unaffected, this arrangement of "Backyard Jam" highlights the arranging skills of recent graduate Terell Phillips and performances by alumni and current students of the APA, and Senior Instructor Anthony Woodroffe. In addition to some modicum of inclusivity provided by using local repertoire, this project also serves the role of fostering a nascent network for alumni from the music specialization at the University of Trinidad and Tobago's Academy for the Performing Arts.

Context

The Jazz/Contemporary music pathway is situated on the Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Academy for the Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. The objective of the Jazz studio associated with the pathway is to have students perform regional, local, and contemporary selections to engender a supportive learning environment that provides students with the tools to flourish in any contemporary music industry setting. Students are encouraged to perform and create artifacts that reflect their cultural identity as well as their personal interests.

Purpose And Significance

By working with local repertoire, it is possible to engage with a broader diversity of musical skills and concepts than might have been employed by using the standard repertoire from jazz and classical music. In addition to this, participating as a lecturer in a student led arrangement, one can engage with students on their terms and build a professional rapport in a setting outside of the formal school environment. This helps to foster the concept of collaboration and building of networks that subsists beyond the APA experience.

Process/Methodology

The composition "Backyard Jam" as performed by Farmer Nappy (real name Darryl Henry) was envisioned in the musical style of local legend Michael "Ming" Low Chew Tung's Elan Parle (an established Caribbean Jazz group) by Terell Phillips. A guide track was produced and disseminated to the participants of this project. Because of the ongoing pandemic and the focus on safety, all the recordings and accompanying video were done remotely and compiled to create the final artifact.

The participants on the recording are as follows:

• Terell Phillips - Keys/Arrangement
• Rodney Alexander - Bass
• Mikael Forde - Drums
• Anthony Woodroffe - Tenor Saxophone
• Marc Harroo - Violin/String arrangement (partial input)