Uncanny

OTHER MUSIC " Summer Jam Alert! Just last week, I sung the praises of the Mighty Sparrow's Hot & Sweet album, produced by Van Dyke Parks and featuring some of the best tropical funk jams you're likely to hear all year. That release made me long for a high-quality reissue of this equally fine album by the Esso Trinidad Steel Band, and some might have laughed at my idle dreaming; yet here it is in a deluxe package on the same label (that'd be Bananastan, which looks to be a new Calypso/West Indian-oriented operation run by none other than Parks himself)!"

"Produced in 1971 by Parks and originally released by Warner Brothers, this album showcases the extraordinary talents of 23 steel pan players conjuring dense, swinging soundscapes that seem to be made out of pure light. The band work their magic on tunes by the Kinks, the Jackson 5, and even Simon & Garfunkel, as well as a few classic calypsos, classical pieces, and a new tune by Parks. The music is as dizzyingly intricate as that of any classical ensemble, yet the band grooves, swings, and bounces with the precision of a machine. Their covers of tunes like "Apeman" and "Cecilia" are instantly recognizable yet exotic, and their stunning version of "I Want You Back" has been a DJ staple of mine for years -- to hear a dozen or so panmen sing the song in unison as the layers of pan drumming swirl around them is startlingly beautiful."

"This deluxe edition also includes, for the first time, a DVD of the 1971 documentary film by Parks and Bud Smith about the Esso Band; it's an excellent slice of life on the road during the group's US tour from that year, with interviews and a number of tight, intense performances everywhere from beachy carnivals to the snowy Midwest. This record holds a special place in my heart; even among the dozens of steel band records I own, it's a truly special jewel. The film is just icing on the cake for a reissue that is long overdue for discovery. As Parks states in the liner notes, "This ain't your Jimmy Buffet Banana Republic, it's Fellini with bikinis!" Well said, absolutely stunning and most highly recommended. "