University of Calypso

It's no secret that calypso has been a major influence on Andy Narell, whose main instrument, the steel pan, originated in Trinidad. Narell isn't the only jazz improviser who has been affected by calypso; tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins started combining hard bop and calypso in the 1950s, when Narell was only a child. But if Rollins did a lot to get the jazz/calypso ball rolling, Narell was more than happy to take that ball and keep running with it 20, 30, 40, and 50 years later. In fact, Narell and veteran calypso singer/guitarist Willard Harris, aka Lord Relator, are co-leaders on University of Calypso, which finds them performing calypso songs that range from the well known to the obscure. This 2008 session contains some instrumentals, although it is primarily a vocal album — and Relator sings more often than not. Jazz has influenced a variety of music in the Caribbean over the years, including salsa/Afro-Cuban, ska, and calypso. Thus, it makes perfect sense for Narell and Relator to make extensive use of Narell's jazz chops on songs previously recorded by Lord Kitchener (including "My Pussin," "Take Yuh Meat Out Meh Rice," and "Pan in Harmony"), Roaring Lion ("Ugly Woman"), the Mighty Terror ("Sugar for Pan"), and Relator himself ("Pan on Sesame Street," "Food Prices," "Gavaskar," "Bottle and Spoon"). Bop fans will notice that Lord Melody's "Peddlers" incorporates Charlie Parker's "Anthropology," and some might assume that the use of "Anthropology" was Narell's idea. But in fact, "Anthropology"'s melody was used on Melody's original 1950s recording of "Peddlers." One of the great things about University of Calypso is the fact that it sounds like a genuine exchange of ideas between Narell and Relator; Narell clearly draws on Relator's calypso background, and Relator clearly draws on Narell's jazz background. In a perfect world, Rollins would have appeared on this album and been featured extensively; Rollins is no doubt familiar with some of these songs, and one can imagine him revisiting "St. Thomas" or "Hold 'Em Joe" in the presence of a well-known calypso artist like Relator. Regardless, University of Calypso is a consistently interesting collaboration that world jazz enthusiasts shouldn't miss.