On Thursday, April 10, 2008, three collegiate steel bands
will combine forces with two of America’s
premiere pan
talents to present a tribute concert for pan pioneer and
legend Ellie Mannette in Morgantown, West Virginia. The
three bands (Miami U, Eastern Kentucky U, and West Virginia
U) will perform the entire concert together, in “mass band”
fashion. MU Steel Band director Chris Tanner estimates there
will be more than 70 pan players on stage, a major milestone
for university steelbands in the U.S.A.
Repertoire for the event includes original music from both
Andy and Jeff Narell, as well as offerings from Chris Tanner
and Jason Koontz, directors of the MU and EKU groups,
respectively. The bands will perform about two hours worth
of material in total. “It has been a tremendous challenge
for our students to prepare this much music in one year,”
said Tanner, “but the reward will be worth the effort.”
Ellie Mannette, one of the key innovators of the steel band
art form in 1940s-50s Trinidad, has been an
artist-in-residence at West Virginia University since the
early 1990s. The Narell brothers have a special connection
to Mannette, having first met Ellie in Trinidad in 1966. It
was their father, Murray Narell, who brought Ellie to New
York City in 1967 to begin developing inner city pan
programs.
“Paying tribute to Ellie Mannette, a man who has given his
life to developing, advancing and promoting the steel band
art form, is an honor for me,” says Jeff Narell. “Joining
forces with my brother Andy and three fine University steel
bands is our musical gift to Ellie, who has given us the
fruits of a lifetime of dedication: the steel orchestra.”
Andy Narell echoes his brother’s comments: "It's very
difficult to overstate the importance of Ellie Mannette to
the development of the steelpan. He was there at the
beginning, when a steelband was an assortment of paint cans
and biscuit tins playing rhythm. His early innovations were
pivotal in the transformation to a pitched, melodic
instrument, and he has spent 65 years relentlessly pursuing
perfection. Along the way he has created many of the
instruments that make up the steel orchestra, and refined
the ideas of other creators. For me, his instruments stand
apart, a standard by which all steelpans can be measured,
and he is one of the world's truly great artists.
“Ellie has spent the past 15 years teaching at WVU, where he
has trained a next generation of tuners to carry on his
mission. Now that he is retiring from WVU, some of the
university bands that he has helped so much are getting
together to throw him a steelband party, to show
appreciation for his life's work. We hope to see you there."
The concert takes place at the Creative Arts Center on the
campus of West Virginia University on Thursday, April 10, at
7:30 P.M. For ticket information, call (304) 293-SHOW.
Mannette Tribute Concert Part of Three-Week Residency for
Andy Narell, MU Steel Band
Andy Narell will be in residence at Miami University
(Oxford, OH) for a three-week period beginning in late March
2008. During this time, he will not only join the ensemble
for their on-campus concerts, but also for a series of
performances at high school and college venues across four
states.
The entire list of performances appears below. Most events
are ticketed, and contact information for each venue is
provided. Don’t miss the chance to see Andy Narell and the
MU Steel Band at a city near you!
Andy Narell with Miami University Steel Band
2008 Tour Schedule
Friday and Saturday, March 28-29: Miami University (Oxford,
OH)
Tickets available at (513) 529-3200 or online at
www.tickets.muohio.edu
Monday, March 31: Findlay HS (Findlay, OH)
Contact: Tim Mattis
tmattis@findlaycityschools.org
Friday, April 4: Walnut Hills High School (Cincinnati, OH)
Contact: Ed LeBorgne
ed@island-ed.com
Tuesday, April 8: Richmond HS (Richmond, IN)
Contact: Civic Hall Performing Arts Center (Box Office) at
765-973-3350
Wednesday, April 9: Ben Davis HS (Indianapolis, IN)
Contact: Gary Rudolph
bendavisdrumguy@hotmail.com
Thursday, April 10: West Virginia University (Morgantown,
WV)
Contact: (304) 293-SHOW
*Featuring MU Steel Band, EKU Steel Band, WVU Steel Band,
Andy and Jeff Narell
Friday, April 11: Uniontown HS (Uniontown, PA)
Contact: Michelle Hudock
michelle_konter@hotmail.com
Saturday, April 12: Canal Winchester HS (Canal Winchester,
OH)
Contact: Todd Phillips
filups@prodigy.net
Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10: PANorama Music Festival,
Virginia Beach
Contact: Ben Meyer
bmeyer@virginiaartsfest.com
*Featuring MU Steel Band, EKU Steel Band, and Andy Narell in
combined performance
Jeff Narell Performance Dates Spring 2008
Pan artist and composer Jeff Narell will appear at the
following events during the same time frame:
Tampa Day of Pan
St Petersburg College Music Center
April 12
Jeff Narell- clinician-All Day pan workshop
Tampa, FL
Florida State University
Jeff Narell- artist in residence with FSU Mas & Steel
And Leon HS Steel Band
April 16
Concert- Opperman Music Hall-FSU- 8 PM
Tallahassee, FL
From the News Desk of Chris
Tanner
Director, Miami University Steel Band
