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:: Bassman ::

:: Amalia Rosas ::

:: Rhapsody In Blue ::

Aside from the occasional Sesame Street episode in the seventies, or grooving to DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night” at roller skating rinks in the eighties, the steel drum has played a minimal role in my life. Thankfully, that's all changed as I'm now the proud owner of this platter of percussive gold from 1974, featuring Trinidad’s self-proclaimed steelband prodigies, The Frank Clarke Kids.

Trinidad is a land filled with panyards that most kids become acquainted with at a young age, so that “prodigy” label probably gets thrown around quite a bit in those parts- but there's no denying that these young'uns were extraordinarily talented. Frank Clarke was the group's manager and producer. The band was a mix of his sons, step-sons, a daughter, and other boys from their Cipriani Boulevard neighborhood. We can think of Mr. Clarke as perhaps the Trinidadian Joseph Jackson, without, hopefully, the verbal abuse and ass whippings.


Phil

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