Thanks for picking up our new sampler CD, “Best of the Good.” These 14 pieces represent some of the best material we put out between May 2014 and April 2016. To hear and purchase any or all of the music in our catalog of over 100 tunes, or to subscribe to the Good Music For You club, visit PanoramaLand.BandCamp.com.
We really appreciate your support and we hope you like the music. We’ve certainly enjoyed making it for you!
Download Best of the Good Notes (PDF)
“Serpent Maigre” is a beguine from the repertoire of Martiniquan clarinetist Alexandre Stellio (1885-1939) who led a band in Paris in the 1920s and ’30s. Charlie discovered it a couple years ago on a beguine compilation he ran across and we started messing around with it at our weekly gigs.
Steve’s “pocky way” tuba groove gives this reading a New Orleans second line feel. Check out Aurora’s solo on the A section at the repeat of the form and listen for Charlie’s hot obligato behind the reeds on both B sections.
Recorded April 7th, 2014 @ Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA.
Released May 1, 2014
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, shaker
Aurora Nealand – Alto saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Steve Glenn – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Session engineered by Mike Seaman
Track mixed by Bill Deputy
Thanks to Michael Schweppe for helping out in the studio
“Chororo” was brought in by Matt Schreiber who recently moved with his wife to New Orleans from Portland Maine to fill Panorama’s accordion chair.
This song ranked number one on the Yugoslav folk music chart for the year 1969 and Matt learned it in 2011 on a visit to Serbia from a young accordionist named Ljuba Petrovic. Ljuba is the great nephew of the late accordionist Duško Petrovic who, born into a family of famous musicians in the Romani community of Grabovica, wrote and recorded the original hit.
The title means “Orphan” in the Romanes language. Although we bring it to you as an instrumental, the original lyric is the lament of an orphan boy missing his parents.
On this recording we pared down the band to feature Matt and his accordion. Playing music of the Roma people demands a lifetime of study and Matt has travelled to Western Serbia for that purpose on several occasions. His delivery of the line, it’s ornamentation and that special swing of the eighth-note reflects his love and study of and his devotion to this music.
After a long association with Panorama in various capacities, this is Mark Rubin’s first recording with Panorama Jazz Band. You can hear him playing baritone horn on Panorama *Brass* Band’s CD, “17 Days” (2011) and he produced the jazz band’s second album, “Panoramaland” (2005). Mark also recently immigrated to New Orleans, a cultural refugee from Austin Texas, the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World.”
Recorded April 7th, 2014 @ Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA.
Released June 1, 2014
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Tenor Banjo
Mark Rubin – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Session engineered by Mike Seaman
Track mixed by Bill Deputy
Thanks to Michael Schweppe for helping out in the studio
“Di Shikerer Tantz” (“Drunkard Dance”) is a melodic line we’d been playing in the Panorama Brass Band for several years. It works great out on the parade route, especially the night parades. From there we brought it into the Jazz Band and even had a round of schnapps brought to the bandstand by an appreciative festival goer when we played it at the French Quarter Festival a few years ago.
This particular tune is different every time we play it. On the June 2nd recording session, we tracked it in one take and all immediately felt that we had a hit on our hands.
Much gratitude to Mark Rubin for assistance with the Yiddish title.
Recorded June 2nd, 2014 @ Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA.
Released July 1, 2014
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Aurora Nealand – Alto saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Session engineered by Mike Seaman
Track mixed by Bill Deputy
The “Sicilienne, Op. 78” by Gabriel Fauré, was something completely new for us: a transcription of an orchestral piece from the European classical tradition. Originally written in Belle Époque Paris (1893) for cello and piano, it was orchestrated for a London production of “Pelléas et Mélisande” (Maurice Maeterlinck) in 1898 and is now often performed in a suite of incidental music written for that play.
The Belle-Époque (1871-1914), a period of peace and prosperity in France, saw the rise of the French bourgeoisie and many of the things we now associate with the City of Lights: the Eiffel Tower, the Impressionist and Expressionist movements in painting, the Art Nouveau style in the decorative arts, the Moulin Rouge, the Folies Bergère and the Bohemian lifestyle in the cafés of Montmartre.
A “sicilienne” in classical music is characterized by a limping rhythm in triple time. Composers have typically used it to convey a calm, pastoral feeling. In this case, we couldn’t help putting just a little swing on the 8th note to give it more energy and remind the listener that we are in 21st century New Orleans. The groove is dancey, the melodies are all singable and memorable. The trio section features some nice interplay between the accordion and banjo and dissolves into the whole-tone scale before returning to the G minor section and an optimistic coda.
Recorded June 2nd, 2014 @ Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA.
Released August 1, 2014
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Aurora Nealand – Alto saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Produced by Ben Schenck and Bill Deputy
Session engineered by Mike Seaman
Mixed by Bill Deputy
One December many years ago, while hiking in Northern Wales, Ben found himself with nothing but a harmonica to play Christmas carols on. The harmonica worked fine for “Joy To The World” and “The First Noel” but when it came to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (which is in a minor key), the harmonica (which is pitched major) wouldn’t do it. Consequently, there was no alternative but to play “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in a major key.
When Panorama started getting calls a few years ago to play holiday gigs, Ben made an arrangement and we recorded it on our November 2014 session, re-titling our version, “Christmas (Like Ya Just Don’t Care).”
The track starts out in the traditional minor key with a solemn, reverential type of English cathedral tone but, after one time down, Patrick with his banjo and Doug on the floor tom cut in and we find ourselves in a New Orleans street party. Then, while Steve on tuba and Doug on drums divide up a half-clave pattern, Ben delivers the head on clarinet with Matt chasing after him on the accordion. After a two-way thing between Matt and Aurora on alto sax, Ben and Charlie (trombone) get into it. At the top of the last chorus Ben lays down a tambourine part to kick up the party before recapping the head (on clarinet) and pulling back into the slow minor to take it out.
The holidays are a time to party and in New Orleans folks do it their own way. So wave your hands up in the air and celebrate Christmas like ya just don’t care!
Recorded November 11th, 2014 @ Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA.
Released Dec 1, 2014
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Tambourine
Aurora Nealand – Alto Saxophone, Shaker
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Tenor Banjo
Steve Glenn – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Written and produced by Ben Schenck
Session engineered at Gasa Gasa and track mixed at Listen Up! Studios by Michael Seaman
In honor of Mardi Gras here in New Orleans, our February 2015 featured our marching outfit, the Panorama Brass Band, with a mambo, “Norma La De Guadalajara,” from the “Mambo King,” Pérez Prado y su Orquesta. We recorded this one, tired but no worse for the wear, on Ash Wednesday 2013, after a frenetic carnival season that culminated in the annual ramble with our patron krewe, the St. Anthony Ramblers.
This track features the treble reeds, Ben and Aurora on clarinet and alto saxophone, over a strong, heavy, minor-key vamp in the low brass punctuated by high-note blasts from the trumpets. The ad lib solo is by Patrick Farrell on alto horn.
Super special thanks to Mark Bingham for wonderful food and beautiful vibes during the recording session.
Recorded February 13th, 2013 @ Piety Street Studios, New Orleans, LA.
Released February 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Aurora Nealand – Alto Saxophone
Dan Oestreicher – Baritone Saxophone
Jack Pritchett – Trumpet
JR Hankins – Trumpet
Patrick Farrell – Alto Horn
John Gerken – Tenor Horn
Don Godwin – Tenor Horn
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Jon Gross – Sousaphone
Boyanna Trayanova – Snare Drum
Richie Barshay – Bass Drum
Produced by Don Godwin, Patrick Farrell and Ben Schenck
Music arranged by Patrick Farrell
Session engineered at Piety Street Studios by Wesley Fontenot
Track edited, mixed and mastered by Don Godwin
“Towtruck Chocheck” was recorded live at a gig at the Old US Mint which is operated by the Louisiana State Museum and the National Park Service.
A chocheck is a traditional dance from the Roma people of Southeastern Europe. Although the step is different, the groove is very similar to a New Orleans second line. Dig, if you will, Matt Perrine’s reference to “Hey Pocky Way” in the tuba vamp behind the solos. And pay special attention to Tomas Majcherski’s silky saxophone solo.
Once many years ago when our car broke down on the way to a gig in Baton Rouge, as we waited for the rescue vehicle, we got into a riff on the words “towtruck” and “chocheck.” Since we never learned the actual title of this particular chocheck, the name stuck.
Ben learned the melody from California clarinetist George Chittenden who was on a swing through New Orleans with his Balkan band, Edessa back in the 90s. George had recently returned from a trip to Bulgaria and Turkey and had learned the tune there. When Ben called him up recently, however, George no longer recalled the tune or the title.
So, let’s just say the folk process is well represented in this whole exchange.
Recorded March 6th, 2015 @ The Old US Mint, New Orleans, LA.
Released May 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Tambourine
Tomas Majcherski – Alto Saxophone
Jon Ramm – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Tenor Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Arranged and produced by Ben Schenck
Session engineered by Danny Kadar and Joe Stolarick at The Old US Mint.
Track mixed at Oak Street Recording by Lu Rojas
“Les Deux Jumeaux” is a Creole beguine from the repertoire of Martiniquan clarinetist Eugène Delouche (1909-1975) and written by his collaborator, guitarist Pollo Malahel. This tropical dance melody has been in the book since our first gig over 20 years ago and features our “Summertime cats” (filling in for those Panoramians who had evacuated to cooler territories).
After Ben and Tomas Majcherski present the tune on clarinet and alto sax, Charlie and the rhythm section tighten up the pocket and get to work, trombone out front. Also dig, if you will, Paul Thibodeaux’s patented swing on the 8th note in that Caribbean stick pattern of his.
The next solo is brought to you by accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman in his first Panorama recording. Then, after Tomas and Ben split another chorus, the horns get out of the way so Patrick can give us the line again on his banjo before Matt treats us to two B sections on the tuba. Finally the whole band jumps into the pool for one last big splash.
Recorded June 16, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released July 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Shaker
Tomas Majcherski – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Michael Ward-Bergeman – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Paul Thibodeaux – Drums
Music arranged by Ben Schenck
Recorded, edited and mixed by Michael Seaman at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
“Keep On Gwine,” has the feel of a hot, humid, August afternoon strut through one of the Crescent City’s more rhythmic neighborhoods. Written by trumpeter Melvin Lastie, of the Lower Ninth ward musical dynasty, and popularized by the Piano Prince of New Orleans, James Booker, it has been covered by countless of Booker’s followers. With this offering, we hope to rank in that number.
After a four bar intro from the tuba, clarinet and accordion deliver the line in unison followed by a turn from the trombone and clarinet in harmony with counterpoint from the accordion and saxophone. Then we get Matt Perrine’s take on the story with his tuba, a two-way thing from Tomas Majcherski (alto saxophone) and Charlie Halloran (trombone) followed by a chorus from accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman before a drum break from Paul Thibodeaux and two choruses out. The climactic point comes in the second out-head when the reeds recap the line in thirds with everyone else blowing up a runway party of Rampart Street drag queens for your hot August Saturday night.
Recorded June 16, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released August 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Tomas Majcherski – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Michael Ward-Bergeman – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Paul Thibodeaux – Drums
Music composed by Melvin Lastie and arranged by Ben Schenck
Recorded by Michael Seaman at Listen Up!
Studios, New Orleans, LA
Edited, mixed and mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
“Esperanzas” represents a genre that had recently become increasingly important for the band, that of the Venezuelan Waltz. Originally recorded in New York in 1918 by Trinidadian composer and pianist Lionel Belasco (1881-1967), “Esperanzas” is the second Venezuelan waltz in our repertoire. We learned another of his compositions, “Carmencita”, back when we were playing on Bourbon Street in 2004 and released it on our second CD, Panoramaland (2005) and again on our live CD, Dance of the Hot Earth (2013).
Compared to the better known Viennese waltz, the South American counterpart has an earthier and more polyrhythmic groove. Check out the maraca work of Panorama drummer Doug Garrison who actually traveled to Venezuela to study the folk music several years ago and was happy to have an excuse to break out his maracas for this session.
Also check out our October 2015 release, “Recordando A Venezuela,” featuring the Venezezuela-born, New Orleans chanteuse Yulene Velásquez in a heart-felt performance recalling her homeland.
Recorded June 16, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released September 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Tomas Majcherski – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Michael Ward-Bergeman – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Paul Thibodeaux – Drums
Doug Garrison – Maracas
Music composed by Lionel Belasco and arranged by Ben Schenck
Produced by Ben Schenck
Recorded, edited and mixed by Michael Seaman at Listen Up!
Studios, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
Our Hanukkah drop for 2015 is titled “Hanukkah on Japonica” and features a traditional Jewish bulgar (“The Voliner Bulgar”) with a Hanukkah song (“Sevivon”) folded in.
Japonica Street is the “lowest street in the upper Ninth Ward,” right next to the Industrial Canal. In this recording, we imagine the drums and clarinet calling everybody out of their houses to come celebrate the Festival of Lights. The accordion, tuba, banjo trombone and saxophone quickly fall in and it soon becomes apparent that “a great miracle happened there!”
Recorded October 13, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released November 1, 2015
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Tambourine
Aurora Nealand – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Mark Rubin – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Produced by Ben Schenck
Music arranged by Ben Schenck
Recorded, edited and mixed by Michael Seaman at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
Your Panorama track from January, 2016, is a breath of fresh air from the Caribbean, a Creole beguine titled “Parfum Des Îsles” (Perfume of the Islands), written by Guadeloupean clarinetist, saxophonist and pianist Édouard Pajaniandy (aka Mariépin, 1916-2004).
Our interpretation spotlights Panorama saxophonist Aurora Nealand, delivering the line with increasing warmth over the lovely rhythmic foundation provided by drummer Doug Garrison, tuba man Steve Glenn and Patrick Mackey, who swaps his banjo for tenor guitar on this track. The arrangement, by clarinetist and leader Ben Schenck, features accompanying horn parts and a chord-melody intro delivered first on the tenor guitar, used later by the horns to segue back to the head.
Recorded October 13, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released January 1, 2016
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Shaker
Aurora Nealand – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Matt Schreiber – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Tenor Guitar
Steve Glenn – Tuba
Doug Garrison – Drums
Produced by Ben Schenck
Music written by Édouard Pajaniandy and arranged by Ben Schenck
Recorded, edited and mixed by Michael Seaman at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
If you’ve never been to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, all we can tell you is that a lot of people’s preconceptions are wrong. While it’s true that there can be found drunken frat boys on Bourbon Street, that scene is not what Mardi Gras is about.
The music of mardi gras, of course, is the party starter but our angle on it has been to listen to how the same instruments are used for the same purpose in various different cultures and do our best to bring those parties to the streets of New Orleans.
“Geljan Dade” (pron. “Ghel-yan Dah-day”) was brought to the Brass Band by accordionist and alto horn man Patrick Farrell. Although the song’s origin is unknown to us, it was popularized by the late Serbian-Romani vocalist Šaban Bajramovic, from the southern Serbian city of Niš.
The title means “Daddy is Gone” in Romanes and refers to the singer’s father having travelled to America. Geljan Dade has been performed and recorded by bands around the world and Patrick’s arrangement is based on a recording by Orkestar Bakije Bakica from Vranje a small town in southern Serbia.
Panorama Brass Band has gotten a lot of mileage out of this tune for the past several years. It has become a Mardi Gras favorite of our dance team, the Panoramblers, as well as our mother-krewe, the Saint Anthony Ramblers.
And if you have been to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans but you haven’t heard us play, you really must. Come on out and if you see us, HOLLER!
Recorded February 13th, 2013 @ Piety Street Studios, New Orleans, LA.
Released February 1, 2016
Ben Schenck – Clarinet
Aurora Nealand – Alto Saxophone
Dan Oestreicher – Baritone Saxophone
Jack Pritchett – Trumpet
JR Hankins – Trumpet
Patrick Farrell – Alto Horn
John Gerken – Tenor Horn
Don Godwin – Tenor Horn
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Jon Gross – Sousaphone
Boyanna Trayanova – Snare Drum
Richie Barshay – Bass Drum
Produced by Don Godwin, Patrick Farrell and Ben Schenck
Music arranged by Patrick Farrell
Session engineered by Wesley Fontenot at Piety Street Studios
Mixed by Don Godwin at Airshow, Takoma Park MD
Mastered by Randy LeRoy at Airshow, Takoma Park MD
Graphic design by Ben Schenck
Cover photo by Unknown
Super special thanks to Mark Bingham for wonderful food and beautiful vibes during the recording session.
Written by Willie Dixon and originally recorded by harmonica innovator and Louisiana native Little Walter, “Mellow Down Easy” caught our ears a few years ago and we started playing it on our weekly Saturday night gig at the Spotted Cat.
Our version, which banjo man Patrick Mackey nicknamed “Wiggle Wiggle,” features a vocal by Panorama front-man Ben Schenck, an accordion blues chorus by special guest Michael Ward-Bergeman, a go on the trombone by long-time Panoramian Charlie Halloran and a ride by guest saxophonist Tomas Majcherski. The groove is propelled by Mackey, tuba ace Matt Perrine and Paul Thibodeaux on the drums.
Recorded June 16, 2015 at Listen Up! Studios, New Orleans, LA
Released April 1, 2016
Ben Schenck – Clarinet, Vocal
Tomas Majcherski – Alto Saxophone
Charlie Halloran – Trombone
Michael Ward-Bergeman – Accordion
Patrick Mackey – Banjo
Matt Perrine – Tuba
Paul Thibodeaux – Drums
Music arranged by Ben Schenck
Recorded, edited and mixed by Michael Seaman at Listen Up!
Studios, New Orleans, LA
Mastered by Lu Rojas at Oak Street Recording, New Orleans, LA
Graphic design by Ben Schenck and Daniel Murphy
Cover photo by Greg Miles
Lyrics:
You jump jump here, jump jump there
Jump jump jump everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
Mellow down easy like you really wanna blow your top
You shake shake here, shake shake there
Shake shake shake everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
Mellow down easy like you really wanna blow your top
You wiggle wiggle here, wiggle wiggle there
Wiggle wiggle wiggle everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
Mellow down easy like you really wanna blow your top