A New Take on the Jazz Genre
Musician and composer Jonathan Scales has put his own spin on the jazz genre with his versatile use of the steel pans, a percussion instrument that originated from Trinidad and Tobago. Scales’s style of jazz fusion combines elements of rock, classical and funk, a style that has been prevalent across the seven albums he has recorded and produced, but also a style that continues to evolve.
Currently his band, The Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, consists of steel pannist Scales, electric bassist E’lon JD and drummer Maison Guidry. Their collaborations are as varied as their genre-blending compositions: the foursome performed on the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Series with famed banjoist Béla Fleck and recently played a string of shows with prog metal band Animals as Leaders.
They have toured across North America, Africa, Europe, and Southeast and Central Asia. Now, the band will bring their jazz-funk-rock fusion to Westchester when they play as part of ArtsWestchester’s cultural music series, Westchester Roots. On August 8, the Fourchestra’s east coast tour will stop by Mount Vernon for a concert at City Hall Plaza. This free concert is also one of dozens featured on ArtsWestchester’s directory of free and outdoor arts events through September.
After three solo albums, during which Scales developed his unique style, he debuted the Fourchestra. Throughout the band’s versatile discography of compositions, each album has taken Scales’s use of the steel pans to different heights and directions.
The band is currently working on its eighth studio album. Previously, they released a six-track EP, Mindstate Music (2019) and a full-length album, Pillar (2018). His albums have featured notable musicians such as keyboardist and flutist Kofi Burbridge from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, bassist Victor Wooten from Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and saxophonist Jeff Coffin from Dave Matthews Band. Each collaboration allows Scales a new way of showcasing the versatility of the steel pan.
________________________________________________________
After receiving his BA in Media Arts, Daniel Wood went back to SHU for his MA in Journalism and Media Production. He has played trumpet in various bands and was surrounded by artists and writers growing up, which led to his interest in writing about various creative topics.
About Dan Wood
After receiving his BA in Media Arts, Daniel Wood went back to SHU for his MA in Journalism and Media Production. He has played trumpet in various bands and was surrounded by artists and writers growing up, which led to his interest in writing about various creative topics.
