Panchromatic Steel, Saideira Pagode Crew

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Jeff Alexander Photography

Panchromatic Steel

Following a break since December to try and avoid the worst of the omicron variant surge of the pandemic, Cafe Coda returns to action with a busy week of concerts (all 7 p.m. unless noted). Fat Tuesday is marked with a March 1 concert by Panchromatic Steel, a Madison group mixing the distinctive sound of the Trinidadian steel drum with jazz; the evening (co-hosted by BlueStem Jazz) also features performances by Handphibians offshoot the Saideira Pagode Crew. On March 2, help celebrate the birthday of founder Hanah Jon Taylor as he plays with his Artet. March 3 features swing by The Dalton Gang, a smaller ensemble pulled from the ranks of Ladies Must Swing led by tenor sax player June Dalton. March 4 brings a trio featuring vocalist Dee Alexander with John McLean and Emma Dayhuff. March 5 includes a pair of shows by the Tim Whalen Nonet (7 and 9 p.m.) and the return of the late night jam (11 p.m.). The week wraps up March 6 with Night of the Improvisor featuring the Tony Barba Trio with guest Jason Kutz. Looking forward, March 12 brings the return of Cool School for young players (10 a.m.). Find more info and tickets at cafecoda.club.

press release: CODA is Re-Opening on 3/1/22! To celebrate re-opening and Fat Tuesday, we're partnering with BlueStem Jazz to host Madison's very own Panchromatic Steel for this special event!

Since its debut in 2017, Panchromatic Steel has blazed an entirely new trail in the local music scene, infusing rich musical traditions of the Southern Caribbean with the improvisational firepower of some of Madison's finest jazz musicians. This 12-piece band features Nicholas Bartell and Steven Beda on woodwinds and trombone, respectively, Tommy Mattioli on marimba, vocals by Elena Ross, a rhythm section of Josh Pultorak on drumset, Kevin Knapp on electric bass, and of course a small steelpan orchestra directed by Keith Lienert and Chad Bartell. Their high-energy show is as fun as it is fascinating.

The steeldrum, or “steel pan,” is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago: a small but culturally rich island nation in the south Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. The instrument is literally a sawed-off 55-gallon oil drum with the top stretched into a bowl shape and painstakingly hand-hammered to create tone-producing centers, which are struck by rubber-tipped mallets. Originating in the 1940s, the steel pan owes its existence in part to the wide availability of discarded oil drums in Trinidad as a result of the presence of U.S./British naval bases and the country's oil and petrochemical industry; but more than that, the steel pan and its vast musical influence are testaments to the creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Ticket$ $10. *More details will come later regarding our COVID policy.

www.panchromaticsteel.com/

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www.facebook.com/PanchromaticSteel/videos/646577065732842

Production: Cafe CODA; Sounds: Papa Scott

Co-sponsored by BlueStem Jazz.