Panorama Jazz Band
Because the members of the Panorama Jazz Band need no electricity to fire up their instruments, they express natural human energy and bring their party to any bar room, street corner, living room, back porch or international music festival. The instruments in this band (clarinet, saxophone, trombone, accordion, banjo, tuba and drums) have been inspiring people to dance for generations and the group's repertoire draws on the most exciting music from around the world: funky New Orleans Jazz, tropical rhythms of the Caribbean and exotic melodies of Eastern Europe. When they play feet stomp, hands clap and butts shake. Rowdy or gentle, sweet or hot people move! The Panorama Jazz Band, under the direction of clarinetist Ben Schenck, has been working steadily in New Orleans (Louisiana, USA) since 1995. As well as jazz (in the tradition of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet), this group has brought a New Orleans approach to various genres of folkloric music from around the world - especially Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The instruments in the band (clarinet, alto saxophone, trombone, accordion, banjo, tuba and drums) have been used to get crowds dancing for centuries and, despite the recent appearance of electrified and synthetic music, these young musicians still prefer natural, handmade sounds. Their love of their home town and its sonic environment brought them back to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and inspires every note they play. Their fascination with music from other cultures has given them a vast and varied repertoire and made them a favorite of New Orleans' music fans.