An exhilarating journey through the infectious rhythms of the Caribbean (calypso, salsa, zouk, etc.) featuring the steel drum played like you've never heard it before.

11 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Latin Jazz, WORLD: Island



Details:
CaneFire is a high-energy Caribbean Latin Jazz experience featuring the steelpan (steel drum) in a way you've never heard it before. From Trinidad to Cuba, Jamaica to Martinique, the music of CaneFire combines danceable rhythms from all over the Caribbean with jazz, blues, and rum to create a unique, exciting sound. CaneFire's repertoire is entirely original, the compositions of pianist and bandleader Jeremy Ledbetter. At the heart of CaneFire's sound is steelpan virtuoso Mark Mosca, who plays with a level of skill and creativity rarely seen on the instrument. The band also includes Cuban powerhouse Alexis Baró on trumpet; Shaun Evans on the tenor sax; Latin jazz specialist Paco Luviano on bass; and the explosive Cuban duo of Chendy León on drums and Alberto Suárez on congas. The world-class musicianship and raw energy of this group leaves their audiences breathless - Caribbean jazz with FIRE!

Jeremy Ledbetter is a versatile young composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has covered a lot of ground in his short musical career. Born and raised in Kitchener, Canada, Jeremy was classically trained on the piano from the age of seven. He later went on to complete a degree in jazz performance at York University in Toronto. Since then he has lived and worked in Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, Cuba, the USA, and Nicaragua, acquiring a wide range of musical influences to draw on in his compositions, which bring together several musical cultures from a distinctly Canadian perspective. As a performer or musical director he has shared the stage with Charlie's Roots, Atlantik, Eliana Cuevas, Percy Sledge, Ralph MacDonald, and Andre Tanker, touring extensively throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

In 2002, Jeremy began working with Trinidadian legend David Rudder, filling the multiple roles of pianist, musical director, arranger and producer. He has produced two albums with Rudder and is currently working on a third. In 2004, Jeremy was the musical director of "The Brand New Lucky Diamond Horseshoe Club", a work of musical theatre by David Rudder and Tony Hall, and also "The Rhythm River," a concert featuring Rudder and world-renowned pannist Andy Narell, at Toronto's Hummingbird Centre and Trinidad's Jean Pierre Complex.

CaneFire premiered at Toronto's Lula Lounge in May of 2005, and has since performed at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre and the Beaches International Jazz Festival. Their debut CD, Kaiso Blue, was recorded this summer at CBC's Studio 211 in Toronto. In addition to the talented bandmembers, the album also includes guest performances by Andy Narell and Venezuelan vocalist Eliana Cuevas, among others. With both the energy of a live show and the precision of a studio recording, the album is a remarkable achievement for a new band.