Steel Drum fronted jam band showcasing a variety of high energy grooves from Funk to Calypso, Samba to Mambo.

7 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: World Fusion, WORLD: Island



Details:
Fe was formed in the Spring of 2002 by Cort Farris. Farris, who studied percussion at Berklee College of Music, began his professional career as a drummer and later steel pan player in Steel Source, a Philadelphia area steel pan band. After graduating, he was looking to start his own band. His vision was a group of live musicians that would expand upon the steel drum's tradition in Calypso and include many of the styles that he studied at Berklee.

He recruited fellow musicians Kevin O'Beirne, David Downham (B.M. Composition, U. of the Arts), David Dworanczyk (Bachelor of Music, Rutgers), and Joe Divita (Bachelor of Music, U. of the Arts) to fill out the heavily percussive ensemble.

The music represents a step in a new direction for the steel drum by melding elements of latin and afro-cuban jazz, rock, funk, and contemporary classical technique with the style of calypso music that the pan is normally known for. The goal of the band is to build from these traditions and expand the music into a creative combination of styles and sounds.

The name itself is pronounced "fee", representing the symbol for iron. A history of "steel" named pan bands inspired the groups name. Fe performs regularly in the Delaware Valley area at private parties, educational concerts, festivals, clubs and other venues.