By JOAN RAMPERSAD Saturday, January 31 2009

AFTER SHELTERING his music for quite a number of years, 58-year-old Jason “Peanut” Isaac is now releasing songs that are finding great favour with ten times National Panorama Champions, Witco Desperadoes.

He told Newsday: “I think I struck a chord with Despers because I think maybe they like what they hear. I felt good when they picked my song last year and it is amazing to see what is happening. Everything is falling into place.

“It’s a love thing with the people around and I’m feeling good in my heart because I want to give the people something different where they can say ‘this is what I like’. It is a pleasure to see that Desperadoes has chosen my song for a second time around.”

Within recent years Isaac’s compositions include “Jamboree” in 2004, his first song which he had written some years before and from there he went on to release ”Jam Them Raw” followed by “Hard Wine”, “Pump Up The Steel” and “The Ten Commandments of Pan” last year and now his 2009 contribution “Pan Redemption”. The last two were sung by Tony Prescott with lyrics by Isaac’s spouse Ingrid de Peiza.

He said, “Robbie (arranger Robert Greenidge) called me and asked what I have and I e-mailed the melody that Frankie McIntosh and I did in New York. After that I came down (to Trinidad) and gave it to “Ibo” (Junior Joseph) to do the finishing work and put on the vocals. To me this is all spiritual.”

Isaac, formerly of Phase II Pan Groove, is a New York-based pannist who collaborated with Frankie McIntosh for his last two pieces. He started composing from 1988-89, and arranging with the released of his first CD Peanut Punch in 2002

From age five, Isaac started playing pan with Boys Town Is which later became Western Stars Steelband, then moved to Merry Makers, Pan Am North Stars and Solo Harmonites before taking up residence in the United States in 1969. In the US Isaac wrote and arranged for Tropicans, Moods Pan Groove, Sonatas, Pan Rebels, Sesame Flyers and Dem Stars. His achievements include travelling with world famous pianist Liberace and Highlanders Steel Orchestra, doing a jazz recording with Bobby Humphrey, playing in concert with the Ink Spots and the Doobie Brothers and recording with Rick Derringer.

He also did live concerts with the likes of Greg Aliman, The Drifters, Kool And The Gang, Ralph MacDonald, Grover Washington and our own Mighty Sparrow.

Isaac also worked and arranged with Earl Rodney, Clive Bradley, Beverly Griffith, Len Boogsie Sharpe, and in earlier times, with Emmanuel “Cobo Jack” Riley.

Asked what inspired him to come up with “Pan Redemption”, Isaac said the judges really were not listening to the sweet music coming for Despers in the Panorama finals last year and so in the song he is asking them to search their minds.

Following are the lyrics of the song: -



PAN REDEMPTION

Composition and lyrics by Jason “Peanut” Isaac & Ingrid De Peiza



Verse One

Music come from your soul, it does take full control

We grooving, we moving, we jumping to the beat.

The music vibrations we feel sounding sweet

It you want to achieve your goal, from heart, from your soul

Play this one for Mr. Kitch, Kitchie say

Ah want you to play and dingolay, and breakaway

Chorus

Redemption Time, Soul search your mind (that’s what I say)

This melody’s sweet and harmony, and it can’t be defeat

This is our culture, and this is for the future

Panorama pan take over

Verse Two

All the bands on the rise, it’s no big surprise

We grooving, we moving, we jumping to the beat

Ah listening to your melody

What you sow, what you reap, everything will just follow

Play this one for Mr. Clive, Bradley say

Ah want you to orchestrate this one, in the right way.

Verse 3

The Pan fraternity, will go down in history

We grooving, we moving, we jumping to the beat

Ah listening to the great Robbie

And I like what I hear and it’s in the air

Play this one for Mr Robbie, Robbie Say

The judges will be listening, to what we play.