Track Listing

1. Branches
2. Prelude in A Minor
3. Pan in A Minor
4. Prelude
5. Iron Man
6. Margie
7. Pan in Harmony
8. Night and Day
9.  Panorama Night (The Virgin)
10. Panorama Night
11. Bad Impression Intro
12. Bad Impression

Raf Robertson
Branches

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Review

All arrangements are by Raf Robertson except PANORAMA NIGHT by Frankie McIntosh & Raf Robertson, and the PAN IN HARMONY introduction by Clive Bradley. All songs are composed by Aldwyn Roberts except PRELUDE IN A MINOR by Raf Robertson.

Musicians

Raf Robertson - Keyboards, piano, bass, percussion, steel pan on PANORAMA NIGHT

Eddie Bullen - Bass, flute, drum programming
Mark Kelso - Drums
Demo Cates - Sax
Collen Allen -  Sax
Earl Semore - Sax solo
Ric Lazar - Percussion
Liberty Silver - Vocals
Lisa & Laurie - Background vocals
Julian Brown - Guitar
Ben Haywood - Guitar
Garvin Blake - Steel pan

Raf Robertson tells us in the booklet text "this album is the result of [a] lifetime love affair with the music of the great Lord Kitchener. It took a year to complete, research to production.  I had the most fun ever doing it and I am grateful. Thank you, Kitch."  We thank him, too.

Raf is to be highly commended for this seminal work first released in 1994.  It's a testimony to Raf's vision, and West Indian pride, that he would conceive of such a recording and then assemble a cast of accomplished musicians to record it. The list of musicians includes a number of highly capable artistes who are more popularly associated with other genre. Two such are Clive Bradley of steelband Panorama fame and Frankie McIntosh an all-rounder in calypso, soca and jazz.  

All the interpretations are based on a West Indian master's compositions. No need to leave home, as it were, to get inspiration. Kitch is more than a grandmaster; he is a muse and that is acknowledged by Raf Robertson in Branches.

The title track Branches, and Pan In a Minor summon you to pay attention. Iron Man and Margie are in a Latin beat and therefore you want to dance. Pan In Harmony is the calypso jazz interlude and it is followed by Panorama Night, a combination acappella kaiso and jazz blend in a Sarah Vaughn like styling. We can do with more of Liberty Silver's singing. Perhaps, next time.

Delightful happy music. [eCaroh/Ron]