Banging The (Steel) Drum All Day
September 23rd, 2009 | 9:00 am est |
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The steel drum ensemble has a relatively recent history, emerging in Trinidad in the 1930s out of jump-up groups who marched in festive Carnival processions banging all manner of car parts, pots, pans and tins, until the loose concept of a “steel orchestra” began to take shape. Things were helped along immeasurably when Winston “Spree” Simon began exploring the melodic possibilities of the steel oil drum, eventually developing a 14-note drum in the late 1940s. The steel drum, or “pan,” was struck like a drum but played like a keyboard, and pan groups quickly applied the instrument to all sorts of styles, from military marches to jazz and classical pieces, although calypso was usually the preferred form. More recent steel bands have taken pan music into bold experiments in funk and fusion and beyond, and given that the steel drum is an almost perfect representational instrument for the cast off nature of the contemporary age, it makes for a pretty amazing story of art and music literally rising out of the junkyard.
The early to mid ’90s was a good time for lovers of smoothed out — but still soulful — female vocal groups. Not exactly a golden age, like the early ’60s were for girl groups, but pretty darn close. Whether it’s the glass shattering vocal skills of a group like En Vogue, the sweet-as-pie harmonies of Zhane, the sassy girl power of TLC, or the kick ass first, ask questions later style of Jade, many viable variations of the girl group were cranking out jam after jam. Call it New Jill Swing if you want, call it whatever you want … we call it awesome. (Mini playlist after the jump!) 
If I remember the summer of 2002 correctly it was hot, it was sunny and it was summery. Just the right conditions for summer jams! This playlist pretty much captures what was blaring out of the windows of my 1993 Dodge Camry as I cruised the main drag looking for action. Or ice cream. Preferably something candy bar based — man, that stuff is delicious! Anyway, on to my summer jams of 2002… 
You could probably go back to just about any year to find some totally hott summertime hip-hop jamz, but 1991 was home to some true classics. Tracks perfect for hot days with nothing to do but kick back, and in the immortal words of the bard Humpty Hump, doowutchyalike. And saywutchyalike about Will Smith, but DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” is the perfect jam to kick off this hot & humid nostalgia trip. 
Let’s put aside all the inevitable talk about personal lives, scandals, and alleged (and documented) weirdness for a minute (which is admittedly pretty hard to do) and go back to the beginning of Michael Jackson’s career when he was a member of the Jackson 5. We know now that times weren’t exactly perfect for the brothers back then, but you’d never guess it from their music, which was undeniably just about the most joyous and ecstatic pop music around as the ’70s began. The songs were perfectly formed nuggets of bubblegum soul, and the performances were brilliant, but most of all, the Jacksons’ voices (especially Michael’s, with his bursting-at-the-seams, impossibly soulful sound) were so full of life-affirming energy that it was impossible to hear them and not feel good deep inside. The hits they cranked out are amazing enough (”ABC”,”The Love You Save”, “I Want You Back”, “Dancing Machine,” and more), but even a quick listen back to their albums finds a wealth of wonderful deep cuts.
The mercury is boiling in the thermometer today, the water from the tap just can’t get cold enough to quench a dusty thirst and it’s the kind of day where just walking down to the corner store for an orange Push-Up is enough to get a river of sweat flowing. It’s almost too hot for the jamz!! Yeah, I know….I never thought those words would be written here, but it’s true. So let’s go digging through the archives for some laid-back summer songs that will help us stay cool as the temps blow their tops. 
In 1974’s Imaginary Split Singles from Hell — alternately AllMusic Hates 1974 — several of our editors who listed their favorite albums and singles in 
