Pan Player, Arranger, Composer
Another soloist of outstanding ability who also resides in the United States, Robert Greenidge is among the first virtuosos to bring international recognition to the steel pan as a solo instrument in its own right, in the popular music category. From the 1970's Robbie, as he is affectionately called, has performed pan solos on American television, appearing on such top shows as the Jackson Five Special, with King Erickson in A Man Called Sloan, on Saturday Night Live and on numerous occasions on The Solid Gold Show. He has also featured on sound tracks for the movies "Champs" and "Brothers" and recorded many jingles for television.
Robert Greenidge was born in Success Village, Laventille to a pan-playing family. By the age of eight he was playing pan with The Savoys Steel Orchestra under the tutorship of his uncle and renowned pannist, Carl Greenidge. He soon graduated to the other Laventille steelband, Desperadoes. There, under the leadership of Rudolph Charles and the direct musical guidance of the great Emmanuel "Corbeau Jack" Riley, Greenidge served the apprenticeship that would be the shaping of his solid performing skills. In the execution of solos, his dexterity and balance of the hands are a delight to behold, with ravaging improvisations - he is a volcano of energy - that can transport you on a very high plain by his energy.
Greenidge also recalls part of his early learning experience as going to the yard of Martin Albino, arranger for his first band, The Savoys, and being taught scales and chords from a blackboard. His formal tuition ended at a school on Third Street in Manhattan where he took a six-weeks course in sight-reading, harmony and music theory.
Robert Greenidge's sojourn to North America began in 1971 when, on a holiday trip to California, he met some former members of Desperadoes who had come together in a band called Music Makers. He stayed on, to lead the band - renamed L.A. Despers - and to explore the American music scene.
Looking back over a very successful career in North America, Robbie revealed that he has played with some of the world's jazz greats including Ralph McDonald, Grover Washington, Harry Neilson and Earth Wind and Fire, as well as former Beatles, Ringo Starr and John Lennon. Lennon it seemed, had developed an interest in the steel pan and hearing through the musical grapevine of Greenidge's mastery of this exciting new instrument, arranged for Robbie to fly from Los Angeles to New York where he sat with Lennon for four days composing and arranging a song about Lennon's son, Sean. This was in 1979. Greenidge has frequently worked with Jimmy Buffet and with Taj Mahal for whom he has done a number of compositions including one titled, Hot Laventille. One of the treasured highlights of his career was an appearance in the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland where he played alongside such famous jazz musicians as Stan Getz and Jimmy Smith. His most successful undertaking, Just The Two Of Us, recorded with Grover Washington and produced by Ralph McDonald.
Although Los Angeles based for many years, Robert Greenidge returns to his Trinidadian roots for every significant steel pan event and in 1991 took Desperadoes to national Panorama victory with his arrangement of Musical Volcano, his own composition. He claims that the inspiration to arrange came from Clive Bradley and Beverly Griffith; and he credits Desperadoes' band members with adding tympani and gong to what will long be remembered as a scintillating performance.
© 1995 Dr Felix Blake: Pg 215 & 218; THE TRINIDAD & TOBAGO STEEL PAN: History and Evolution[Presented without permission; permission being sought.]
