Pan Player, Arranger, Composer, Pan Tuner
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NEVILLE JULES Pan Player, Arranger, Composer, Pan Tuner |
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Neville Jules was born on May 21st 1927 at #3 Richards Lane, East Dry River, Port of Spain. His parents were of humble means. His father was a mason and his mother a fruit vendor.
Neville attended Gloster Lodge Moravian, Eastern Boys and Rosary Boys Schools, in pursuit of his education.
He was one of the pannist who lived through the transition from Tamboo Bamboo to the steeldrum.
Neville Jules first impression of the steelband was in Hell Yard; where he observed such players as Tackler, Brassy, Elmo and Billy Allen.
Neville, together with Rudolph 'Fish Eye' Ollivierre, started tuning pans during the war years. He saw 'Zigilee' [Constantine] with a Tenor Kettle and made one.
A few years later there was a split between Jules and 'Fish Eye'. All Stars was born; and Jules became captain, tuner and arranger of All Stars.
Jules has been credited with the tuning of a caustic soda drum as the bass and being the first to tune and beat two caustic drums together as bass. He is also credited with being the first to tune the 'Grundig' as a back ground pan or cello.
All Stars, under the captaining of Neville Jules, became noted for discipline and respect. During his tenure as captain there was friendly rivalry, particularly on J'ouvert morning, between Invaders and All Stars.
But by far one of his most famous areas of achievement was the "Bomb". This was the practice of playing a non calypso in calypso tempo on J'ouvert morning. This made All Stars so famous that these tunes had to be practised in the famous Garret in Charlotte Street in the dead of the night.
Neville Jules did not go to England with Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) in 1951, since All Stars was not a member of the Steelband Association. But in later years, Neville Jules through his leadership and discipline, has made All Stars to date a force in the steelband world of music.
Jules left the shores of Trinidad and Tobago in 1970 for the United States of America after receiving his Port Pension. It is to the loss to the steelband world in Trinidad and Tobago that Jules had migrated. However his input, into the history of the development of the steelpan, will always be there to be cherished.
© 1997 Gideon Maxime: Pg 206; PAN THROUGH THE YEARS (1952 - 1996)
| © 1998: tobagojo@gmail.com - 19980317 - 1m20071228 - 2m20140615 Historic Update: 30 December 1998; Last Update: 18 July 2014 21:00:00 TT Processed by: Jeremy G de Barry |
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