JONATHAN SCOTT Pan Player

   From the sister isle of Tobago comes one of the pillars of the steelband movement in the person of Jonathan Scott.

   He began to play the instrument at about the age of twenty in his village - Patience Hill; [the home of] the band with which he has always been associated, West Side Symphony.

   In earlier years; West Side Symphony was known first of all as Western Symphony; with Cephus Gay the first Captain - [who] later [captained] Crossfire ...to the present [1996].

   Jonathan has been involved [with] steelband[s] since around 1945. He had his early education at Patience Hill RC School and when his grandmother died, he came over to Trinidad [where] he continued his education at Rosary Boys RC School and stayed at Dundonald Street, [Port of Spain].

   He played for a short while with Invaders since his cousin also played with this band.

   In 1955 Jonathan was elected Manager of the band [West Side Symphony]; a [post] which he holds up to today [1996].

   In 1957 Jonathan enlisted in the Police Service and upon graduation was transferred to Tobago. He took part as a member player in the 1968 Music Festival.

   In 1965 Jonathan accompanied the band West Side Symphony to Canada. ...The band was invited by Sydney Davis, a Jamaican, ...to play at the Jamaican pavilion as part of the West Indies Festival. He also toured [with the band at] Caracas, Venezuela, in 1971.

   Jonathan recalls the highlight of his association with the bandsmen in 1968 when Glen Cook- an American citizen with an English wife - adopted his band.

   It was the first time in [the] history of the steelband movement that an individual, without commercial attachments in Trinidad and Tobago, had sponsored a steelband. The name Arcadian was used; after the name of [the estate] which the Cooks purchased in Tobago comprising [some] 60-acres ...and mansion. The band was entirely outfitted, [complete] with monogrammed insignia, [fabricated] in Canada.

   Jonathan left the Police Service in 1969 and later took up an appointment with the [Tobago] Works Division; from which he retired in March 1995.

   Jonathan as said before, is still involved with the steelband movement, and his band West Side Symphony for which he plays the bass.

   Perhaps Jonathan is the oldest pannist still involved in the competition arena as he is at present preparing for Panorama 1996.

   Jonathan Scott a pannist of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

© 1997 Gideon Maxime: Pg 217; PAN THROUGH THE YEARS (1952 - 1996)

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© 1998: tobagojo@gmail.com - 19980318 - 1m20071228 - 2m20140615 Historic Update: 04 December 1999; Last Update: 19 July 2014 03:30:00 TT Processed by: Jeremy G de Barry