The Blue Flames Steel Band (pictured from left): Vicky Linville, Jim Linville, Barbara Wells and Bob Wells
The Blue Flames Steel Band will be performing for the benefit of the Darien Arts Center’s Cabaret Theatre for one-night only on Saturday, November 21, at 8 p.m., in the DAC Weatherstone Studio. Call the box office at 655 5414, or order tickets online at arts.darien.org. Ticket prices are: adults $25; full-time students $15. Bring your dancing shoes, too!
This is not your ordinary musical group. They are four "panists" – who transport listeners to the Caribbean Islands via melodies filled with sun, sand and swaying palm trees. But they don’t stop there.
They sprinkle in sounds from Brazil, Africa – even classical numbers and "The American Songbook". All of their arrangements are their own. And they enjoy stretching the limits of what’s possible on steel drums. The result? Sounds that are unlike those from any other musical group in the world.
Where do the "Blue Flamers" come from? Not what one would call a hot–bed of steel "panning."
• Bob Wells (Darien) – plays tenor pan and arranges the group’s music
• Jim Linville (Rowayton) – is master of the "double second" pans
• Barbara Wells (Darien) – lays in sweet rhythms on three cello pans
• Vicky Linville (Rowayton) – "grounds" sounds with four tenor-bass pans
They regularly perform at The New England Steel Pan Festival, held every other May – as well as a variety of venues in Vermont. Recently, they performed in gigs from Sun Valley, Idaho to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, close to where steel drum music began more than 50 years ago. In 1996, they played at The Summer Olympic Games. And in 2005, performed in Indiana – where Mikhail Gorbachev was in the audience.
One of the wonderful things about The Blue Flames is everything they take in from performances – and from the sale of our CD’s and tapes – goes directly to charity. Every nickel! Thanks to all those who help support The Blue Flames, they’ve been able to raise more than a quarter million dollars for their charities.
