Happy New Year folks!

Let's celebrate with "En Ti Punch." The national cocktail of Martinique, Ti Punch (pron. "tee paunsh,” see recipe below), is also the title of a tune played for you here by Panorama tubaman and perennial New Orleans favorite, Matt Perrine.

In the late 80s and early 90s I used to go sit in with the Treme Brass Band at the Petroleum Lounge, corner of St. Philip and Villere Streets in the Treme neighborhood. One night, in walks this new young tuba player and man, could he play! Like if Dizzy Gillespie played the sousaphone. I don't think he and I spoke that night but a few years later, when Panorama was still a trio, I called Matt to sub for Monty, our tuba player at the time, on a little office party in the French Quarter and that began Matt's long association with Panorama.

Fast forward twenty-sumpn years. By now, Matt is Panorama's first call on tuba and you've heard him on most of your songs-of-the-month providing the foundation for our whole sound. Apart from a few notable solo sections, however, we haven't had him carry the lead. Until now…
We played a porch gig a couple months ago where we were a little short-handed and I needed to nod at Matt a bit more than usual to take ad-lib solos or play a section of the tune and (although he's always been a brilliant improviser) I was reminded what a solid melody player Matt is. After the gig I said to him, "I’d like to feature you on a recording. What you wanna play?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "let's do En Ti Punch."

Written by Martiniquan clarinetist Eugène Delouche (1909-1975, who also gave us "Les Deux Jumeaux," "Martinique," "La Mazouk En Avant," "Sous Les Tropiques" "and L'Age Atomique"), "En Ti Punch" may be his biggest hit. At least it gets the most spins on Spotify. Like most of your songs-of-the-month, "En Ti Punch" is not a tune that we currently play on the bandstand. But Matt knows it from his days with clarinetist extraordinaire Evan Christopher as well as in Aurora's other band, the Royal Roses. And I know it from my explorations into biguine generally and Delouche’s music specifically.

So, after that conversation I got busy on an arrangement, we recorded it on October 22nd and here’s the result.

While I have you on the line, check out a couple of Matt’s highlights with Panorama: his solos on "Les Deux Jumeaux" and "Keep On Gwine" as well as his performances on "Di Shikerer Tantz," "Sicilienne, Op 78," "I Wonder As I Wander," "Speranze Perdute," "Pembe Oro (LIVE)" and "Las Palmas de Panama" to name just a few.

Oh, and here's that recipe for Ti Punch:
• 2oz rum agricole (rum made from freshly-squeezed sugarcane)
• 1.5 tsp cane syrup
• juice of 1/4 lime
Traditionally taken neat, without ice. Typically, the bartender sets up the glassware and ingredients to allow each patron to mix to their own taste.

Thanks for listening.
Ben
Ben Schenck
Panorama Jazz Band
New Orleans, LA