Blue Mangó
@ Pigeon Island, St. Lucia Jazz Festival
11 May 2007

Click an image to enlarge.

The beauty and charm of Pigeon Island during the day, or night, never fails to excite the senses. With the Atlantic Ocean on one side, the Caribbean Sea on the other, delicately lit palm trees gently kissing the sky, combined with the anticipation of a tremendous musical experience is surely enough to warm the coolest hearts.

The Jazz / soul / calypso rhythms of Blue Mango was a welcome start to what nearly ended up as a washout. Mother nature kept Pigeon Island patrons wishing and waiting for the clouds to pass…thankfully they eventually did, and Blue Mango were able to get the slightly wet crowd moving, and ready for John Legend.

Bandleader André Woodvine has performed with regional Jazz groups Fal frett and Bluemango at festivals and concerts in St. Lucia, Martinique, Trinidad, Guadeloupe and French Guyana…

Jazz saxophonist and composer André Woodvine is a graduate of Berklee College Of Music (1986). His interest in woodwinds extends to the alto, tenor, soprano saxophones and the flute. Over the past twenty-One years, Woodvine’s music has taken him to stages across the Caribbean, North America and Europe where audiences have enjoyed his passionate tone, exciting improvisations and unique compositions. Woodvine has produced Four CD’s of original Caribbean Jazz, including his most recent release entitled “Some Assembly Required”. He has recorded with local and regional jazz artists including El Verno Del Congo, Adrian Clarke, Fal Frett and the West Indies Jazz Band. He has composed music in a wide variety of styles including television sports themes, jingles and show tunes.

In 1992, Woodvine’s composition “Hold You In A Song” earned first place in both the Barbados and Caribbean Song festivals. Other highlights of Woodvine’s career include his image appearing on Barbados phone cards recognising local jazz musicians, and a special one-hour performance entitled ‘Jazz in the sun’ broadcast frequently on BET the cable jazz channel.

Woodvine’s musical interests have extended to the development of Caribbean Jazz through education. In 1998 Woodvine assisted in the formation of the first associate degree of music program at the Barbados Community College, where he now teaches part-time.

For the past Four years Woodvine has sat on the Board of directors of the Copyright Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (COSCAP), where he currently holds the position of Chairman. Woodvine enjoys a close association with the music scene of the French Caribbean and has been a member of the group Fal fret for the past Eight years. Fal Fret have featured Woodvine’s performances on their CDs “Live at the Atrium” and “Blue Outremer”.