The Panorama Jazz Band, and its larger counterpart, the Panorama Brass Band, interweave classic New Orleans traditional jazz with thick strands of Jewish klezmer, Creole bigiunes from Martinique, South American jazz and folk tunes, and other international music to create a unique and fresh party sound.
The Panorama Jazz Band debuted in 1996, the brainchild of clarinetist Ben Schenck. Schenck, a native of Washington, DC, moved to New Orleans in the mid-1980s after being inspired by Dr. Michael White’s Young Tuxedo Jazz Band. He shedded with White, Gregg Stafford, Harold Battiste, and other notable Crescent City musicians, and was a founding member of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars.
The Panorama Jazz Band began as a one-off wedding trio, but soon grew into a full-on seven-piece ensemble with regular gigs at the Spotted Cat and other New Orleans clubs. As the band evolved, their traditional jazz set lists became interspersed with musical styles from across the globe - the Balkans, Columbia, Martinique, Mexico - albeit inflected with New Orleans party stylings. Fans were delighted with the band’s fresh sounds and stellar musicianship, and as their reputation grew, Panorama began performing in venues around the country and the world.
In addition to their unique repertoire, the Panorama Jazz Band also boasts an impressive roster of New Orleans musicians. Regulars include the stellar Aurora Nealand on alto sax, Charlie Halloran on trombone, Michael Ward-Bergeman on accordion, Gary Washington on tenor banjo, Matt Perrine on sousaphone, and Doug Garrison on drums. Alumni and irregulars are legion: Andre Bohren, Georgi Petrov, Patrick Mackey, Amasa Miller, Matt Schrieber, Genevieve Duval, Dan Oestreicher, Tomas Majcherski, Jack Pritchett, Satoru Ohashi, J.R. Hankins, Jon Ramm, Susan Sakash, Lou Carrig, Walt McClements, Patrick Harison, Patrick Farrell, Seva Venet, Chris Edmunds, Mark Rubin, Asher Ross, Monty Montgomery, Paul Thibodeaux, Boyanna Trayavona, and Simon Lott.
In 1997 the band began marching in Mardi Gras parades, and this marching ensemble morphed into a second entity, the Panorama Brass Band. The marching ensemble performs at weddings, funeral second lines, and Carnival parades, most notably serving as the house band for the offbeat Krewe du Jieux and the St. Anthony Ramblers, as well as parading with more mainstream groups such as Muses and Tucks.
Between the two groups, they’ve released seven albums, and offer a “song of the month” feature through their website. They can be heard regularly in clubs - and in the streets - of New Orleans and beyond.
