Wayne
St. John has been playing the pan pipes for thirty years. While
he continues to nurture his unique style, he is convinced he's
just scratching the surface.
Wayne
was originally inspired by the late Great
Leon
Thomas,
Jazz Yodeler, Pan pipe player andpercussionist
who died of leukemia in Chicago, 1999. Leon
worked with Santana, Pharoah Sanders, Randy Weston, and Dr.
Lonnie Smith (organ) among others.
Oneof Leon's earliest solo albums "Spirits
Known
and Unknown" was a milestone
in jazz style yodeling with a distinctive African feel. Leon created
a name for this type of yodeling done with the mouthopen
or closed, he calls it
Soularfone. There is an interesting story at his website
which tells how the name came about.
The
Pygmies in southwest Africa call
this style of yodeling, Umbo Weti.............After
Wayne St. John's thirty two years of creating and perfecting this
vocal style, he describes it as afro-jazz
style yodeling...So Leon lives on, in part through Wayne's venture into the
very same singing style as Leon.
Sample
Wayne's Soularfonesinging
Clivk
on Leon's
website created by a fan and friend: Paste the following link
in your url.
In the
eighties, Wayne played throughout southern Florida in Coconut
Grove, South Beach. At O'Hara's in
Fort Lauderdale; Wayne
got to work with Dr. Leonie Smith (piano
and organ), who started out in the earlier days with Leon
Thomas at Club Baron in NYC.
In the
'90's in Ft. Lauderdale, Wayne also played with 'Melly
Mel' who introduced Wayne one night as, "The
Son of Zamfir" and the tongue name stuck. Mel said, "It
was meant as the highest form of flattery". Having seen him in
person, Mel was aware of the awesome talent of
George Zamfir".
Sample
Wayne's
Jazz yodeling and Pan flute live at Ohara's
Night Club in Fort Lauderdale
with
Dr.
Lonnie Smith on piano and
Breaking
new ground, Wayne's 'singing voice Against note' approach to the
panpipes embodies and congers up ancient tribal sounds blended
with a free flowing improvisational freedom. Wayne is currently
working on a series of CD albums for meditation
music in the alpha/theta range which brings about the relaxed/alert
state, which then produces endorphins in the brain that reduces
tension, creating a natural euphoria.
2007 - The Courthouse Nightclub, Toronto
-Wayne sings the' Journey', written by Leon thomas.
The Journey written by Leon Thomas. Wayne
St. John on Vocals and Pan flute, Tony Quarrington on Guitar,
Denis Keldie on B3 and Paul Delong on Drums. Live at the Courthouse
Night Club.
History
of the Pan flute: Probably the first instrument was a single
reed pipe. The pan pipe(s) also referred to as the Syrinx, are
tied to ancient cultures world wide. It's been described as: a
wind instrument consisting of cane pipes of different lengths
tied in a row or held together by wax metal or clay. The pan pipes
are airtight at the bottom allowing for control of a consistent
note when played. With very specific beveled edges across the
top of the bamboo reed where it is blown. Each open reed gives
you a different note of course. The panpipe was widespread in
Neolithic and later cultures, especially in Melanesia and pre-Columbian
South America. Certain types of Chinese bamboo are highly sought
after for their quality and beauty.
Also
spelled Syrinx, wind instrument consisting
of cane pipes of different lengths tied in a row or held together
by wax (metal, clay, or wood instruments are also made) and generally
closed at the bottom. They are blown
across the top, each providing a different note.
The panpipe was widespread in Neolithic and later cultures, especially
in Melanesia and pre-Columbian South America. Traditional South
American pan pipe are called a variety of names:
siku, rondador and zampona.
How
about a customizable screensaver based on these images. You can
set wallpaper, choose how many transitions you would like and
play a sound file click
here to get it now!
In
the Greek legend of Pan, the invention of the instrument is attributed
to the nymph Syrinx. In Europe it has been mainly a shepherd's
instrument and has so endured in the Pyrenees. In Romania, however,
it is played among professional lautari (fiddlers); their panpipe,
the Nai, has from 19 to 22 pipes
tuned diatonically (i.e., to a seven-note scale), semitones being
made by tilting the pipes toward the lips. The panpipe also has
a long tradition in the Far East.
Gheorghe Zamfir one of the most famous masters of the pan pipe,
has sold over sixty million albums featuring the flute. From Romania,
Zamfir has been an inspiration in his own country to keep the
instrument alive, helping to spawn the serious study of the instrument
with large ensembles playing the flute together.
Wayne
St. John's introduction to the art of making a pan pipe came from
the shear fact that he needed to move up to the professionally
made instruments.
In the eighties Wayne
found a highly skilled Pan flute maker in Toronto, his name is
Kevin Budd. If you want the finest
hand crafted, made to order Pan flute and would like to view samples
on the net, visit Kevin Budd: http://home.ica.net/~kbudd/
Kevin Has made Pan flutes in some unusual
keys for Wayne. They are: 12 note pipe in E flat minor 9. and
a twenty two note C chromatic doubled in size.
Wayne
St. John plays drums, keyboards and guitar. On the fifth night
of a six night gig, Wayne was a little hoarse when music critic
Bill Watts wrote this of him in the
Newspost '85 (Scarborough);
"Wayne
St. John is a great singer, He is a fine vocalist with a good
presence. For us though, his greatest strength is his playing
of the Pan flute. We've long admired the work of Zamfir and we
make so bold as to suggest that Mr. St. John is every bit as proficient
on this simplest, yet most difficult to play, of instruments."
Wayne's
Pan flute can be heard Nationally in Canada on CBC radio's
'This Morning' show Theme.
Song For my Father - written by Horus
Silver. Paul De Long on Drums, Tony Quarrington on Guitar and
Denis Keldie on B3. Recorded live at the Courthouse 2007.
Wayne's
Pan flute on the current CBC Theme Radio spot, recorded Sept.
1998. Written by Charles Grey
How
about a customizable screensaver based on these images. You
can set wallpaper, choose how many transitions you would like
and play a sound file click
here to get it now!
Excerpt
from Wayne's
Meditative CD
- seventy minutes of Alpha Music. $22.00 Shipping
& handling
Press
Here for an excerpt of Wayne's St. John's
pan flute song:
'Bermuda Bound'
Wayne
St. John has been playing the pan pipes for thirty years. While
he continues to nurture his unique style, he is convinced he's
just scratching the surface. 
In
the Greek legend of Pan, the invention of the instrument is attributed
to the nymph Syrinx. In Europe it has been mainly a shepherd's
instrument and has so endured in the Pyrenees. In Romania, however,
it is played among professional lautari (fiddlers); their panpipe,
the Nai, has from 19 to 22 pipes
tuned diatonically (i.e., to a seven-note scale), semitones being
made by tilting the pipes toward the lips. The panpipe also has
a long tradition in the Far East.
Wayne
St. John's introduction to the art of making a pan pipe came from
the shear fact that he needed to move up to the professionally
made instruments. 
found a highly skilled Pan flute maker in Toronto, his name is
Kevin Budd. If you want the finest
hand crafted, made to order Pan flute and would like to view samples
on the net, visit Kevin Budd: 
