Andy Narell, Master of the Steel Drum

NPR | By Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr

Published August 2, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

Musician Andy Narell has made his name by coaxing tunes out of sawed-off oil barrels. He's one of the best-known performers on the steel pan, also known as the steel drum.

As part of the NPR series "Musicians in Their Own Words," Narell describes how the pan has taken him from the traditional steel band sound to jazz and back again.

Features in the series are produced by David Schulman and NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr

Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr

Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr (pronounced "FRIME n WIRE") is a producer and editor for NPR's Arts Information unit, primarily dealing with the subjects of classical music and digital technology. Along with David Schulman, he co-produced the occasional series Musicians In Their Own Words." Their profile of Ladysmith Black Mambazos Joseph Shabalala won a Silver Award at the 2004 Third Coast International Audio Festival.

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