musicology #0581
17 Sep 2010 2 Comments
in instrumental, Jamaica, Reggae, Studio1 Tags: Cedric Im Brooks mp3, coxsone dodd, Jamaica, Mun Dun Gu mp3, reggae mp3, studio 1 mp3, themusicologist
mOareEssentials #4
(Cedric Im Brooks – Mun Dun Gu)
Been a long time coming but I feel the fog is clearing. Troubled mind can be a living hell. In my world change happens, isn’t forced so I find myself riding the downs same way as the ups…for all their worth. Too often over the past few years I’ve been hanging on by my shredded and torn fingertips, knuckles white as winter snow. Bwoyyyyyy it’s been a long dance but the music’s changed and it’s time to step to a new beat.
Hold this next entry courtesy of the MAJESTIC Cedric ‘Im’ Brooks. Studio 1 in all it’s glory..Second time round on themusicologist having featured it when I laid it down on the BBC back in the day. Slipped it into my set at the weekend..to me it communicates a message of a new day dawning..
musicology #571
02 Sep 2010 2 Comments
in Jamaica, Rock Steady, themusicologist Tags: Jamaica, Justin Hinds mp3, rocksteady mp3, Say Me Say mp3, themusicologist
EssentialCuts #1
(Justin Hinds – Say Me Say)
Stop, start, start stop…themusicologist has writers block..you know it’s like that when the words don’t come easy but on the other hand it should come as no surprise to me as, (at least for the last few days/weeks/months), words are, (in my opinion), devoid of universal meaning so don’t really have much value? Where am I going with this? F**k knows so I’ll leave it there and just hitch a ride on the musicology train before I disappear into a semantic void.
First up is this Essential slice of the RockSteady pie from the Great Justin Hinds…
musicology #546
13 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in Jamaica, Reggae, Treasure Isle Tags: 1971, Bunny Lee, duke reid, Ewart Beckford, Hopeton Lewis, Jamaica, Joe Gibbs, Lee Perry, Leslie Kong, Rupie Edwards, Tom Drunk mp3, U Roy mp3
Jamaica #26
(U Roy/Hopeton Lewis – Tom Drunk)
How does it go?…. ..”I’ve started…so I’ll finish”.
Up until the early 70′s, (in Jamaica), there were really no more than a handful of producers and musical styles to contend with, as far as the musicology is concerned), but as the 60′s rolled into the seventies wide ranging changes both musically and socially changed the game. First there was the music made for export to satisfy the English popular market, (loosely termed ‘Skinhead’), headed by, (among others), producers such as Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, Leslie Kong, Joe Gibbs, Rupie Edwards and then there was the Indigenous market that was at first dominated by the Sound System operators. It was in this arena that innovation flourished. That’s not to say that some of the producers mentioned, (especially Lee Perry and Bunny Lee), were not active in both arenas and let’s face it everyone wanted to make money but in truth it didn’t take long for the artists to realise that no matter how ‘popular’ their music was ‘up a foreign’ they still found themselves in the same position financially…..skint..(or for those among us whose dialects don’t recognise such terminology)..poor.
It was into this cauldron that the DeeJay took centre stage in tandem with the version or ‘Dub’, (both hugely influential on all urban music that followed), and the figure that stood tallest at the birth was none other than Ewart Beckford aka Hugh Roy. NO history of Jamaican music would be complete without him. Not the first or even, (in my opinion), the most eloquent but certainly the most important. Today’s cut is from 1971..produced by Duke Reid..Vocal by Hopeton Lewis.
musicology #524
25 Mar 2010 4 Comments
in Jamaica, Ska, Treasure Isle Tags: coxsone dodd, Don Drummond mp3, duke reid, Ganja, Jamaica, Jamaican Musical History, Kingston, rocksteady, ska mp3, treasure isle mp3
Jamaica #4
(Don Drummond – Treasure Isle)
Looking to catch the earlier train with today’s cut otherwise I find myself too far behind the 8 Ball which is no place to be for the I. That and having too many plates up there spinning take too much of my time and energy which I haven’t got to spare. I would rather spend it with my children, listening to, finding and curating music or with my spars.
So on with the journey..day four of the Jamaican Musical History excursion and so far we have heard from two of the foremost producers of the period Downbeat the Ruler and Prince Buster so today it’s the turn of Duke Reid aka The Trojan whose Soundclashes with Coxsone are the stuff of myth and legend. Of all the islands sound systems It was these two who contested with the most ferocity and passion both musically and physically leading to heated battles between them and their respective followers both in and out of the dance. Pitched battles were fought in an attempt to intimidate and lock off the opposing sound and in part it was out of this culture that the Rude Boy emerged. Combined with Jamaica’s violent and rebellious history as well as the abject poverty and general lawlessness especially in the ghettos of Kingston the ingredients were all there to light the fuse that would eventually blow up in all out political warfare in the 70′s but I’ll get to that later on in the theme when the right time come.
Back to the Ska and Duke Reid..for me what has always distinguished The Trojan’s Treasure Isle sound is it’s sweetness and light. As far as I know Reid never allowed Ganja to be smoked in the studio or entertained any kind of Rasta ideology whereas Coxsone turned a blind eye knowing that not only did it stir the creative juices, (which it does), but that Rasta was beginning to have a major impact in Jamaican ghetto life..Duke Reid was a traditionalist and considerably older than the young and visionary Coxsone but the music produced in his studio, (and he had a speaker wired up in his Liquor store so that he could hear what was being recorded), was as good as anything produced. It was with the Rocksteady that Duke Reid truly came into his own but he was also responsible for producing some BOSS Ska as witnessed with this piece courtesy of the legendary Don Drummond..Original Skatalite, Trombonist supreme and leading light in Jamaican musical history. No one rocked the instrument like the Don and although his story ended in violence and mental illness his music will forever stand as his legacy. Quite Simply..this is Ska
LISTEN TUNE
musicology #507
04 Mar 2010 6 Comments
in Curtis Mayfield, Jamaica, Reggae, Studio1 Tags: cornell campbell mp3, coxsone dodd, curtis mayfield, duke reid, Jamaica, king edwards, reggae mp3, studio 1 mp3, the eternals, the impressions, the sensations, themusicologist, treasure isle
CoversWeek2 #4
(Cornell Campbell – Ten To One)
Slipping back into the sweet sounds of Jamaica for today’s cut with a piece by one of the islands great artists the MAJESTIC and pioneering Cornell Campbell . A Cat who begun his recording career at the tender age of 11 in the mid 1950′s for Coxsone, moved on to record with King Edwards in the mid 60′s, harmonised within ‘The Sensations’ for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle, returned triumphantly to Studio 1 with ‘The Eternals’ and then begun a long solo career that continues HALF A CENTURY later to this day.
Here heard cutting his teeth on a Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions soul classic. As far as I’m concerned an absolute marrow trembler from start to finish and yet another musical diamond mined from the Studio1 archives. One listen should leave us in no doubt as to the influence both Curtis Mayfield and Coxsone Dodd had on Jamaican musicology….LISTEN TUNE.
musicology #253
09 Dec 2008 4 Comments
in Christmas, Jamaica, Ska, Studio1 Tags: christmas mp3, coxsone dodd, Jamaica, maytals mp3, ska mp3, studio 1 mp3, themusicologist
sleighbellsring #1
(The Maytals – Christmas Feeling)
Day one of the Christmas selection. I’m just going to lay them down without much ‘commentary’. First up is a slice from Jamaica..proof, if needed, that it doesn’t require snow, reindeer or Jack Frost nipping at yer nose to generate the Christmas spirit. Early sixties cut from the Legendary Maytals.
musicology #132
19 Apr 2008 Leave a Comment
in Jamaica, Reggae Tags: 1969, Carlton Davis, Clifton ' Jackie' Jackson, dobby dobson, Gladstone ' Gladdy' Anderson, gregory issacs, Hux Brown, I Roy, Jamaica, jamaican music, Joe Higgs, johnny clarke, reggae mp3, Rupie Edwards mp3, The Heptones, themusicologist, tommy mccook, U Roy, Vin Gordon, Winston Wright
instrumentalsweek #5
(Rupie Edwards All Stars – Your New Love)
penultimate cut on the players selection and it’s another pearl from Jamaica. a Winston Wright organ led version of one of themusicologists favourite pieces of early Reggae, singer Dobby Dobson’s top ranking song ‘Your New Love’
although a singer of some fine songs Rupie Edwards was and is better known for his skills as a producer, having worked with such luminaries as Johnny Clarke, The Heptones, Gregory Issacs, the great Joe Higgs and foundation DJ’s U Roy and I Roy, (to name a few), and his contribution to the development of ‘Dub’ is sometimes overlooked. before the ‘version’ became the standard B-Side to every Jamaican 45, Rupie Edwards was experimenting with the instrumental and this one is an example of his capabilities.
(Probable Session Line Up)
Saxophone – Tommy McCook
Trombone – Vin Gordon
Drums – Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis
Guitar – Hux Brown
Piano – Gladstone ‘Gladdy’ Anderson
Bass – Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson
Organ – Winston Wright
musicology #130
17 Apr 2008 Leave a Comment
in Jamaica, Ska Tags: 1965, Baba Brooks, Drumbago, Jamaica, king edwards, lester strerling, roland alphonso, ska mp3
instrumentalsweek #3
(Roland Alphonso – Jazz Ska)
this prime slice of Jamaican musicology comes from the King Edwards stable and features many of the best proponents of the Ska style. Baba Brooks, Arkland ‘Drumbago’ Parks, Lester Sterling and tenor sax king, Roland Alphonso.
Recorded and released on the King Edwards label in 1965 at the height of the genres popularity, (it would only be a year before Rock Steady became the ‘in thing’), this is Ska at it’s finest.
musicology #120
01 Apr 2008 2 Comments
in Jamaica, Reggae Tags: derrick harriott, Jamaica, no man is an island, reggae mp3, reggae music, themusicologist
jamboree #7
(Derrick Harriott – No Man Is An Island)
tasty slice of the Jamboree pie from Mr ‘One Stop’. Vocalist, producer and ‘Reggae’ pioneer whose contribution to the development of Jamaican musicology from the earliest days, (with the Jiving Juniors 1958-62), right through the Ska and Rocksteady periods and into the sound we know and love today deserves honouring.
from the 1976 LP.. Music For Midnight Lovers
“No man is an island, no man stands alone,
treat each man as your brother and remember that each man’s dream is your own”
musicology #109
04 Mar 2008 2 Comments
in Jamaica, Reggae, Studio1, themusicologist Tags: Bob Andy mp3, coxsone dodd, feeling soul, jackie mittoo mp3, Jamaica, leroy sibbles, Reggae, studio 1 mp3, the skatalites, themusicologist
sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #32
(Bob Andy – Feeling Soul)
Donat Roy Mittoo was born in Kingston, (on March 3rd 1948), and grew up around music as language.
a child prodigy it was Clement Seymour Dodd, (Studio1 Boss), who presented him with the opportunity as a teenager (16 !!), to not only supervise the sessions at his newly formed Brentford Road Studio but also be a founder member of the legendary Skatalites…..
So let’s get that clear, Jackie Mittoo, (at the age of 16), joined some of the cream of Jamaican musicologists to heaed the greatest instrumental group to come out of Jamaica, as well as supervise the recording sessions at the birth of Studio1.
as that sinks in hold this next cut..it’s a Bob Andy classic from around 1969 I would imagine but it’s got Jackie all over it, (organist, arranger, musicologist), the only other backing musician I can be sure of identifying would be Leroy Sibbles playing bass..
musicology #108
03 Mar 2008 4 Comments
in instrumental, Jamaica, Studio1 Tags: 1969, coxsone dodd, instrumental, jackie mittoo mp3, Jamaica, juice box mp3, keep on dancing, Reggae, studio 1 mp3
sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #31
(Jackie Mittoo – Juice Box)
final week of the six/six/six…and themusicologist would like to take this opportunity to let you know how much I have appreciated your support..last month, (and last week), set new records on themusicologist for ‘viewers/listeners’ which is encouraging. it means a lot to me to know that you are feeling the selection.
just as Soul would have taken an alternative route without Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield..the musical arts of Jamaica wouldn’t sound like they do without this next ‘artist’ whose skills as arranger, composer, player of instruments and ‘eye of the needle’ at the legendary Studio1 are well known to all who listen to Jamaican music.
many a great singer, song writer and instrumentalist has sprung from Jamaica’s well of musicologists but Jackie Mittoo’s contribution to developing the music known now as ‘Reggae’, (a one size fits all label that doesn’t have much meaning), demands and deserves a tribute selection in his honour.
this first cut from the album ‘Keep On Dancing’ was recorded and released in 1969 and features the man in his role as ‘Organist’, (one of the instruments that he went on to perfect..ranking with the best of ‘em), wicked piece of Jamaican Funk for your Monday musical pleasure.
musicology #95
16 Feb 2008 2 Comments
in duets, Jamaica Tags: alton ellis, Aubrey Adams and the Dewdroppers, coxsone dodd, Eddie Perkins, Jamaica, my heaven, themusicologist
sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #18
(Alton Ellis & Eddie Perkins – My Heaven)
last of the Alton selection..and it’s this one from the earliest days of Jamaican musicology…recorded for none other than Clement Seymour Dodd. The second of his two cuts with Eddie Perkins as the duo Alton & Eddie from 1959, (cut three weeks after his first recording ‘Muriel’)
Alton..thank you for the music.
p.s next week it’s the turn of themusicologists first musical icon..Curtis Mayfield.
musicology #588
30 Sep 2010 1 Comment
by themusicologist in Jamaica, Rock Steady, Social Commentary Tags: Desmond Dekker And The Aces mp3, Jamaica, reggae mp3, rocksteady mp3, Social Commentary, themusicologist, Young Generation mp3
Flow #7
(Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Young Generation)
Out of yesterdays, (at least for me), Inspirational slice of the Black Ark pie and straight into this sublime piece of Rocksteady from Desmond Dekker and The Aces..
LIsten Tune..
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