Courtney John - Steady reppin "Jamaican Soul"

 While his catalog thus far betrays no allegiance to any specific genre, singer Courtney John does admit to a "soft spot" for one particular variant.
"'You could say I was bitten by the rocksteady bug," he relates. "It's still a very under-appreciated genre. It kind of fell under the shadow of the emergent reggae of Marley, Tosh et al between the late 60s and early 70s. It was our soul music"

That huge movement of  "Jamaican Soul" as the artiste puts it is enjoying one of its best resurgences yet, especially out of UK, where in fact, it never fell out of favour. Its a favourable bellwether for John - and for Jamaican music as a whole - as he gets set to release his latest album this July.

The disc is titled "From Letters to Words". The title, he explains, speaks to progressions, both personal and musical, which he felt were important to mark and to explore. "Presently, in the "words stage" of my life - not just in terms of career.

The new album comes about three years after his last release, Made In Jamaica. Not an extraordinarily long gap in the overall music biz scenario, but to Jamaican audiences used to cascades of product following product, it may be seen as something of a hiatus. John insists he's "not the type to feel pressured to match up with the 'scene' via a whole lot of output. Its more important to me that I
have to have something to say."

And, in a falsetto as wiry and agile as his frame, the singer makes some eloquent statements, ten tracks in total, including a cover of  the Chi-Lites' "Have You Seen Her" as well current singles "So Beautiful" and the "Its Gonna Be Alright" the latter an alternately smooth and spiky folky kind of song for which a video is already in rotation. John lists it as one of his favourites from the collection.

"Its Gonna Be Alright" also speaks to his overall outlook for the music, provided of course, that certain benchmarks of quality can be revisited and maintained. "There's vast wealth out there," he states in defiance of the "recession rhetoric" that plagues many. "And even when times are hard,  that's when people seek out and try to discover new music. We as Jamaican artistes need to look at the product rather than blame the economy." John, who controls the sale of his music online, as well as his own publishing adds that he has sold  more records online than  he saw on any physical statement from a record company.

Its not meant as a boast, but it is a validation of his decision to hold to the high road and not jump into any limiting deals or to compromise his independence and artistic integrity. "Reggae and the Jamaican sound is still hugely powerful. I decided not to do the "quick cash" thing or sell out in any way. Thankfully, because of the technology, I've been able to link with great people around the world, and they have been finding me."

 Indeed, they have been finding him from such disparate locations as Papua New Guinea, Russia, Kenya, Ghana, Gambia, Uganda and Tanzania and also Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. he has a fall schedule of tours to connect live with fans, beginning with the September and then Europe  and possibly other locales later in the year. 

And with Jamaica 50 excitement (and controversy) high, Courtney John has crafted his own tribute record, just widely released. It features, among others Marcia Griffiths and  Beenie Man. The feedback, he says, is overwhelmingly positive. Beyond that, he's working on another full-length disc, this one titled "The Courtney John Project", which he describes as "roots-tronic" a moniker which certainly holds some intrigue. It puts him alongside noted "riddimeister" Lenky Marsden and other top-notch creators in a decidedly "experimental" mode.


Its a posture he'd like to see - and hear - more Jamaican artists and producers adopt. "There's no one fighting down our music in the major markets as some people state and would have us believe. Its just that as a product the sound has become stagnant, its locked in to something that is obviously not working and not really in demand. So guys just have to really look into themselves and come up with a viable sound. Not saying that youth today should necessarily look to produce the same sound as we had in the 70s, but to take the principles the professionalism that Bob and the others upheld and build on it." 

DON COSMIC LIVES!!

perhaps the most revered and controversial instrumentalist-composer to come out of Jamaica. After the death of saxophone legend Charlie ‘Yardbird” Parker in 1955, the graffiti “Bird Lives!” became common around New York City. I have appropriated that phrase for the similarly legendary Don Drummond.

Even the most prestigious  and scholarly music  admit that very little is known of his early life. From a recording standpoint, he first emerged around 1956, amidst the then nascent sound system movement, contributing horn breaks on what were then known (and still so called now in some circles) as specials. Several of these would be later released in the UK, to great acclaim (but little, if any direct remuneration) on Chris Blackwell’s Island records imprint.

With the advent of the 1960s, Drummond, like many of his contemporaries, were increasingly drawn to and influenced by the twin strands of the global Black nationalist movement and the more distinctly homegrown Rastafari  ideology. Without a doubt, this must have placed him and his bandmates in sharp variance with the  Establishment who frequented the better clubs to witness their live performances. Whether this exacerbated Drummond’s  then already well known mental difficulties (schizophrenia? Manic-depression?) cannot be said with certainty.

It didn’t help either that his live-in girlfriend was Anita Mahfood, an exotic dancer popularly known as “Margarita”. Mahfood, though part of the economically powerful Kingston merchant class was herself a bit of  a “wild card” and her relationship with the troubled genius was no doubt tumultuous. That tumult reached a grisly and tragic crescendo in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1965, shortly after Mahfood returned to their East Kingston apartment.  There were reports of an argument and screams. In the aftermath Mahfood, then only 23, was found dead from multiple stab wounds.

Drummond was arrested and – in a bit of a whirlwind – tried, deemed “legally insane” and remanded to Kingston’s Bellevue Hospital. That brings us back to May 6^th, 1969, the day he died, but not to the end of controversy. With no autopsy performed, Drummond’s death was ruled a suicide, an “official” version that remains contested by conspiracy theories of various sorts to this day.  The hospital staff, one claims, ruthlessly beat and otherwise ill-treated Drummond, all with the tacit permission of the then Government, which was bent on stamping out this “Black Power nonsense” (It was hardly a year prior that rioting broke out in the wake of the Government’s decision to expel pan-Africanist Walter Rodney); others claim that Mahfood’s family had extracted revenge for her demise at Drummond’s hands.

The full truth has very likely been interred with the body, but, selfish as it may seem, in the wake of Drummond’s departure, we have the tremendous treasure of the music. His official recorded output has been put at over 300 songs.   No matter how often one hears classics like “Eastern Standard Time” or “Confucious” or “Man In The Street” the warm idiosyncracy and fleet-footed, “hop-skipping” energy (my coinage) of Drummond’s playing and compositions shines through. This goes not only for us here in Jamaica, but for music lovers worldwide

Which brings to mind, as an aside, What is it about the month of May anyway?

Bassist Lloyd Brevett recently made a painful, and by all accounts untimely, transition (precipitated by the tragic shooting death of his son), leaving drummer Lloyd Knibb as now the only surviving member of the original musical aggregation known as the Skatalites who helped shape and popularise a distinctly Jamaican sound, enjoyed in the four corners of the earth.

 Incidentally(?) May is also the month in which Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd checked out of this earthly realm. He left us, in 2004, on May 5 to be exact, or one day before (36 years after) Drummond did. It was in Dodd’s famed Studio One that Drummond and the Skatalites not only laid down their own recordings, but as the de facto “house band” provided support for a host of other Jamaican musical legends.  “Don Cosmic” as he would also come to be known, first caught Dodd’s attention during a performance at Kingston’s Majestic theatre

But back to Drummond. To borrow a very apt summation from noted musicologist Herbie Miller, “He was a musical prophet created by the people, not one imposing himself on them in pursuit of stardom, but having it thrust upon him. Drummond observed their tribulations and aspirations then reshaped them into a blues allegory reflected through his compositions and plaintive trombone tone.”

In my own humble estimation, Don Drummond was an original, a “one-of-a-kind” from a nation that seems to specialize in “one-of-a-kind” people. Whatever format you can get it in, get hold of his music and – in a very good way – let him blow your mind.

Vegas in Kingston

See the link for pictorial highlights from the reggae group Bonafide's album launch at Terra Nova hotel earlier this week.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=369688569742528&set=a.369687843075934.91650.160448100666577&type=1&theater

Marking Milestones with Muzik

"Cut to  the quick/

deception was the tool/

performers poured music in the wound/...

Throwing off sparks/

bringing this Frankenstein/

skanking to life/

and ready to face the dawn/"

- "Rebel Love Revival" (excerpt)

c2009

Fifty years of political independence.

A half-century of existence for Founder/Production Chief Patrick "Tony Rebel" Barrett.

Almost two decades of successful and critically acclaimed stagings of Rebel Salute.

There was much to celebrate inside the ballroom of the Wyndham Kingston Tuesday night last and the invited musical guests proved more than nable to get the crowd of media, sponsors' reps, music fraternity and general well-wishers to appreciate the magnitude - and dynamism - of the occasion.

Battle of the Bands 2012 Jamaica finalists Raging Fyah overcame the first of the night's persistent sound glitches to deliver a rousing rendition of "Judgement Day" from their still growing repertoire. They would return in even finer form at the end of the night with "Far Away" and "Can't Run From Yourself". Similarly C-Sharp, still on a roll from their excellent CD release concert for "The Invitation" took their now trademark tight musicianship and audience rapport to even greater levels with a flawless delivery of "Reggae My Song".

In between those musical tentpoles, there were stirring comments from members of the head table, product pacakge giveaways from the sponsors and more scintillating musical stints, all guided with poise and relaxed wit by emcee Lady Renae. Ibamar, trombonist/vocalist Pesso, "basso profundo" Mikey Spice and veteran Edi "The Gun" Fitzroy all gave encouraging hints of things to come.

He didn't perform, but the "boss" Tony Rebel made another impassioned plea for more support for roots reggae, both from corporate circles and the media, a pleas supported - at least vocally - by his head table colleagues.

At night's end, with Pepsi and meatless cocktails awaiting eventgoers, the impression was distinctly left that Jamaica's globally revered musical brand was in good hands on the advent of the Golden Anniversary, and  iwth the promise of new chapters to be written - and sung.

The rain fell, but not the Mountains: @Jimi's Jam

The weathervforecast had proffered a 20% chance of showers, which merely made it inevitable when the heavens did actually open up.

But, thwarted meteorologists aside, the lingering downpour had no I'll effects on the small but enthusiastic group that converged on the Asante Adonai property in the St Ann hills on Sunday. What could possiblyprove such powerful draw? Jimi Hendrix, or more specifically, the remembrance thereof. On ten occasion of the 69th anniversary of the birth of the legendary guitarist, broadcaster, psychologist (and owner of the sprawling hillside estate) and lifelong Hendrix devotee Leachim hosted the official inaugural Hendrix Tribute, dubbed "Jimi's Jam".

The event was conceived to have three main elements: cinematic, dubbed Fillmore Tropical (after the famed Fillmore West and East Theatres where he famously performed; Hendrix on Wax ( as well as CD and digital turntable); and Hendrix Live. Although the rain put paid to the outdoor cinema, the other two elements came together to excellent effect.

The selector duties were lArgely split between the host and dj Afifa who through her Sounds of Life outfit, turned a fiitingly eclectic set of Hendrix originals, tunes from artistes influenced by Hendrix and Hendrix covers - the latter notably including Angelique Kidjo's smoking' rendition of "Voodoo Chile" and - most indelible of all to this writer - The Cure's take on "Purple Haze".

The live segment overcame the much delayed arrival of drummer Akil Karram to prove a welcome finish tothe event. Guitarists Maurice Gordon and Omar Francis cranked up at a moderate pace with "Hey Joe", bassist Shurwayne Thompson adapting speedily to what was unfamiliar material. With the previously lost-in-transit Karram scurrying onto the stage, the vibe quickly belled and the thusly formed quartet stretched out with aplomb on a dub-tinged "Machine Gun" as the rain subsided. More similar explorations followed and on the closer " Little Wing" Karram ceded the drum chair to the previously unheralded but undoubtedly talented Shane Campbell.

Apart from the musical appetite, patrons' cravings for sustenance were sated by organic fare from "Stoosh in de Bush" which included Cilantro-pumpkin soup, homemade bread and a delectable egg-less, flour-less chocolate cake. Artist Richard Von White also had his unique mixed media reproductions on display.

Altogether a great jump-off in tribute to the man who famously said, "fall mountains, just don't fall on me." The mountains held up, and the forecast for the future of this event looks bright.

Altogether, a memorable jump-off for the man who famously claimed "fall mountains, jut don'

The Boys Deserve Better

Some shows succeed in spite of themselves, while other, with the best of intentions, simply don't make the mark.

In that latter category file the Rotary Club 'Let's Do It For The Alpha Boys which unfolded on Saturday night (into the wee hours of Sunday morning) at th cavernous National Indoor Sports Centre.

The Alpha Boys School is as deserving of a tribute show as any institution in Jamaica - arguably the hemisphere - and the notion of combining jazz/big band showcase with a reggae/dancehall showcase must seemed a great idea to the organizers.  The outcome however, was largely a  case of reach exceeding grasp.

It started auspiciously with the Jamaica Military Band striking up the National Anthem and proceeding to spin out a mix of contemporary numbers. Thereafter, interspersed with video vignettes of legendary Alpha Boys  School alumni, the sparse crowd was treated to various iterations of Alpha bands - an Alumni group, the Omega element (opposite of Alpha) and a clutch of the current boys. Longtime Alpha Boys' Band director Sparrow Martin, nattily decked out in a dark suit and robin-red hat, figured prominently in these segments. The Alumni started off tentatively but gathered steam remarkably zipping through standards like "Satin Doll" and pop hits like Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin's "Respect" with notable gusto.

But the audience seemed largely unmoved throughout the demonstration and the first discernible rise came from the 50/50 band, who with noted psychologist Aggrey Irons as toast master, did a good job reminding the audience of the word, sound and power of another great Jamaican: Petr Tosh. "African" was followed by "Buckingham Palace" which, with its message of defiant marijuana consumption was a neat bookend to the Damian Marley hit "Welcome To Jamrock" (and Ini Kamoze's "Worl A Reggae Music" which it samples)

Dubtonic Kru, which is in preparation for its Summer "Victory Tour" gave a workman-like performance that justified its selection as the World's Best new Band in Malaysia earlier this year.

LUST  - sans Singing Melody - provided the first real sparks at the mid-point, delivering their known hits to the delight  of the audience, which by this time had gathered a measure of coherence and heft, but only because some of those in the rafters had accepted the off to come and populate the sea of white seats in the centre floor. They also made a neat reference to the "Rapture craze" by taking the audience to church with a medley of gospel favourites.

This writer left to the strains of D'Angel with the dancehall heavy hitters still to come.

The Indoor Sports Centre's acoustics are notoriously unfriendly to bands. The emcees Jodian Gray, Drew Lawence and Denise 'Ises' Miller performed creditably (although some more links could have been made to the video tributes). The Hospitality area in the foyer was barely up to par (but the Grace Foods brand manager as exemplary in pouring the selection of wines on hand), and despite stage designer Bert Rose's appealing tributary touches in the foyer (and outside) the show area was as stark and unattractive as a moonscape.

Wiser options might have meant a more intimate venue with better opportunites for presentation, or even a multi-venue roadshow over a prescribed period during which donations could be solicited and the message of Alpha's integral role spread more deeply and effectively.    At $4000 a pop, it was always going to be a tall order to fill the Arean in these times for a cuase, which while obviously worthy, has way less resonance to John Q Public today.

One has to think that both the legends of the past and the current students deserve better.

"Birthday Girls" get special treat at Quad

Its a Lotto picker's dream rake.

Three talented young ladies, singers all, and born literally within two days of each other. In fact, singers, Dasea, Chanti-I, and Yasmine celebrate their May birthdays on the 1st, 3rd and 5th respectively.: 1-3-5.

And, th the Quad nightclub in New Kingston this past week they, and a sizeable audience got a stirring birthday treat in the persons of Tony Rebel and Tarrus Riley, who dropped in on the cabaret presentation and combined for a scintillating night of impromptu entertainment. The "Rebel" and "Singy-singy" vibrantly ran through now familiar "tune-for-tune tag team" act, trading excerpts of well-known hits by a range of artists.

The audience, which included notables such as comedians Blacka Ellis and Ity  and Fancy Cat, could not get enough, and kept the two crooners - who came on at closing time - in the club well into the night. Not to be outdone, the three singing ladies also shone brightly, whether individually, in combination, or with the support of a raft of musicians. It was - in terms of personnel - one of, if not the biggest shows in he history of  the long-running, high-quality live entertainment series.

Live Jammin' at Christopher's as the series has become known, is presented by Mo' Muzyk Pros and happens at the Quad on Tuesday and Thursday nights each week, beginning at 7:30pm