Ranglin brings a brittle, staccato touch to everything he touches, and the rhythm section careens gently along, with only rare hints of a ska feel and without the overpowering dub-flavored bass of previous Alexander Jamaican outings like "Meets Sly and Robbie" and parts of "Goin' Yard." Desmond Dekker's "Israelites," one of the first genuine Jamaican hits in the U.S., moves and grooves much like the original while allowing for some jazz licks. But here he sounds more comfortable paring down his playing to the basics while still throwing in an occasional sly quote or monster lick, now going more and more to his evocative melodica playing. On previous Jamaican-accented albums, Alexander sometimes sounded as if he was making an effort to hold back his prodigious technique in order to keep things simple. This time, Alexander reaches further back to pre-reggae Jamaican pop from the late '60s/early '70s, bringing along a guitar-slinging friend from the old days, Ernest Ranglin. Since 1998, secure in his jazz credentials, he has been reminding listeners of those roots, cranking out album after album and managing to unite jazz and reggae in a sometimes irresistible fusion. Prior to becoming an ace mainstream jazz pianist in the U.S., native Jamaican Monty Alexander played on countless sessions at Studio One in Kingston - well before reggae, rocksteady, and even ska crossed the seas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |