Oldest Ska band still recording and touring?
GENO SNYDER
-> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization of
-> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz and
-> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in MY book.
-> :)
-> > -Geno S.
->
-> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
Cluett Johnson? you must tell me about him! ive never heard anything
about the guy....what do you know?
-Geno S.
yosemite sam
I think Cluette Johnson is also known as "Clue J" as in "Clue J
and his Blues Blasters. He's a bassistr who played on alot of early
Studio One tracks and recorded some tunes of his own like "Slat Lane
Shuffle."
-Sam Rotker,
Guitarist extraordinaire, Bill and the Tourist Attractions
Florida Ska.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You go inside the cage? Cage goes in the water? Shark's in the
water. Our shark...Farewell and ado to you fair Spanish ladies..."-Quint
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cheeky Princess Knucklehead
GENO SNYDER wrote:
>
> -> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization of
> -> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz and
> -> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in MY book.
> -> :)
> -> > -Geno S.
> ->
> -> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
> Cluett Johnson? you must tell me about him! ive never heard anything
> about the guy....what do you know?
Cluett Johnson...I know...
That he is cited as coining the term ska....but is he still touring?
Um, I don't think so. Unless someone else knows whether or not he is
I do believe the Laurel Aitken is among the eldest...Happy 70th
Birthday! Today April 22. He is celebrating in Helsinki with a
show...I do believe that he is still touring making him ONE of the
eldest.
Cheeky Princess
Darren Pakravan
GENO SNYDER wrote:
>
> -> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization of
> -> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz and
> -> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in MY book.
> -> :)
> -> > -Geno S.
> ->
> -> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
> Cluett Johnson? you must tell me about him! ive never heard anything
> about the guy....what do you know?
Yeah, Geno, I read that too, in some Skatalites interview somwhere. He
was a jazz/ska drummer in the earlt Jamaican scene. He was the one who
always went around saying "Love Skavoovee" (I think)
--
Darren Pakravan
d-pak...@nwu.edu
***this is my real email***
---------------------------------------------------------------
LEGAL NOTICE: Anyone who sends me unsolicited commercial e-mail
will be charged a $500 proofreading fee. Consider this official
notification. Failure to abide by this will result in legal action.
I solicit email of a personal nature if the sender wishes to reply
to any post I make. (Constructively, please)
"By US Code Title 47, Sec.227(a)(2)(B), a computer/modem/printer
meets the definition of a telephone fax machine.
By Sec.227(b)(1)(C), it is unlawful to send any unsolicited
advertisement to such equipment.
By Sec.227(b)(3)(C), a violation of the aforementioned Section is
punishable by action to recover actual monetary loss, or $500,
whichever is greater, for each violation."
Luke MacLean
Cheeky Princess Knucklehead <leah.sc...@bc.edu> wrote:
>GENO SNYDER wrote:
>>
>> -> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization of
>> -> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz and
>> -> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in MY book.
>> -> :)
>> -> > -Geno S.
>> ->
>> -> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
>> Cluett Johnson? you must tell me about him! ive never heard anything
>> about the guy....what do you know?
>
>Cluett Johnson...I know...
>That he is cited as coining the term ska....but is he still touring?
>Um, I don't think so. Unless someone else knows whether or not he is
Cluette Johnson AKA Clue Jay.
Luke
GENO SNYDER
-> GENO SNYDER wrote:
-> >
-> > -> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization
-> of > -> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz
-> and > -> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in
-> MY book. > -> :)
-> > -> > -Geno S.
-> > ->
-> > -> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
-> anything > about the guy....what do you know?
-> > -Geno S.
-> Yeah, Geno, I read that too, in some Skatalites interview somwhere.
-> He was a jazz/ska drummer in the earlt Jamaican scene. He was the
-> one who always went around saying "Love Skavoovee" (I think)
-> --
->
-> Darren Pakravan
well, you learn something new every day! so which bands did he play
with, if any famous ones? i dont remember his name among the origional
skatalites..maybe i just overlooked him, after all he *IS* only the bass
player.........(according to that other guy)
-geno S.
mfer...@forest.drew.edu
> In article <3360F7...@yourmamma.com>, Darren Pakravan <fake....@yourmamma.com> writes:
Oh yeah and Cluett was a bass player not a drummer, at least to my
knowledge.
--Mark
mfer...@forest.drew.edu
I don't know if I would say just Cluett Johnson, or just any one man
invented or popularized ska, thats a very limited statement in my book. I
think that it was more of a combination of several individuals, most of
them actually producers/sound system guys more than musicians, like
Coxsone Dodd and Prince Buster for example (although of course both of
them were also musicians -- but to me they were more important as
producers). As far as pioneering musicians/songs go, the Boogie In My
Bones/Little Sheila record by Laurel Aitken (produced by Chris Blackwell
of Island records fame) as well as Easy Snappin' (sung by Theophilius
Beckford, with the band including Cluett Johnson on bass, Ian Pearson on
drums, Ken Richards on guitar, Roland Alphonso on sax, and Rico Rodriguez
on trombone; produced by Dodd during the first session at Federal Records)
are what I consider to be the first ska songs. Although this early stuff
still had a lot of that pre-ska shuffle-beat R&B sound to it...but hey,
all the elements of the ska are there.
And so I guess to answer the original question(s), I believe that either
Laurel Aitken (who just turned 70 by the way!) or Theophilius Beckford are
probably some of the earliest ska pioneers still doing their thing.
Remember that the Skatalites didn't really come together as a group until
about 1963 or 1964 (I've heard both), sure they all played as session
musicians for Studio 1 and the like, but by the time they got together,
Laurel Aitken had been singing the ska for several years!
---
Mark
TradSkin Bob
In addition to Aitken, I believe that Derrick Morgan would be in strong
contention for the title of oldest (at least in music years) musician
still recording and touring. His "Lover Boy" put out in '59 makes him
one of the true pioneers of ska.
-Bob
vesparado
I guess I'll just add my two cents, just for the heck uv it..
It all started back when R & B became huge in the States. Jamaicans were
able to receive a few of the powerful Miami radio stations playing those
hot tunes. The only problem with R & B in Jamaica was that they couldn't
get records from America!!
What to do???
Well as luck would have it, a couple of Jamaicans (Duke Reid & Sir
Coxson) got ahold of a bunch of 78's (records that is) and each had his
own DJ party wagon...and the parties started ragin! Coxson and reid were
makin $$$ and some bloke even started a record pressing shop there, so
guess what?? The Duke and Coxson separtly started recordin tunes..
The R&B sound was revised by the Jamaican musicians....
To this day it cannot be said who is the oldest known SKA band or artist
still performing. The Skatalites, Derrick Morgan, and who knows what
other forgotten named artists are still playing SKA "all over the
world."
BTW it is rumored that the amazing Rico Rodrguez is still(??) playing
his fat trombone, where?? South America. I sure hope he is, cuz man, God
gave that man an awesome gift....
Traditionally yours,
the vesparado
Mike "Mr Groovy" Toole
vesparado wrote:
> BTW it is rumored that the amazing Rico Rodrguez is still(??) playing
> his fat trombone, where?? South America. I sure hope he is, cuz man, God
> gave that man an awesome gift....
It's not a rumour. Rico's band, Jazz Jamaica, are playing five dates
in the U.S. in the next couple of weeks. I'll be seeing them in Boston
on Tuesday. :-)
Go to http://www.rykodisc.com/3/tour for the details.
--Mike
Peter Siegel
I'll be seeing them in Philly on Thursday, but I heard through the grape
vine that Rico is not touring with them this time.
Peter
--
Trip your face off with L.S.D. The Liberty Scooter Division.
L.S.D. is looking for members in the Philadelphia area.
If you ride a metal bodied scooter, drink
like a fish, and like to cause havoc, contact us.
All rudies, skins, and mods (well, maybe the mods) are welcome.
Contact L.S.D at: ve...@roinet.com
Deep Six
About Clue J
GENO SNYDER wrote:
> well, you learn something new every day! so which bands did he play
> with, if any famous ones? i dont remember his name among the origional
> skatalites..maybe i just overlooked him, after all he *IS* only the bass
> player.........(according to that other guy)
A couple more cents -- I don't think it's accurate to say that Clue J or
any other one artist or band is credited with popularizing Jamaican ska.
I've read in many places that Clue J is credited with first using the
ska beat (the off-beat, the drop, whatever you call it), but lots of
other artists eclipsed Clue J early on in renown and popularity. Clue J,
IMO, is a little like the guy who originally sang "You Ain't Nothin' But
a Hound Dog." He came up with the song, but the Kang made it popular.
Likewise, Clue J blazed a ska trail, but other bands and players came
along and made the trail into a highway.
I only know of one "group" that Clue J played with, and that is Clue J
and His Blues Blasters. Most of the other recordings I've seen simply
call him Cluette Johnson or Clue J.
I don't know ages -- Laurel Aitken v. Roland Alphonso, etc., so I can't
say who is the oldest... not that it matters, really. Most of the old
ska bands/artists who are still around had a hand in making ska (and
reggae) what it is today.
I saw Skatallites in Salt Lake City about a week ago -- they are still
in the game, big time. Roland Alphonso needed more than a little help in
mounting the stage, but he tore it up when they started playing. They
had alternateens, twenty-somethings and boomers alike on their feet and
dancing.
Later,
Chadd
Scratchie
Peter Siegel <psi...@roinet.com> wrote:
: I'll be seeing them in Philly on Thursday, but I heard through the grape
: vine that Rico is not touring with them this time.
This is unfortunately true. However, this is still one hell of a band, and
if you like instrumental, jazzy ska, you don't want to miss this one. I
had the pleasure of opening for them last night in Cambridge, and they put
on one of the best shows I've seen in a while.
As you'd probably expect (from their album), they play a lot of Skatalites
covers, and while I wouldn't say they're *better* than the Skatalites,
they're certainly *tighter* than the Skatalites, and they have their own
style. The danger in this sort of music is that it will get "too jazzy",
but the bass and drums (Gary Crosby and Kenrick Rowe) were always true to
the "classic" ska (or reggae) sound. They weren't afraid to have fun with
the arrangements though, as when they inserted "Declaration of Rights"
into the middle of a killer "Rockfort Rock". Their set-closing version of
Don Drummond's "Confucious" was also a highlight.
So check these guys out if you get a chance. They're doing a mini tour
with dates in NYC, Philly, Fairfax VA and New Orleans. Dates are available
on my National Ska/Reggae Calendar or in the press release below. Check
them out!
--Art
National Ska/Reggae Calendar: www.ziplink.net/~upsetter/ska/calendar.html
Boston Ska Home Page: www.ziplink.net/~upsetter/ska/index.html
JAZZ JAMAICA
ON A FIVE-SHOT TOUR!
You've got just five chances to catch Jazz Jamaica on their first ever US tour!
Tuesday 4/29 BOSTON Riles Jazz Club
Wednesday 4/30 NEW YORK S.O.B.'S
Thursday 5/1 PHILADELPHIA The North Star Bar
Friday 5/2 FAIRFAX, VA. George Mason University
Sunday 5/4 NEW ORLEANS Jazz and Heritage Festival
(with a special second gig that evening at The Dream Palace)
Comprised of some of Jamaica and the UK's most learned, respected and
experienced ska and jazz musicians, Jazz Jamaica's membership includes
individuals who have supported an incredible array of crucial luminaries.
Bassist Gary Crosby, whose Jazz Warrior s were central to the British jazz
scene and who has worked with Art Farmer, Courtney Pine and Ernest Ranglin
founded the band in 1991.
Laying down the sparkling key work is Clifton "Bigga" Morrison. A man of
big stature and big sound, he has also played alongside the biggest and
the baddest of them all: The Israelites, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, and
Sugar Minott. Trumpeter Eddie "Ta n Tan" Thornton is a pioneer of modern
Jamaican music having layed down sounds with Ernest Ranglin, Aswad, The
Rolling Stones, and Rod Stewart. Michael "Bammie" Rose's tenor sax and
flute first gained him acclaim in the 70's with the Afro-Rock group Cyma
nde. From there, he traveled through Hugh Masekela, Frankie Paul and Soul
II Soul before finding his way to Jazz Jamaica. Former Jazz Warrior Alan
Weeks shines on guitar along with the added textures of Tony Uter's (Toots
& The Maytals, I Jah Man) percu ssion, while Kenrick Rowe's (Sugar Minott,
The Mighty Diamonds, Dennis Brown) drumming breaks and shuffles the beat.
Joining the tour is the alto sax of Brian Edwards (Jazz Warriors, Aswad)
and the trombone of rising star Dennis Rollins (Brand New Heavie s,
Jamiroquai, US3).
Blending the shy smiles of mento, the shuffle of ska, the heart thump of
reggae and the free improvisation of jazz into a unique and impressive
synthesis, Jazz Jamaica germinates a new take on the perpetually adored
ska of Jamaica which they call skazz. Selections from jazz greats like
Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington are mingled amongst true island folk
compositions, roots and ska standards with a swing only these finest
exponents of the style can deliver.
These musical virtues have been duly recognized at jazz and reggae clubs
in the UK. With a strong presence on the international festival scene,
audiences from Europe to the Caribbean to Asia have caught Jazz Jamaica's
live fire. Just ask the 5,000-stron g crowd at the 1994 International
Jazz Festival in St. Lucia who kept the great George Benson twiddling his
fingers in the wings as they demanded encore after encore from the band.
Courtney
: > It's not a rumour. Rico's band, Jazz Jamaica, are playing five
: dates
: >in the U.S. in the next couple of weeks. I'll be seeing them in
: they're playing in fairfax virginia on may 2nd at the student union
: grand ballroom. with some other bands. check em.
yeah, but the BASTARDS at gmu cut the show early...jazz didn't even get to finish
the set. just kicked them off the fucking stage...just like THAT!
glad i saw them the night before in philly too!
-courtney
--
My bacon has a 33% mortality rate.
Brett Rakestraw
bru...@ally.ios.com (Luke MacLean) wrote:
>Cheeky Princess Knucklehead <leah.sc...@bc.edu> wrote:
>>GENO SNYDER wrote:
>>>
>>> -> > well, don drummond is credited with the jamaican poularization of
>>> -> ska, > using trombone blasts ont he offbeat, and fusing jazz and
>>> -> traditional > jamaican music...so the skatalites it is, in MY book.
>>> -> :)
>>> -> > -Geno S.
>>> ->
>>> -> Wrong. Cluett Johnson
>>> Cluett Johnson? you must tell me about him! ive never heard anything
>>> about the guy....what do you know?
>>
>>Cluett Johnson...I know...
>>That he is cited as coining the term ska....but is he still touring?
>>Um, I don't think so. Unless someone else knows whether or not he is
>Cluette Johnson AKA Clue Jay.
> Luke
As far as I'm concerned, Coxsone Dodd thought of the concept, Clue J
put it into working form, and Theolonius Beckford recording the first
ska song, "Easy Snappin'." Now, I don't know that Beckford still
plays out, but he is still alive, as he is slated to play on the new
Tommy McCook/ King Bravo album.
brett
brett(sodapop)rakestraw Atlanta ska-
The Robustos-(tenor sax) For the love of God,
sod...@mindspring.com Give it a chance.