Ska

Jamaican musicology 1962-1966

musicology #0654 Special Event

Tribute to DON Pedro #4

Baba Brooks – Special Event

Don Pedro is a lover of the fine things in life…a purveyor of quality and style. Be it women, vehicles, garments, food, ‘kettles’, ‘Tom’ and anything else that catches his attention. Anyone who knows the Don will clarify that the Cats antenna is finely tuned. That’s not to say that he can’t or doesn’t know how to get down with all manner of people as the Don posseses that rare quality of being comfortable in his own skin and therefore non judgemental of others regardless of how they ‘hang’. A proper ‘man of the world’ the DON has seen and lived more on his travels through life than most. I wax lyrical about the man because those of us who have shared some of them travels can say that they have lived too. The Don asks for for little but gives plenty.

Anyway before i digress and get lost, (im on a TIGHT schedule on this fine sunny morning in London Town), …hold this rip roaring piece of Jamaican Ska from led by one its greatest protagonists the mighty Oswald ‘Baba’ Brooks featuring the cream of Jamaica’s musical fraternity. Recorded for Duke Reid and released on his Treasure Isle label in, (what sounds to me like 1965) ..

BiG Piece of urbanmusicology

themusicologist meets Downbeat @ bloodSweatandteeS

part 2 of theUrbanMusicologyProJect…

Selected by themusicologist in tribute to Jamaica’s Soundsystem and Recording Studio HEAVYWEiGHT Sir Coxsone Downbeat the Ruler Dodd and FULL Brentford Road Crew.

I have waxed lyrical MANY times, (and dropped the needle on a number of supreme cuts), over the years here about the greatness of Studio 1 and some of its chief protagonists ..cats like Jackie Mittoo, Leroy Sibbles, Joe Higgs, Ken Boothe, the Skatalites, (to name a few), and how they carried the swing throughout the early days of Ska, Rocksteady and into Reggae. In fact I LOVE Studio 1 so much it led me to design and produce the tribute tShirt in Sir Coxsone’s honour which in turn inspired the formation and formulation of bloodSweatandteeS. Of course there were plenty of other producers along the way like Duke Reid, Justin Yap, Prince Buster, Lee Perry, Bunny Lee, King Tubby and the Hookim family but, at least as far as i am concerned, Downbeat was and will always remain the ruling sound. themusicologist IS a journey and as such the most effective way to illustrate what music means to me and how much it has informed my life is to lay down ‘SouLRebeLSymphonies’ rather than the the ‘1Shot’ that has dominated themusicologist for the past 4/5 years. I have played and listen to music this way for almost 30 years so it is also part of my narrative and authenticity so I hope you will allow me to indulge this part of my self as well as do me the favour of listening to it this way? The works of art on this mix were recorded and released from the late 60’s through to the mid 70’s, (with a few later cuts sprinkled in), when the Downbeat sound dominated. Before that the main rivalry, (especially record wise), was between Downbeat and the Trojan and even though there were some great producers throughout the age Studio 1 was the Home of Reggae and recording for Coxsone was the goal for almost all of the artists throughout the 60’s and early 70’s…..

to conclude todays monologue..I STRONGLY believe that music is for sharing and playing in your own environment so the mix is available to download and if you like Reggae and especially Studio 1 then i implore you to ‘fill your boots’ (and if you like it feel free to share it with your community.)

the bloodSweatandteeS ‘Sir Coxsone Downbeat’ tribute tShirts, (below the soundcloud player), are available in various colours and there are still some sizes left so if you are looking to represent now’s the time as some of the combinations will not be repeated due to my desire to innovate continuously !

the ORiGiNAL ‘SouLRebeL’ tributeTees

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musicology #0637

Frank Cosmo – Merry Christmas

themusicologist has been on, (what we call here on the streets of London), a ‘long ting’ these last few weeks refining the project but I’m back in the saddle for a christmas Jamboree..

(keep it locked as I’m planning on delivering a little musicologistChristmasSpecial sometime between now and Christmas Day !!)

regular musicologists will be aware that it’s traditional for me to throw down a christmas selection so keeping that tradition alive hold this piece of 1963 Christmas Ska courtesy of Frank Cosmo and the Beverley’s All Stars featuring what sounds like Charlie Organnaire blowing on the harmonica…

musicology #520

Randoms #3

(Errol Dunkley – A Little Way Different)

Apparently it was 3 years ago that themusicologist stepped into the global arena in an attempt to communicate. 3 years later and I’m still trying. SO much water has gone under the bridge since then it almost seems like I have lived at least three lives. In fact the ONLY constant in my life has been the music. Companions on the journey who I thought would be there for the duration have stepped off and significant others have stepped in. I suppose that is the way it has to be. Nothing lasts forever, (other than music of course)

The journeys soundtrack along the way has been just as hill and gully as the existence itself..sometimes so raw that I wince when I listen but there’s no taking it back, (nor would I want to), so I’ll just keep rolling out the message and let the dialogue unfold naturally as it always has and most likely will be.

Today’s messenger is the majestic Errol Dunkley a cat who first sung his way into the musicologist’s heart and mind with his 1966 cut, (at the crossroads between Ska and Rocksteady), ‘Love Me Forever’ but it’s this one that I identify him with. The TOP ranking ‘A Little Way Different’. This version is the 12″ rather than the Sonia Pottinger produced 1972 original. Both equally superb in their own right.