Flo and Colin - Abbashanti Dance - Tudor Rose - Early Ninties
Photo - Small Axe
Colin Moore 'The Fencebeater'
What are you doing here Colin; you should be telling me about some new DVD or CD someone has given you, why am I writing a tribute to you? I don't even like writing these things - too upsetting for me. You know that. Perhaps I should ask Steve or Dave or John Williams to do it. Or about a million other people who knew and respected you. It’s just too sad for words. One day I'm talking to you about the DJ guide and David Dubwise's interest in it, and you’re coming up with some ideas on the best price for him. I am telling you that Chuck Foster as sent the text for his rock-steady book - and you’re telling me you can't wait to see that. And then 48 hours later - Steve is telling me you have passed!!!!!
So here I am, it’s a cold bank holiday, Monday trying to work out what to say about you. A good friend, that don't really cover it, a really really good friend. Nah, that don't work either. Perhaps it might be good to start at the beginning. It was October 1978 when you first popped up wanting to buy some Small Axe's for your reggae club at Reading University. That was nice, but you also wanted to help - that was even better. The first thing you wanted to do was to put on a talk at the Reggae Club at Reading University. "That's sound good, let me know how its goes - I said." Well I want you to do the talk - replied Colin. What!!! No way. Anyways, Colin persisted and finally - I headed off to Reading to do the talk. A few days later Colin tells it was a great success. Was it? And here is the first clue to what Colin was all about - making things happen and encouraging people - it was a kind of kindness that is hard to find.
Not long after that the first sound system tapes arrived in the country I received a Gemini cassette from the US - from Bob in Seattle. I copied it for Colin. He loved it. Not long after that Colin came across a couple more - he brought them around Christmas Eve near to midnight. It was Kilamanjaro and another Gemini. It was the start of the Dancehall era. A very exciting time, every week there was a new singer or deejay. I would love to do some reviews of all this stuff he said. And he did. Not long after that we were talking about nick names. Well you love sound system tapes - and the dancehall - what do they do when they love a tune in Kingston: they beat the fence. You must be the Fencebeater, the name stuck. Then came the interviews. Bob Andy, I think was the first, Willie Williams, Leroy Smart, Junjo, Eek A Mouse, Peter King- and many many more.
Perhaps the strangest was the one with Judah Eskender Tafari. 11pm one Friday night 1993. You phone up, I thought something was wrong. "You are not going to believe this,” he says. Well, what it is - I reply. "I was just at the A Class Studio - Gussie P was cutting specials with Judah Eskender Tafari!!!" Judah had been a great favourite of ours from day one. We had to interview him, and thanks to Colin we did. So many great memories. And I sure man like Blacka Dread and so many others who Colin helped will be able to recount more. Colin made things happen, he made the world a better place.
My thoughts are with Flo his wife and Lauren his little girl, Rachel his big daughter, with his mum and dad, Richard his brother and Jane and Sarah his sisters. I want to wrap this up now Colin, what do you think, a spelling mistake - the grammar OK. What did you always say? Its reads well, it makes sense. I just wished the same could be said about your passing Colin. No sense in it all. Rest in peace.
Ray Hurford.
3pm Monday 4th May - 2009.
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Keith Poppin - Get Together - KP Productions.
Its so great to see Keith Poppin take matters into his own hands, and give his fans what they want - a greatest hits album! And one which he will get paid for, which is very important. Reggae fans who claim to love the music so much, really need to think about what they are doing when they are buying music. Do you really want to make a company who does not care about the music at all richer. Because, thats all you are doing. They do not release the music they do for love, its for money. If they loved the music so much, they would make sure the people who made it got paid. Blood and Fire have been doing that for over 10 years now, and so have Greensleeves for even longer, that is not the case for so many other companies. Until that changes - go and buy this album. Its full of great tunes including the man's mega hits hits like 'Envious' and 'Who Are You' plus 15 more of equal quality. A truly excellent set.
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The Small Axe People
Skank Poster
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The Small Axe People – Skank It Up -
The Smal Axe People
Once again the Small Axe People are on a quest to do more with less. As with past releases the aim seems to be to explore and expand the sounds of reggae from the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this case the focus is on the ‘skank’ – although at times on this CD the skank sound seems to come by way of church music or alternatively ‘Radio-Activity’ era Kraftwerk. The style here is to have chugging and consistent rhythms overlaid with instrumentation that comes, goes, dissolves and at times intermingles. Straight-forward songs such as ‘Crunchie’ bring to mind Glen Adams led Upsetters singles. Still other tracks move into uncharted territory – the mysterious watery sound on ‘Sidetrack’ feels like it belongs in a dystopian spy thriller. One of the most remarkable moments is on ‘Welcome to Chenappa’ which features a spacey percussion sound reminiscent of a distant storm – although that disturbance might be emanating from some alternative reality. The follow-up song, ‘Dobblers’ is no more comforting as the eerie high-pitched sounds might make listeners feel they are surrounded by of a group of giant insects. Elsewhere ‘Freak Force’ contrasts a church-like organ with a deep menacing bass rumble. ‘Screwball’ veers into dub territory with echo, open space and sharply juxtaposed sounds (the high-tension passages will remind reggae enthusiasts of Chinna Smith’s guitar experiments from the 1970s). As on previous outings the Small Axe people are conquering new musical territory by re-imagining and reinterpreting the past.
Jim Dooley
Jerry Johnson & Neville Anderson -
Brass Rootz International
I've said before, and I'll say it again. There are a lack of instrumentals in reggae music - be it 7" or albums! In the same way that dub was just tossed aside by reggae HQ back in the eighties. Instrumentals suffered the same fate back in the seventies. But all is not lost with people Jerry Johnson around you can always be sure that in a matter of time there will be a great sax album. In this case its with his spar Neville Anderson. Together they are known as Tom and Jerry!!!
What an amazing album its got all the goodness found on the previous work of Jerry - but now you can hear the wonderful sound of the trombone in unison to Jerry's sax playing. They work there way through a really nice mix of originals and versioins. The sound is the sound of modern Wackies although there is no mention of the studio at all. Despite the set being recorded in New York. It doesn't really matter because with the right people great music can be made anywhere and this is truly great music!!!!!
Jerry Harris - Mama Roots - Listen Up
A remarkable album not only for the songs and production - but the way in which Jerry's vocals have slowly changed into Luciano style of vocals. And it suits him!!!The range of songs here takes in everything from simple love songs to global warming with a track called 'Global Warming' perhaps its not got the same power as Jimmy Cliff's 'Good Good Old Days' (then again very few songs have) but it shows that reggae artists are once again singing about things that have mattered to reggae people for a long long time. Going back to tunes like Jimmy tune released in 1972. The album was recorded in Jamaica and New York and like Tom and Jerry's set shows all the Wackies influences. Which can only be good for Jerry, and for reggae music. Hopefully it won't be long before Jerry follows up this work.
A really good new reggae mag and its in English!!!! Although its published in Germany. With interviews with King Earthquake and Calman Scott its got off to a really good start. Full colour as well. Check it out at -
Junior Dan - Reggae Road Map - Hi Try
Roots to people who grew up in the seventies means something - natural - or ital. It was a sound free of drum machines - sequencers - digital was a long way away. Even multi-track machines were only 4 or 8 track . Perhaps Dynamics had a 16 track. But the sound those people made back then as endured. Junior Dan is from those times so its only 'Natural' for him to go back to something which as brought people all over the world so much pleasure.
And it wasn't only the sound, it was the message - peace and love in a world full of war and hate is something that needs to heard as well. The 12 tracks to be found here all have such a message be it to humanity or on a much personal level. Vocally Dan takes in a lot of people. Touches of Joe Higgs - a Jamaican folk music style that is more spoken than sung. Carl Gayle used the same style on his debut album. A great album that is from time - and out of time at the same time!!!
Duke Vin, Count Suckle & The Birth Of Ska In Britain - Director Gus Berger
Reggae got off to a flying start with its first documentaries. Roots Rock Reggae, Word Sound & Power, and then Deep Roots Music. Since then things have not gone so well. Aside from 'Musically Mad'. This one from Gus Berger - gets some of the right people into the frame. Duke Vin, Count Suckle, Daddy Vego. Who all have great stories to tell. Its just a shame we didn't hear more from them. Or more from people like them.
What the film does do very well is link up a lot of different footage we have seen many times before - graphics are also used very well in the film. Something else that would have been good to see more of. To get people like Duke Vin, Count Suckle and Daddy Vego on film is a good move - and hopefully Gus. Will follow up on this - with more of the same kind of people.
Lorenzo - Moving Ahead
Well reggae really does need to move ahead - and it will take the likes of a lot more Lorenzo's to do it. Tradition is the word. And in the case of Lorenzo it is bouncing off of a style in this case Chezidek's style. Thankfully Chezi understands the vibes and even joins Lorenzo in a duo on this magnificent set. For the other tradition is not just to bounce but to add something and Lorenzo's does just that. Great lyrics - cultural and reality - a couple of love songs which work very well. And just like Chezi he's able to work on the more reggae rhythms - a real challenge. Thankfully all concerned in building the rhythms have gone out of there way to match those rhythms with Lorenzo. It might be just mixing - but it sounds a lot more than. A very powerful debut from a great singer-songwriter - lets hope there are more to come the music needs them badly. Forward!!!
The Small Axe Guide to Rock Steady by
Chuck Foster
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