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Midnite - Scheme A Things - Rastafaria - CD

Go to the deepest roots in reggae music those that go straight back to Africa, and you will find Midnite. This set pulls together all the various stands that make the band so good. The chanting, the dense rhythms, and most of all the lyrics - that are full of worldview concepts. The sort of messages that have been spoken about in reggae music from time, but with the way the world is today need to be repeated/chanted until the understanding they contain is understood. Just listen to 'Where Are They Now' one of the most powerful messages to come forward from reggae music in years. The Truth Is Out There, are you willing and able to listen to it!!!!

Midnite - Intense Pressure - Rastafaria - CD

The very first dub album from the band, and what a magnificent set it is. The power and majesty of the bass and drum as never sounded so good. This is a set for those who like there dub minimal - not a gimmicks thing. It works it way through a number of great rhythms allowing the bass and drum to come and go, keyboards and guitars come forward in the mix provide melody and then move off into the distance. This is dub at its best, providing light and shade to the foundation of reggae music which of course is bass and drum. With two great releases in one year - will this be the year of Midnite.

Roydale Anderson - My Reggae Journey - 1st Books Library - 231 pages - $13.50

http://www.andyreggae.com/

First events in reggae music are getting rare, but when it comes to reggae books - this is a magnificent first - the first book to be written about reggae music from the inside. Roydale Anderson is a much loved producer from the seventies. Not a Lee Perry or a Bunny Lee, but like so many other producers he's done the work, the good work - making great contributions to the world of reggae music.

He's also worked with some of the greats. Gregory Isaacs, Augustus Pablo, I.Roy, Black Uhuru and he's working today with Jah Mel who at the time of writing should have another great set out produced by Germain at Penthouse. Each and every person mentioned is written about with wit and insight. That would be good news, but when you start reading about King Tubby, Slim Smith, Bunny Lee and many other producers and artists who Andy / Roydale as come into contact with, only then do you realise how much of reggae music history is still not known. This book represents the first step in changing that situation, and its a very good one. A foundation stone that reggae music can be proud of.

http://www.andyreggae.com/

Various Artists - French Vanilla - Greensleeves Rhythm Album 49 - CD

Donovan Bennett comes forward again - a radical move away from the rhythmic sounds of the far and middle east - towards a much more jazzy kind of sound - featurting flutes for the main melody. In fact exectutive production comes from Michael Brissett for H20 Productions - which may explain the change of sound. T.O.K., Tanya Stephens, Ward 21 Vybz Kartel provide some of the best cuts. Good to Spragga Benz on the tracklist and Roundhead. Another really good One Rhythm set from the rhythm masters at Greensleeves.

Winston McAnuff - What A Man A Deal With - Makasound

Winston did some great work with Derrick Harriott and Tommy Cowan/Fatman Riddim Section. If my memory serves me right this set came from the latter connection. The big hit here is 'Hypocrite and Parasites' - possibly from the album of the same name. There was a lot of music from that time, late seventies that was around for a short time as hasn't been available since. This is one such set. Winston's got a great voice - and he can write songs - its music with a message, as the title track of this set indicates. Included here are 5 dubs making it in total a 14 track set. And a very good one.

The Mighty Three's - Africa Shall Stretch Forth Her Hands - Makasound

Now here is another set from time. Origianally released in 1978 on April Records - the label that gave us Culture's - 'Africa Stand Alone'. Such was the popularity of Culture, that anyone that sounded anything like them were dismissed unfairly - such was the fate of this set. The fact that the group sounded more like the Meditations than Culture - didn't seem to make much difference to some people. Its truly great to see this available again, especially since it includes the dub album of the set as well - the group is a total mystery to me, so if anyone knows anything more about them - please let me know. A truly essential vocal set from a time when there were so many.

Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves - Island - CD

Lee Perry in my opinion as not done well out of the current reissue programs of reggae record companies. Apart from the The Congoes on Blood and Fire, and the Bunny Scott on Tabou 1 - most of the man's productions have been concentrated on endless various artists sets at the expense of his considerable work with a wide range of artists. DJ's, singers, bands, vocal groups, musicians - Old Scratch as worked with them all. So its good to see Island - not noted for forward thinking, tracking down the one called Dave Katz and letting him compile an album with one of Lee Perry greatest successes - Junior Murvin. This edition of 'Police And Thieves' a 15 track set with a running time of over 70 minutes! A classic set made better, a rare event in any kind of music.

Jimmy London - A Little Love - Impact/VP Records - CD

Jimmy's got one of the unusual voices in reggae music, its got a country lilt to it, and that means songs that other artists would struggle with - sound so natural when Jimmy sings them. How many reggae versions have you heard of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Till I Kissed You' or 'Cathy's Clown' . And thanks to some rough and tough Randy's rhythms they are given a real reggae feel, not some kind of pop reggae ting, that is so common today. OK this set came out a long time ago - but it was good then, and as just got better.

Jackie Brown - I Still Love You - ERC - CD

Some people have trouble with the many vocal styles is reggae music. It took me a long time to appreciate Horace Andy, and I do have to try very hard with Beres. Anyways when Beres was still singing soul - all this was mentioned to Penny Reel - a man with an almighty record collection and a deep interest in reggae vocal style. He began to play me a wide selection of his favourties - Jackie Brown made the biggest impact and years later Penny placed on tape two of Jackie's lps. One for Harry J, and one for Prince Tony. It would be good to see either or both on CD, but in the meantime check this one out. Produced by Joe Gibbs and Sidney Crooks at Joe Gibbs with a wide range of musicians. The rhythms are pure digital, but the singing and songs are pure Jackie Brown and (Copyright Control)!. Its great stuff, and I'm sure Penny Reel would agree with that.

Live

Went as a last minute thing, but thank goodness I did!! This event was held at the Straford Rex in London, a really massive venue, seems to be a converted church or something similar, so that's an idea of the size... When I went at 2.30am, the place was nicely filled, not packed so much you had no space, but not empty either... There was some early juggling, not sure by who, but the vibe was good when I got in...Bashment girls in revealing outfits with flowing weaves were mingling with dreads with flowing locks, but everyone seemed to be getting on just fine!

Lecturer started off the show with a fairly good performance, but I was disappointed by the fact he didn't include his old hit 'Punany Too Sweet'...He performed for about 20-25 minutes which was the time slot allotted to each perfomer apparently. He was then followed by what I assumed was a comedy act, a weirdly attired man in a silver and purple jumpsuit who climed up onto the speakers and such like.Some people seemed to find him amusing..

Courtney Melody was next to take centre stage, he was well recieved and did a really good set. Then in came the Big Belly Man, Admiral Bailey who did a fanastic performance, including some of his bect know hits, 'Two Year Old', 'One Scotch' and 'Jump Up'.... He poked fun at the outpouring of new dances and offered one of his own which he claimed to have picked up in Japan, the 'Samurai' which had the crowd in stitches..He had the crowd eating out of his hands with his redition of 'No Wen Nuh Betta Dan Yard'. He well over-stayed his 25 minute slot, but the crowd were still begging for more when he left... A truly great performance.

Then, in came the man perhaps a good half of the crowd had been waiting for, for the first time in seven years in London I believe, Charlie Chaplin... He sang and then started 'teaching' the audience, hitting out against the uprise of homosexuality and also commented on the sins of taking your own life...He did a spoof of Elephant's Man 'Pon Di Riva' had the whole place in an uproar, showing that the Principal is still going strong.

When he left after 25 minutes, we felt cheated almost, was a good performance but definitely not enough... In came Pinchers who did a fairly good set, complete with a cowboy costume and matching hat, which he soon disposed of, appearing in a number of different outfits. Chaplin I must admit was a hard act to follow and really Pinchers didn't seem able to carry the vibe, apart from the front section of the crowd, he didn't seem to be holding the audiences attention.

Nuts was next, and had the crowd eating out of his hands...He hasn't lost any of the sparkle that makes him Jamaica's top comic DJ..He did a fastastic rendition of an old-time favorite 'Big John' which had the audience doubling up with laughter...He did not disappoint and was the icing on the cake to finish off what was a fantastic night which delivered all it promised and also was completely trouble-free.

Miss Mention

Roman Stewart

Roman Stewart, the brother of famed international Jamaican reggae singer Tinga Stewart, died of an apparant heart attack yesterday after performing live on stage, on the same bill with Freddie McGregor, at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn New York Saturday. Based on information from early reports, Roman, aged 44 was on stage performing and felt ill. He came off stage and was given water for refreshment. Unfortunately, the ill-feeling didn’t cease and he went home. As his condition worsened, he was rushed to a hospital on Long Island where his condition further deteriorated. Doctors said that he succumbed to a heart attack after a 12-hour battle to stay alive. Roman who worked with most of the big reggae producers had a number of big hits - including 'Rice And Peas', 'Herbalist' 'Natty Sing Hit Songs", "We Jamaican" and "Live and Learn." - Source - jamtalk.com

Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide www.reggaeambassadors.org

For Immediate Release...

RAW Founder Papa Pilgrim Passes Salt Lake City, UT - October 13, 2003 - -

Papa Pilgrim, co-founder of Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide (RAW), passed away on October 5th, in Aberdeen, Scotland, while traveling with his life partner, Wendi Watson. He suffered a massive stroke due to a blood clot in the brain on October 2, and passed away in the hospital in Aberdeen.

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Pilgrim was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He traveled extensively throughout the Far East, courtesy of a 20-year association with the American military establishment, and he had an even longer affiliation with the State of Utah as a clinical social worker. Still employed by the State of Utah in January 2003, he investigated elder abuse.

Pilgrim's interest in Reggae music began shortly after he moved into the neighborhood of "a long-haired hippie." Attracted by the heartbeat of "that weird music," he soon found himself singing along to the sounds of 10CC's "Dreadlock Holiday." Shortly thereafter, Pilgrim purchased his first album, Peter Tosh's Legalize It. Thus began a heartfelt linkage to - and a lifetime love for - the musical art form of Reggae music, which he said he knew was "divinely inspired."

Pilgrim's writing about Reggae music began even more serendipitously. A chance remark to The Beat's publisher that he was on the way to Jamaica to attend Sunsplash '89 was met with a request that he "cover" Sunsplash for the magazine. Since 1989, articles and features by Pilgrim were published extensively in Reggae Report, The Beat and CD Review and, to a lesser extent, in the Reggae Festival Guide, Jamaica Times, and Reggae World (of Malta). His column, aptly named "Pilgrim's Perspective," featured the words and sounds of independent artists and appeared regularly in Dub Missive Magazine. Pilgrim was always quick to tell people that he was not in the "business" of Reggae music; he neither promoted concerts nor produced or managed artists, and with very few exceptions, received any remuneration for writing about Reggae music and its makers.

From 1985 to 2000, Pilgrim hosted "Nite Roots," a weekly Reggae radio show on KRCL (90.9 FM) in Salt Lake City, featuring independent artists and labels. Pilgrim said, "Every week on the radio, I say that, no matter how large one's Reggae collection might be - nor how long one has been listening to Reggae music - I guarantee that you will hear at least one song you've never heard before. And, more than likely, the song will be by an artist you've never heard before."

A man of faith and culture, Pilgrim believed that Reggae music plays an instrumental part teaching us to save our planet and truly live together peacefully as one. That knowledge provided Pilgrim with the impetus and motivation to organize Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide (RAW) in December 1992. Pilgrim retired from active leadership of Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide in 1999, and limited writing about Reggae music to an "as requested" basis. -- more -- Pilgrim's interest in travel never decreased. In 2002, he spent a month in Scotland and Ireland, and took a month long, 10,000 mile Discover America tour ending in Newfoundland. His final trip abroad, his fifth, had been planned as a month in the Scottish Highlands. According to his wishes, Papa Pilgrim was cremated and his ashes will be spread in a private place. He did not want a memorial service or flowers.

Tom Pearson, RAW #33 and RAW's Executive Director, requests that "all of us in RAW re-confirm our livication to Reggae music, the music Papa Pilgrim found so inspiring. I think the greatest memorial we could create would be to make Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide a living testament to the vision of this humble giant." Reggae music was the background music of Papa Pilgrim's life. In January, he was quoted as saying, "I cannot imagine a day without the 'one drop' in my head." Papa Pilgrim goes forward, before, now and always, trodding in Jah's Holy Light. # # # # # For e-mail interviews with Tom Pearson, RAW #33, Executive Director of RAW, please contact: Nancy Lewis, RAW #72 RAW Board of Directors Telephone: 352.334.0866 (Monday - Friday 9AM-4PM) E-mail: nanlewis@bellsouth.net

Ken Khouri

PIONEER Jamaican record producer, Ken Khouri died early Saturday morning at age 86. . Khouri was recently named, by the Institute of Jamaica, as an awardee for the Musgrave Medal for his contribution to the music industry. Born Kenneth Lloyd Khouri in 1917 in the parish of St Catherine, he is credited for establishing Jamaica's first recording facility called Federal Recording Studio, now Tuff Gong, at 220 Marcus Garvey Drive .The entire recording industry in Jamaica owes a lot to him. With a simple cutting machine and a visionhe started the development of the music industry in Jamaica. Ken moved from recording simple birthday function, to the start of recording artistes of mento music. Khouri retired in the 1980s.