Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Articles "Action Claw vs. Gorilla Grip"

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Detroit's mid-to-late '90s ska-jazz greats The Articles--who were often favorably compared to The Skatalites, Jump With Joey, and NY Ska Jazz Ensemble--released their debut album Flip F'Real in 1997 on Moon Ska, which was produced by Victor Rice and featured a mix of fantastic original instrumentals and covers of tunes by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson, Laurel Aitken, and The Skatalites. [Full disclosure: I had the great pleasure of working with The Articles when I was at Moon.] Tower Records Pulse! reviewer Norman Weinstein gave it four and a half stars and ranked it as the #1 reggae release of '97. While the band appeared on many comps (including Skarmageddon 3, Love and Affection, and the Bang movie soundtrack--all on Moon), they didn't get a chance to release a follow-up album before the bottom fell out on the US ska scene and Moon shuttered its doors at the end of that wild decade.

Unbeknownst to many, The Articles recorded their sophomore album in 2001 with Joe Ferry (he produced two mid-'90s albums for The Skatalites: Hi-Bop Ska and Greetings from Skamania), but the project was mysteriously shelved after completion. That is, until now. After 20 long years, The Articles have liberated their second album from the archives and unleashed the extraordinary Action Claw vs. Gorilla Grip (digital, self-released; limited-edition cassette, Jump Up Records, 2021) on an unsuspecting world. Action Claw vs. Gorilla Grip is full of superb originals and impeccable performances all around, though it's heavily tilted toward the jazz side of the ska-jazz equation (and may remind one of when Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra is in their big band/AM pop radio mode). Having said that, there are a good number of ska-ish songs, including the magnificent "Sophist" (which has a great liturgical-sounding organ intro), "Frantic," the slinky, reggae-ish "Jetta Girl,""Hand Me Down" (so cheery as it struts its stuff), "Hard To Get," and the wonderfully epic (and slightly menacing) "Slip'n'Slide." All in all, a wildly impressive album (which would be great to have on vinyl some day...).

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Maroon Town, Tom Zé & Joey Altruda!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

It's a shame that we haven't seen much recorded output from Maroon Town since their magnificent Freedom Call album in 2018 (read my review of it here). But it seems like a new and growing collaboration with producer/musician Neil Anderson of Original Gravity Records may be changing all that. This past October, the band issued a killer remix by Anderson of "Bullit" from their Urban Myths LP (read my review of it here) retitled "Bullit (Proof Mix)."  Their latest release is a wonderfully bright and joyful rocksteady instrumental tribute to South African jazz trumpeter and long-time anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela titled "Maskela Skank" (Digital, self-released, 2021) that has light touches of Highlife and echoes of Desmond Dekker and the Aces' "Pretty Africa." Here's hoping there's more of where that came from--it's superb--and that some of these cuts receive a physical release (maybe Anderson could issue some of this on Original Gravity?). Also, if you've never heard their deadly cool cover of Prince Buster's "City Riot" produced by The Specials' John Bradbury and released back in 1987 (I still have my 45!), do yourself a favor and check it out on the Maroon Town Bandcamp page. (Fun ska factoid: The Scofflaws covered Masekela's "Grazin' in the Grass" on their Ska in Hi-Fi album back in 1995.)

While he's been busy working in other genres as of late, Joey Altruda hasn't been doing much in the ska realm since his extraordinary run with Jump with Joey (with partner in crime Willie McNeil) back in the 1990s (for you nitpickers out there, he did perform on Western Standard Time's Big Band Tribute to The Skatalites back in 2012). If you don't already have them, the albums Ska-Ba, Generations United (my fave!), and Strictly for You, Volume 2 are essential trad ska-jazz-Latin listening (and are painfully overdue to be issued on vinyl). So, it's fantastic to find the new single from Altruda firmly in ska territory, even if it's a bit of a detour through Brazil! "A Babá Ska" b/w "A Babá Dub" (Digital, Avocaudio, 2021; 7" vinyl single TK--though you have to sign up on the waiting list to get a copy) are versions of Brazilian Tropicália musician/singer Tom Zé's 1972 song, which translates from the original Portuguese as either "The Nanny" or "The Babysitter." The original was released during Brazil's long military dictatorship (1964-1985) and utilizes a children's nursery rhyme form and cartoon film references ("Rockefeller accused Snow White/The dwarfs split/Three yes and three no/But one died of fright/And asked, 'who is, who is'?") to mock/criticize the powers that be ("Who is making nightmares at the head [end or turn] of the century?/Who is putting lice on the head of the century?"). Altruda, who has collaborated with other Brazilian musicians like Seu Jorge, was able to persuade Zé to cut new vocal and guitar tracks for his ska version (interestingly, Zé was unfamiliar with the genre) and the results are pretty spectacular. These tracks feature Roger Rivas (Aggrolites) on organ and piano, Oliver Charles (Ocean 11) on drums, Artie Webb (Tito Puente) on flute, Marlone Sette (Jorge Benjor), and Altruda on bass and production. Everything was expertly mixed by Victor Rice down at his studio in São Paulo. According to Altruda, 100% of the sales of the digital single go to Tom Zé, and this is the first of several more hoped-for collaborations with Brazilian musicians. All I can say is please keep 'em coming! 

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Jah Jazz Orchestra "Introducing Jah Jazz Orchestra"

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Comprised mainly of Swiss and French jazz musicians with a serious love of '60s-era Jamaican music, Jah Jazz Orchestra is a superb ensemble that is as equally comfortable playing ska, rocksteady, and reggae as they are jazz. Their Introducing Jah Jazz Orchestra (Vinyl LP/CD/digital, Brixton Records, 2020; available in the USA through Jump Up Records) is a magnificent debut, warmly and vibrantly recorded, and full of both '60s JA ska classics and well-chosen American jazz standards. Jah Jazz Orchestra's musicianship is off the charts (they make it all seem so effortless) and their improvisational skills are formidable. They're easily in the same league as Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (when TSPO is in a ska-jazz mood), Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra, NY Ska Jazz Ensemble, and Jump With Joey. Introducing Jah Jazz Orchestra opens with a terrific version of The Skatalites' "Ska La Parisienne" (which I was first introduced to back around 1989 at a Scofflaws gig)--and they also cover Lloyd Knibb's "King Solomon." Other highlights are a knockout take on Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus," which is full-on jazz in its first several measures, until the rocksteady rhythm section kicks in, and the tune's incredible melody is explored by a variety of instruments. Dizzie Gillespie's pioneering Afro-Cuban jazz cut "Manteca" (co-written with Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller) is repurposed as "Manteska" and transformed into a breakneck speed ska track that keeps the original's wonderful shifts to jazz-lounge--of course, TSPO also recorded this for their live 2006 album Gunslingers (it's right up their alley). Jah Jazz Orchestra also cover Gillespie's "Tin Tin Deo" (composed by Chano Pozo and Gil Fuller), which I was first introduced to by TSPO (for better or worse, most of my knowledge of jazz standards has come through ska). Duke Ellington's "The Mystery Song" is recast as a fantastically slinky and sophisticated reggae-jazz cut. One of the most radical reimaginings is Jah Jazz Orchestra's cover of Fats Waller's "St. Louis Shuffle" (renamed "St. Louis Skank"), which they've turned into a sprightly skinhead reggae instrumental that would've made Jackie Mittoo proud. Without a doubt, this is one of the best ska records of 2020--one that I'll be revisiting many, many times.

Duff Review: Brixton Sounds "Sonidos de Brixton" b/w "Me Perdi"

Steady Beat Recordings
7" vinyl single/digital
2020

(Review by Steve Shafer)

This stellar new single from Oaxaca, Mexico's Brixton Sounds contains two original tracks of '60s ska and Jamaican jazz with hints of cool jazz, bossa nova, and samba--all impeccably performed and produced--and will remind one of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Jump with Joey, and the originators, The Skatalites. A theme song of sorts, "Sonidos de Brixton" is an elegant, almost cinematic instrumental with a lovely melody in the repeated chorus, while the moody "Me Perdi" ("I Got Lost") features the gorgeous and expressive vocals of Alondra Hernández. It doesn't get much better than this.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Ska Jazz Messengers "Introspección"

Liquidador Music
LP/digital
2020

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Even though their home country has been in the midst of economic collapse, political chaos, and social unrest (and, no, I'm not referring to the United States here), Venezuela's Ska Jazz Messengers led by Rafel Frías have managed to pull off a minor miracle with the release of their debut album Introspección--an impeccably produced record filled with gorgeous and superbly crafted ska-jazz tracks.

Many of the songs on Introspección are in an elegant Skatalites/Jamaican jazz vein--see the magnificent "Tunja" mixed by Victor Rice; The Mighty Vikings' cover "Up and Down" with Jump with Joey's Joey Altruda on guitar and double bass; their single "Mil Veces No" (which we reviewed previously); and "Asian Moon" with Desorden Publico's Horatio Blanco on vocals and guitar, and Ego-Wrappin's Takeshima Satoru on alto sax. Others veer into the sophisticated jazz-pop-reggae that Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra does so well, such as the lush, bossa nova-tinged "Una Hermosa Noche" and moody "Bajo la Lluvia" (both with famed Japanese reggae keyboardist Hakase-Sun); the sultry "Cuando te Miro" (which incorporates a bit of Roberta Flack's "Where is the Love?"), and the hopful and ethereal "Al Mundo Recrear" ("Recreate the World")--both showcase SJM's Ruthsy Fuentes' wonderful vocals; and a jaunty version of Emerson Kitamura's "Dokoyukuno" with Kitamura also on organ. Following the mad success of their cover of Pharell William's "Happy," Ska Jazz Messengers tackle another chart-topping hit with their winning version of Bruno Mars and CeeLo Green's "Forget You," which is recast as the pop-jazz-reggae "Sigueme" ("Follow Me"). But the best cover on the album is their take on Carole King's '70 soft rock smash "It's Too Late" with The Delirians' Angel Salgado on vocals--it's absolutely phenomenal.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Catbite, King Zepha, and The Mad Geezers!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Catbite "Amphetamine Delight" (7" square yellow flexi disc, Bad Time Records, 2019): While awaiting delivery of my mail-ordered copy of their debut album, I received a free copy of Catbite's sweet flexi disc single with another LP I bought (the ACLU-benefit Bad Time Records compilation album The Shape of Ska Punk to Come, to be reviewed soon). Ostensibly about the joys of doing speed (though maybe obliquely it's about the high that comes from being with that special someone?), this wonderfully catchy jolt of ska, pop-punk, power-pop, and rockabilly is completely winning (among their influences they list The Specials, The Exploding Hearts, The Undertones, and Chuck Berry--all of whom you can hear in this track). Props to the label for this cool old-school promo item and to Philly's Catbite for knocking it out of the park with this song.

King Zepha King Zepha's Northern Sound (CD/digital/LP, Happy People Records, 2019): As the title of this album infers, King Zepha's Northern Sound is vintage ska imbued with 1960s American rhythm and blues (see their fantastic cover of Doris Troy's "Just One Look"--which is instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the '70s, as this was all over AM radio, in TV ads, and featured on multiple K-Tel comps), along with hearty helpings of '50s rock, big band, Henry Mancini or Neal Hefti-like movie music, and dashes of reggae and dub (fans of Laurel Aitken, The Trojans, Jump with Joey, and Dr. Ring Ding will love this record). All of the tracks are brilliantly heavy on stick-in-your-head melodies and the band (King Zepha on lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, organ, percussion, tenor and baritone saxes, Joe Love on drums, Adam Richards on double bass, Chris Lloyd on piano, Ric Colley on backing vocals and lead vocals on "Just One Look," Sonny Thornton on backing vocals, Stuart MacDonald on alto sax, Jack Davis on trumpet, Stuart Garside on trombone, Jon Burr on harmonica solos, Al MacSween on organ solos, and George Birkett on guitar solos) is incredibly versatile within this compelling mix of musical genres.

While their music mines retro sounds from yesteryear, the topics of King Zepha's songs address some of today's madness. "Bottom of the Pile" is an anthem of solidarity among the working class, as well as a critique of free market capitalism ("We welcome one and all/Together in this hall/There's room for everyone/Together we are strong/Stick together, all the rank and file/It's fine at the bottom of the pile/It's lonely at the top/But there's a bigger drop/To get there one must climb/On those they've left behind"). In what is clearly pointed commentary on Rupert Murdoch-like right-wing tabloids and their slimy ilk and how they've been weaponized (and not aimed at papers striving to sort out and convey the truth), "Shoot the Messenger" advocates the boycott of the conservative echo-chamber media: "They pit the labourer against the foreigner/They call a traveller a lazy scavenger/They use the newspaper to stir up hate in you/We need a takeover, let's shoot the messenger/Propaganda, fabricated facts/Leading weapons of the ruling class/Just as deadly as a poison gas/So, shoot the messenger."

The completely epic "Mother of All Hangovers" should be your go-to song whenever you find yourself in this inevitably regretful/hellish state. "Let Your Hair Down" is a lovely plea for a good deal more more than the proverbial lowering of one's locks, while "You Let Yourself Go" admonishes the aging rude boy for going to seed, both physically and fashion-wise ("You used to be lean, mean and very, very clean/Now you're chubbier and grubbier than others on the scene"). King Zepha offer their own (not John Holt's) Middle Eastern-tinged ska take on the Ali Baba/"Arabian Nights" myth (which is accompanied by its dub version "Dubfart"). And there are also instrumentals on hand: the swinging jazz of "Tin Man" and the contemplative "Catalunya" (dedicated to that breakaway province from Spain). The album closes with "Grass is Greener," a sweet fantasy (?) about shedding one's dreary, soul-deadening, day-to-day life and going on holiday for good ("Days are longer and the beer is stronger/And the locals are a scream/By the sea, as he escapes reality/Our boy's the cat that finally got the cream"). All in all, this is a tremendously good record that is destined to become a classic of whatever we're labeling this current era of ska.

The Mad Geezers "The Donkey" b/w "The Snake Charmer" (7" vinyl single/digital, Swing-A-Ling/Names You Can Trust, 2019): At first glance, this band of insanely good Los Angeles-based musicians (Oliver Charles on drums, Jason Yates on organ, Dan Ubick on guitar and percussion, and Dave Wilder on bass) have seemingly come out of nowhere to deliver this incredible single. But when you find out that they've worked with De La Soul, Hollie Cook, The Heptones, and The Lions in particular, you realize why they're so far ahead of the pack from the get-go. While The Mad Geezers are heavily influenced by Jackie Mittoo in his brilliant prime--you'd swear that the Geezers' funky reggae cut "The Donkey" was off Showcase--the Lions connection is what makes complete sense (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of their extraordinary 2015 LP Soul Riot). There's a mastery of, and reverence for, reggae and all of the black American music that helped create and shape it over the years--all of which is so clearly evident in The Lions' music. While "The Donkey" is keyboard-centric, "The Snake Charmer" is an hypnotic and loping bass-driven reggae skank, perfect for dancing in the wee hours after partaking in whatever makes your cares temporarily slip away--but beware, the low-end on this track is so heart-thuddingly deep that it just might blow out your speakers if played at top volume.

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Duff Review: V/A "Recutting the Crap, Volume 2" and "The Future Was Unwritten" (RSD 2018 Release)

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Editor's note: Before delving into my review of "Recutting the Crap, Volume 2" and its companion piece "The Future Was Unwritten," a read through of The Duff Guide to Ska write up of last year's "Recutting the Crap, Volume 1" is in order, as it provides vital background and context for these releases...

Various Artists, Recutting the Crap, Volume 1 (Heavyweight vinyl LP, Crooked Beat Records, 2017): I first heard The Clash's Cut the Crap back in 1985 after devouring Big Audio Dynamite's This is Big Audio Dynamite (both were released within months of each other) and was profoundly disappointed to find that while Jones and company had taken the Sandinista and Combat Rock musical gumbo (punk, hip-hop, dance rock, reggae/dub) to the next evolutionary level, Strummer had made u-turn back toward 1977 punk (at manager Bernie Rhodes' urging), but had been t-boned by Rhodes' god-awful musical direction/production (replete with session musicians, synthesizers, programmed drums, and football terrace-like shouted choruses) and several profound life experiences Joe was dealing with at the time that distracted him from the task at hand (the deaths of both of his parents and the birth of his first child). History has not been kind to Cut the Crap (generally it's not considered canonical by fans and band members alike), but in many cases the acts on Recutting the Crap have revealed in their versions that there were some seriously decent-to-great songs buried under Rhodes' dreck--Strummer's tunes were solid at the core. The Scotch Bonnets' terrific, stripped-down reggae take on the anti-nuclear war cut "Are You Red...Y" alone is worth the cost of this LP. Other notable tracks (all from DC-area bands, where Crooked Beat Records--named after that Sandinista track--is based) include The Violets' ska-ified "Cool Under Heat," Dom Casual's ska-jazz-punkabilly "Sex Mad Roar," Basnji's "Dirty Punk" is loads more faithful to the Clash's '77 sound than the original (Too Much Joy's version of the cringe-y "We Are The Clash" is a valiant effort in this category, too), and Winterdrinks' "Play to Win" sounds like a deep cut from Sandinista. There are even a few covers of demos for Cut the Crap (which was originally titled Out of Control before Rhodes unilaterally renamed it)--I particularly liked Sussed Out with Sol Roots' raucous cover of "Backwoods Drive." A second volume of Recutting the Crap is slated for 2018, which presumably will include the last good and legit Clash single, "This Is England."

Various Artists, Recutting the Crap, Volume 2 and The Future Was Unwritten (2 x heavyweight, color vinyl LPs, Crooked Beat Records, 2018): Volume 2 continues to mine/reclaim the post-Mick Jones/Topper Headon Clash legacy (namely, the Out of Control demo and Cut the Crap album), while The Future Was Unwritten explores the "would have been Clash songs" had things worked out differently--the Strummer/Jones collaborations on Big Audio Dynamite's No. 10, Upping Street, as well as several Strummer cuts written for several film soundtracks in the late 1980s.

The original intent of The Clash Mark II (Strummer, Paul Simonon, Nick Sheppard, Vince White, and Pete Howard) was to revert to a back-to-basics '77 punk sound (unfortunately shedding much of the reggae influence in the process)--as evident on their 1983 Out of Control demo and 1984 tour--and had Clash manager Bernie Rhodes not perverted it all (and instead paired the band with the right producer in the studio, instead of doing an atrocious job himself), the final Clash album might have been pretty damn good.

All of the DC bands on Recutting the Crap, Volume 2 further strengthen this series' case that Strummer could still deliver the goods. Highlights inspired by the Out of Control demo include Indio Bravo's four-on-the-floor, straight-up rock take on "In the Pouring Rain" (a great live version of the original from 1984 can be found on the Julien Temple documentary The Future is Unwritten soundtrack); Space Giants' fantastically rollicking "Rock n Roll City"; Tall Ship's brash, punker-than-the-original "Glue Zombie"; and The Delarcos' nice rockabilly-ish take on "Jericho" (also known as "Ammunition"). Other notable Clash II-era cuts versioned here are Geisha Hit Squad's excellent XTC-sounding "Shouting Street" (eventually released on Strummer's disappointingly meh Earthquake Weather); Ignore Alien Orders' awesome sound collage using Strummer's pre-Clash nickname "Woody," as in Guthrie, for its title (with snippets of The Clash II playing "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" and "White Riot" while busking, a bit of "Street Parade" from Sandinista, Strummer from his show on the BBC World Service, and more); Daly Combat (one of Crooked Beat owner Bill Daly's two bands here) does a bang-up job on this superb reggae instrumental cut "Astroturf" (from a Jones/Headon demo, naturally); and Basenji's faithfully ace, but somewhat muted (appropriate, given the economic inequality of our times) "Bottom Line" (which Mick Jones had been working on as a Clash tune when he was fired from the band). Silveradio transforms the Cut the Crap opener "Dictator" into a much better ska-rockabilly track and, in what may be the best cover on the album, Insurgence DC (the other Bill Daly band) unleashes a phenomenally powerful and majestic "This Is England," a truly great Clash song made even better here--whose lyrics still pack a wallop:

"I hear a gang fight on a human factory farm
Are they howling out, or doing somebody harm?
On a catwalk jungle, somebody grabbed my arm
A voice spoke so cold, it matched the weapon in her palm

This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel

Time on his hands, the freezing mohawk strolls
He won't go for the carrots
Been beaten by the pole
Some sunny day confronted by his soul
His eye will see how fast you can grow old

This is England
That I'm supposed to die for
This is England
Never gonna cry no more

Black shadow of the Vincent
Falls on a Triumph line
I got my motorcycle jacket
But I'm walking all the time
South Atlantic wind blows
Ice from a dying creed
I see no glory
And when will we get free?

This is England
We can chain you to the rail
This is England
We can kill you in a jail

Hey, British boots go kick Bengali in the head
Police sit watching
The newspapers being read
All deaf to protests
And after the attacker fled
Out came the batons and
The biggest one then said...

This is England
The land of illegal dances
This is England
Land of one thousand stances
This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel"

Strummer's and Jones' post-Clash songs from the late '80s are (unsurprisingly) looser and freer, as they no longer felt confined/burdened by the mantle and mass of conflicting ideals and expectations that defined The Clash (and, obviously, gave them the space to collaborate again, whenever the mood or Muse struck)--but a lot of them could have been combined to make a great Clash album, had Strummer, Jones, Simonon, and Headon reunited (as The Future Was Unwritten posits). Too Much Joy serve up a stellar hard-edged and ballsy "Trash City" (from the soundtrack to "Permanent Record"; this band, Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, featured Joey Altruda and Willie MacNeil from Jump with Joey!); it's hard to imagine that this was a Strummer/Jones outtake from BAD's No. 10, Upping Street, but "Dog in a Satellite" (apparently inspired by The Mighty Sparrow's "Russian Satellite") as interpreted by Don Zientara becomes a lovely, heartfelt rock ballad (really!); and "Euroshima," an eerie, nuclear dread 1983 Mick Jones song for Top Risk Action Company (T.R.A.C.), his pre-BAD band with Topper Headon and Leo Williams from Basement 5, sounds kind of gothy (like latter-day Damned) in Sunshine Feels' cool version. Daly Combat's "Love Kills" (Strummer's title track for the Alex Cox film "Sid and Nancy"; Jones played guitar on the original recording) packs even more crunch than the source; Winterdrinks turn "Dum Dum Dub" ("Dum Dum Club," also from "Sid and Nancy") into intriguingly good, X-sounding reggae-punk; and El Quatro successfully rework the Strummer/Jones BAD track "Sightsee MC" into an amazing cover The Plugz or Circle Jerks might have done (and it's got a great Western reggae break in there, too).

Both volumes of Crooked Beat Records' Recutting the Crap strive hard and largely succeed in redeeming Strummer's Clash II legacy (and all of those lost years in the wilderness before finding his mojo again with the Mescaleros). Fans of The Only Band That Matters will find a lot to like here and can rest easy in knowing that these bands have done Joe proud.

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Legendary Ska/Reggae Trombonist Rico Rodriguez Passes Away at Age 80

(Appreciation by Steve Shafer)

Ska/reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez, best known for his work as a member of The Specials and The Special AKA, passed away on September 4, 2015 in England at age 80. Trojan Records has posted an excellent overview of his career, which can--and should be--read here.

Rico's story is the story of ska and reggae--from the R and B-infused early ska singles of the late 50s onward. Name an essential recording, say Theophilus Beckford's "Easy Snapping," Dandy Livingston's "Rudy, A Message To You" (and a certain 2 Tone band's 1979 cover of it), The Specials' "Ghost Town," or your favorite ska or reggae artists--and Rico has played on it or for them. His long list of collaborations with musicians and producers includes Laurel Aitken, Roland Alphonso, The Blues Busters, Clue J and His Blues Blasters, Don Drummond, Clancy Eccles, Vincent Chin, Prince Buster, Coxsone Dodd, Lloyd Daley, Bunny Lee, Graeme Goodall, Sonny Roberts, Derrick Morgan, Duke Reid, Justin Hinds, The Folkes Brothers, Count Ossie, Max Romeo, Joe Mansano, Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sly and Robbie, The Selecter (on "Carry Go Bring Come"), Dennis Bovell, Cedric Myton and The Congos, Mikey Dread, Bad Manners, Mad Professor, Gaz Mayall's Trojans, Jump With Joey, Pama International, and many more. (Check out this Rico discography, which--lengthy as it is--probably has significant gaps in it!)

Rico was also in great demand as a session man for many non-ska/reggae artists, including Georgie Fame, Kirsty MacColl, Super Furry Animals, Ray Davies, Jools Holland, Ian Dury, Paul Young, The Members ("Offshore Banking Business"), Joan Armatrading, Ocean Colour Scene, and others.

Like thousands of ska fans, I was introduced to Rico through his extraordinary performances with The Specials and The Special AKA, which were essential to their sound and success. Indeed, what would "Nite Klub," "Do Nothing," "Man at C and A," "Ghost Town," "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend," "Racist Friend," "Nelson Mandela" (and their covers of "A Message to You, Rudy" and "Guns of Navarone") have been like without Rico's extremely warm, expressive, and meaningful playing? He was the 2 Tone era's premier trombonist and recognized/celebrated as such.

And his solo releases for 2 Tone (produced by Dick Cuthell and/or Jerry Dammers)--the albums That Man is Forward and Jama (read my appreciation of this record here), and singles "Jungle Music" and "Sea Cruise"--are all stellar (and are currently available on iTunes--though it would be great if whoever owns Chrysalis'/2 Tone's catalogue would issue these on CD!). Another phenomenal Rico release that can fairly easily be found is Wareika Dub (Ernie B's Reggae has the Island reissue in stock), which is the dub version of his 1977 Man from Wareika album.

Two of my many favorite Rico performances are on Prince Buster's (credited as Yusuf Ali and the Revolutionaries) "Uganda"--which is a version of Don Drummond's "Green Island"--and Laurel Aitken's "Daniel Saw the Stone."  Of course, this is brilliantly appropriate, as Don Drummond was Rico's mentor at the Alpha Boys School in JA and Rico frequently played on fellow Cuban-Jamaican Laurel Aitken's singles. One can only hope that the great and wonderful Rico Rodriguez is at peace, making incredibly joyful music with Drummond and Aitken in the great beyond.

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My sincere condolences go out to Rico Rodriguez's family, friends, and fellow musicians.

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Update (9/5/15): Make sure to read this amazing tribute to Rico by Jerry Dammers here.

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Duff Guide MOJO Watch: Glen Adams, Caribou Ska, Two Sevens Clash, and Laurel Aitken

The March 2011 issue of MOJO with Nirvana on the cover (hard to believe that all that grunge hoopla was 20 years ago--I was a young man with no big plans back then) has several items that will be of interest to ska and reggae fans.

Keyboardist Glen Adams' passing is noted in a detailed obituary by reggae expert Dave Katz (for instance, I now know that Adams worked with Jump with Joey, something that I don't think ever registered in my mind). Katz also reviews and raves about the latest re-issue compilation from Rock-A-Shacka, You'll Never Know: 18 Caribou Ska Selections (featuring early 60s ska cuts by Laurel Aitken, Rico, Lord Tanamo, Don Drummond and more, produced by Indian-Jamaican businessman Dada Tewari and released on his Caribou label).

Also in this issue, Ian Harrison brings our attention to the re-issue of Culture's apocalyptic Two Sevens Clash on vinyl (from VP Records), while the Laurel Aitken Everybody Ska! Rudi Got Married, 1980-1992 comp (Pressure Drop) receives a one-paragraph mention in the "Reissues Extra" section (though we think it deserves much more--check out the extensive Duff Guide to Ska review of Laurel's 2 Tone and early 3rd wave output here).

Duff Review: Across the Aisle-The Mercy EP

Across the Aisle
The Mercy EP
Self-released
2008

On The Mercy EP, NYC's Across the Aisle crank out loads of hooky, tart, and rambunctious ska-punk-pop in the vein of such 90s acts as Dance Hall Crashers and Save Ferris, but with Mighty Mighty Bosstones Devil's Night Out-type muscle and bite (pay close attention to the lyrics--the world according to ATA is quite bittersweet). Powerhouse singer Megg Howe has an extraordinary command of her rich alto voice and is more-than-ably backed by her musical cohorts on these four studio and four live cuts. "Better Off" is a gleeful kiss-off to obnoxious backbiters ("Thank you for leaving/we're so better off without you/Thank you for leaving/Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"), while a public break-up on the angrily catchy "59th & Lex" leaves the singer stunned, incredulous, and pissed-off in his wake. "Beer Song" is a ridiculously addictive, over-the-top ode to suds, which swipes part of the melody from "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves for its intro, and sports these great lyrics: "Rum and coke, whiskey on the rocks, don't give me Long Island iced tea--NO!/My liver needs a break/but I can't seem to shake my love for beer!" Special Brew indeed.

The live tracks prove that Across the Aisle is no studio creation--but a super-tight ska musical machine. The best of the lot is the noir-ish "Total Stranger," a deadly serious and slinky jazzy/punky/reggay number about a philandering musician on tour running through more groupies than towns and his very aware and wounded girlfriend hot on his trail ("And how's Miss Sunshine State?/Or the punk rock chick near the Michigan lakes?/Then there's goody two-shoes Seattle/All you do is kiss, but it gives your brass a rattle/Don't treat me like a groupie/Treat my heart with care/I might give it back to you, so don't you dare/Put my high heels on the line/It's such a stupid wager/You don't know her like me, she's a total stranger..."). And not a shred of self-pity is found in Megg's voice--knowledge is power and she's gonna use it.

The Mercy EP is one hell of an impressive debut--somebody should sign 'em to a label now!

The Duff Guide to Ska Grade: B+/A-