AND IN THE BEGINNING...

Turn your history books back to the first page. Mento is the current rage. Independence is still being celebrated. A band of like minded JAZZ musicians start jamming together.  A conscious effort to create a brand new musical language is being made. Mento was basically Calypso spoken through Jamaican accents. How do ya change things up? Start messing with the foundation, the bass and drums. For this we have Lloyd Brevett and Lloyd Knibb to thank. This band called themselves the Skatalites. Most of the band were Alpha Boys School graduates. Blame the school for getting these boys hooked on music. Similar story take place almost six decades earlier down in NAWLIN'S with the COLORED WAIFS HOME. Among that school's "juvenile delinquents" was the musical prodigy, jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. 

The Skatalites were the house band for Coxson Dodd's Studio One. Jackie Mittoo was Studio One's resident musical arranger.

Problem is every member of this swinging SKA orchestra was the top boss of his instrument. Clashing egos and different directions splintered it's existence to the core in less than three measly years. Out of all this debris came the first bands to lay down the Riddims that still survive strong today. Bands like Soul Vendors or Tommy McCook and the Agrovators. 

Whether you actually enjoy the classic sounds of Reggae's golden past, or you just give that era big respect; once you develop a sweet spot for reggae music, you want to be in on all it's secrets. You want to know where this incredible music came from. Like every other art form that bubbled up out of the desperate underground to flow into ears of mass acceptance; Reggae has the most incredible cast of characters. Each with their own story on how Jamaica gave birth to this third world musical take-over. The contents of this record are valuable. Huge historical significance in these grooves. This music is steeped in soul. It's soaked in funky vibes and then run wild through the Jamaican music machine.

This record has that swinging sixties groove of peace, love and lets take the revolution to the streets man. Ya dig? 

There is some straight Jazz on this record that may scare the uninitiated. Remember..our beloved Reggae music began as a homegrown take on American big band swing jazz. So big horn sounds fill the empty spaces. Jackie plays inna way laid back heavy Hammond B organ groove. Witness his take on the Beatles Elenor Rigby. There is darkness to the tune. Gone is Ringo's conventional drums patterns. He gives it African roots. How? With NYAHBINGHI beats!

Jackie star rises somewhere between Jimmy "Back at the Chicken Shack" Smith and Billy Preston. And Jackie's musical contribution should be recognised way beyond that of just Reggae aficionados.