News & Updates — reggae

Dave Noonan's Green Island at the Root Cellar, Feb 4

Dave Noonan's Green Island at the Root Cellar, Feb 4

Good news! Dave Noonan's new island-jazz ensemble is playing their third ever concert this Saturday at The Root Cellar, our Greenfield MA home base venue. We had the group for their debut concert as part of our Peace & Rhythm Presents weekly series last summer/fall and the results, musically and crowd-wise, have been quite pleasing for the first two shows. This group is a collection of some of the finest musicians in the region and their blend of Ernest Ranglin-inspired jazz, Marvin Gaye-inspired soul and roots reggae is quite a flavorful recipe. This time out they present a special Bob...

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Dennis Brown / Feb 1, 1957 - July 1, 1999

Dennis Brown / Feb 1, 1957 - July 1, 1999

One of my favorite voices in reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown was hugely popular on the island of Jamaica and beyond. Starting as a "Boy Wonder", he was nationally known by the time he was 12. "Money In My Pocket" and "Westbound Train" were big hits in '72 and '73, before Brown finished college. In '75 he started his DEB label and in '76 recorded "Wolf & Leopard" with Lee Perry at the Black Ark. By the late '70s Brown was a big name in the UK. He sang lovers rock in his later years. One of my favorites, with Sly...

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King Tubby / Jan 28, 1941 - Feb 6, 1989

King Tubby / Jan 28, 1941 - Feb 6, 1989

Osbourne Ruddock aka "King Tubby" is the all-time Heavyweight Dub Champion. Where would contemporary music be without this man from the Kingston, Jamaica ghetto of Waterhouse? A radio repair man and electronics expert, Tubby built amplifiers and operated a sound-system starting in the late 50's. He invented the dub remix by dropping out vocals and instruments with his mixing board and adding effects (including his infamous spring reverb). These "versions" soon became their own artform in the hands of Tubby and his methods became known worldwide. His work is featured on hundreds of records and he was mentor to Scientist...

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Clement "Coxone" Dodd / Jan 26, 1932 - May 5, 2004

Clement "Coxone" Dodd / Jan 26, 1932 - May 5, 2004

Perhaps the single most important name in Jamaican music and one of the most important record producers the world over, Clement "Coxone" Dodd helped bring ska (and eventually reggae) to the world. Youthful visits to the US allowed him to hear and import new records to Jamaica for play on his sound-system. He started several labels, including the iconic Studio 1, which created the national music of ska. Bob Marley and Lee Perry were early employees and Studio 1 produced songs for virtually every Jamaican artist. Studio 1 stands as somewhat like a Jamaican equivalent to Motown, a black-owned success...

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