COMPOSERS: Ernest Ranglin
LABELS: Island Jamaica Jazz
WORKS: Below the Bassline
PERFORMER: Ernest Ranglin (g); Monty Alexander (p); Ira Coleman (b); Idris Mohammad (d); Gary Mayone (kbd, perc); Roland Alphonso (ts, ss)
CATALOGUE NO: IJCD 4002 (distr Polygram)
In the Sixties, jazz drew on the blues and sold a lot of records; in the Seventies the fusion of jazz and rock revitalised improvised music. In the Nineties, reggae is hip and all the young jazz players want a piece of it. But veteran guitarist Ernie Ranglin’s new disc sets the benchmark. The 64-year-old Jamaican has been immersed in both musics throughout his career, playing bebop, big band and reggae; the latter alongside the likes of Prince Buster and Bob Marley. These loping, bass-heavy arrangements of dread classics with a jazz swing create the perfect, bubbling-hot soundtrack for summer. Garry Booth.
Ernest Ranglin
In the Sixties, jazz drew on the blues and sold a lot of records; in the Seventies the fusion of jazz and rock revitalised improvised music. In the Nineties, reggae is hip and all the young jazz players want a piece of it. But veteran guitarist Ernie Ranglin’s new disc sets the benchmark. The 64-year-old Jamaican has been immersed in both musics throughout his career, playing bebop, big band and reggae; the latter alongside the likes of Prince Buster and Bob Marley.
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:06 pm