Fisherman Style
Congos
The Upsetters, Horace Andy, Big Youth, Luciano, Gregory Isaacs, U Roy
Producer: Lee "Scratch" Perry
Blood And Fire, 2006
2 CD
Catalogue #: 50
EAN: 0783564005024
UPC: 783564005024
You save: 20%
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
The Congos: Roydel "Ashanti" Johnson, Watty Burnett, Cedric Myton (vocals); Robert "Billy Boy" Johnson (guitar); Keith Sterling (piano); Winston Wright (organ); Geoffrey Chung (bass guitar); Paul Douglas (drums); Lee "Scratch" Perry, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion).
Additional personnel include: Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, Luciano, Sugar Minott, Big Youth.
Recording information: The Black Ark Studios, Kingston, Jamaica (1977).
Tracklist
Congos
Cedric Myton's unique falsetto in combination with the distinctive tenor of Roydel Johnson is "the heart of the Congos." Though the two made only one album together, it is among the greatest in reggae history. Gorgeous songs and inspired performances were magically layered by the hyper-inventive production skills of Lee Perry, and the result was the most completely successful of all the many great albums produced by the legendary "Scratch" at his Black Ark Studio. Myton went on to record with others as the Congos, and Johnson as Congo Ashanti Roy--notably with the U.K.-based On-U Sound collective.
Horace Andy
Although contemporary audiences may know his gorgeous trill from collaborations with Massive Attack in the 1990s, Horace Andy was a fixture on Jamaica's original reggae scene in the late '60s, recording with all the classic dub producers. His distinctively supple singing style influenced a generation of vocalists, even outside the scope of reggae. Many of his earliest recordings for Studio One, Trojan, and Wackies are now rarities, but thankfully much of his work--including his signature tune, "Skylarking," from 1972--has been anthologized many times over. As of the 2000s, Andy, relocated to the U.S., was still releasing original material.
Luciano
Known as "the Messenjah," Jamaican-born reggae star Luciano has been spreading the good word since the early 1990s. At a time when dancehall and other more secular strains of reggae were picking up steam, Luciano--a devout Rastafarian--embraced the deep spirituality and positivity of roots reggae, and this, along with his intelligent lyrics and warm, engaging vocal style, appealed to a wide international legion of fans. A byproduct of his faith and ebullience is a remarkable prolificacy--Luciano often releases up to three albums per year on various independent labels, at a fairly consistent level of quality.
Gregory Isaacs
One of the undisputed icons of roots reggae and lover's rock, Gregory Isaacs started singing in his trademark romantic ballad approach in the early 1970s. His smooth style earned him the moniker "Cool Ruler," and he became one of the most successful reggae artists in the world over the course of the '70s. By the mid-'80s, Isaacs was beset by personal and business problems, and even wound up in jail at one point. Though his output over the next couple of decades was not as consistent, he still provided plenty of evidence of his remarkable gift.
U Roy
U Roy, originally Ewart Beckford, is a groundbreaking figure in the evolution of reggae. He was among the first to introduce the phenomenon of toasting, whereby a DJ would rap over instrumental dub records. Toasting over the original dub plates of King Tubby and other pioneering dub producers in the late 1960s, he spawned a wave of disciples and made toasting a crucial part of reggae music. Throughout the '70s, U Roy was a hit machine, working with Bunny Lee and a host of other producers. Known as "the Originator," U Roy can lay claim to being a primary influence not only on the entire dancehall movement, but on hip-hop as well.
Related links:
CongosThe Upsetters
Horace Andy
Big Youth
Luciano
Gregory Isaacs
U Roy
Reggae
Blood And Fire
