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Posts Tagged ‘Coxsone Dodd’

RIP, Cedric Brooks (May 3, 2013) Jamaican Saxophonist

Posted by themusicsover on May 3, 2013

Cedric Brooks
1943 – May 3, 2013

cedric-brooksCedric Brooks was a much respected and oft-recorded Jamaican saxophonist.  Barely in his teens when he first took up the clarinet, Brooks ultimately moved over to the flute and saxophone.  He played in a few local bands before getting his first taste of success as Im & David with trumpeter David Madden.  During then late ’6os, he and Madden recorded several singles for the great producer, Coxsone Dodd.  Over the next five decades, Brooks made numerous albums, either under his own name or with the Mystic Revolution of Rastafari, the Light of Saba, and the Skatalites.  He joined the Skatalites in 2000 and played on at least four of their albums.  Brooks also did plenty of session work throughout his career.  Cedric Brooks died following a cardiac arrest on May 3, 2013.  He was 70.

Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.

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Died On This Date (January 31, 2012) King Stitt / Legendary Jamaican DeeJay

Posted by themusicsover on January 31, 2012

King Stitt (Born Winston Spark)
September 17, 1940 – January 31, 2012

King Stitt was, until the time of his passing, recognized as Jamaica’s oldest living deejay.  Stitt’s career dated back to the mid ’50s when he began deejaying for the legendary Coxsone Dodd on his Sound System.  Before he knew it, Stitt was releasing such influential deejay tracks as “Lee Van Cleef,” “Dance Beat,” and “Fire Corner” with such producers as Clancy Eccles and of course, Dodd himself.  In recent years, Stitt was featured in the The Studio One Story documentary and the to-be-released Legends Of Ska concert doc.   King Stitt was 71 when he passed away on January 31, 2012.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Eric Foss at Secret Stash Records for the assist.

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King Stitt

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Died On This Date (November 23, 2011) Barry Llewellyn / Founder Of The Heptones

Posted by themusicsover on November 23, 2011

Barry Llewellyn
1947 – November 23, 2011

Barry Llewellyn was the co-founder of influential Jamaican reggae trio, the Heptones.  Formed with Earl Morgan while still teens during the late ’50s,  the vocal group, which soon included Leroy Sibbles, went on to record some of the most significant records in the reggae history.  They have been cited as being largely responsible for slowing the beat of ska down to the less energetic rocksteady, which in turn spawned reggae.  Their three-part harmonies can be heard on such records as “I’ve Got A Felling, “Suspicious Minds,”  “Get In The Groove”, and “Fatty Fatty,” which became their first hit on Jamaican radio.  Many of their early songs were recorded by the legendary Coxsone Dodd at his Studio One, while later albums were made for Island Records, including Night Food, which was produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry.  The group continued to tour and record throughout the ’70s, but had disbanded by the dawn of the 1980s.  The Heptones reunited in 1995 to help bolster a ska and rocksteady revival.  Barry Llewellyn, who was 64, passed away in a Kingston hospital on November 23, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.

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The Meaning of Life - Best of the Heptones (1966-1976) - The Heptones

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Died On This Date (May 12, 2011) Lloyd Knibb / Longtime Drummer For The Skatalites

Posted by themusicsover on May 12, 2011

Lloyd Knibb
March 8, 1931 – May 12, 2011

Lloyd Knibb is best remembered as the longtime drummer for influential Jamaican ska band, the Skatalites.  Helping to form the group in 1964, Knibb was their for the early development of ska, a form of Caribbean music that included elements of calypso, mento, American jazz, and R&B that was the foundation of reggae.  The Skatalites’ biggest hit was “Guns Of Navarone.”   Knibb began his career during the 1940s when he played in various Jamaican jazz bands. That lead to session work for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd and recordings for the likes of reggae pioneers, Duke Reid and Prince Buster.  He provided the back beat for the Skatalites from their inception in 1964 until their break up just a year later, and then from their much heralded 1983 reunion at Reggae Sunsplash until the time of his death.  He performed his last show with the band in April of 2011.  On May 12, 2011, Lloyd Knibb died of liver cancer.  He was 80.

Thanks to Eric Foss at Secret Stash Records for the assist.

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Died On This Date (July 10, 2010) Sugar Minott / Reggae Legend

Posted by themusicsover on July 10, 2010

Lincoln “Sugar” Minott
May 25, 1956 – July 10, 2010

Sugar Minott was a reggae pioneer who began his career during the late ’60s as a member of the African Brothers.  Their early recordings are noted to have shown the Rastafaris’ influence on the development of reggae music.  Minott soon went to work at Coxsone Dodd’s legendary Studio One as a back up musician, singer and overall apprentice, eventually branching out to make his first solo records there.  His recordings of the late ’70s and early ’80s are considered some of the biggest influences on reggae’s dancehall scene.  He also released several UK charting roots and lovers rock style records throughout the ’80s.  Meanwhile, Minott operated one of Jamaica’s most popular sound systems which was set up in public parks and afforded countless young reggae artists their first opportunities to perform in front of an audience.  He also produced records by the likes of Daddy Freddy, Horace Andy and Barrington Levy.  Others with which he collaborated were  Sly & Robbie and Mikey Dread, to name a couple.   Sugar Minott was 54 when he died in a Kingston hospital.  Cause of death was likely due to a heart conditioned he suffered from.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at number1albums

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Nice It Up - The Best of Sugar Minott - Sugar Minott

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