Black History Month special on Roots Rock Rebel

Roots Rock Rebel Black History Month

Wednesday, February 11th, 200910pm-12am
CKUT, 90.3FM, Montreal!

Hello listeners,
Here is our latest batch - our Black History Month special on the show!

Wedevoted the two hours of this week's show to look at the key stylistic
moments in Jamaican popular music, spending a half hour each on ska,
rocksteady, reggae, and dub.


Also, there's a new RSS feed here at Music is our Occupation blog,
where you can download our shows directly ever week, plus stay abreast of
all the developments in ska and reggae music. Don't hesitate! Check it out
Subscribe now!

Tune in next week on the show for an interview with Stepper. They have a
new album out, and we'll be reviewing it and chatting with the band.
myspace.com/steppermusic

Until next week,
Stay rude, stay rebel,
RRR crew

Playlist - February 11th, 2009
To podcast or download the show visit here.

Prince Buster - Oh Carolina
The Skatalites - Ball of fire
The Skatalites - Fidel Castro
Derrick Morgan - Forward march
Jimmy Cliff - Miss Jamaica
Millie Small - My boy lollipop
BB Seaton - Power
Lord Tanamo - I'm in the mood for ska
Justin Hinds and the Dominoes - The higher the monkey climb
Rico Rodriguez - Oh Carolina
Alton Ellis - Rocksteady
Ken Parker - A change is gonna come
Slim Smith - Rougher yet
The Uniques - People rocksteady
Pauline Morgan and the Lovelets - Stop the wedding
Phyllis Dillon - Don't stay away
Derrick Morgan - Conquering ruler
Toots and the Maytals - Pressure drop
Marcia Griffiths - The first time I ever saw your face
Susan Cadogan - In the ghetto
John Holt - Reggae from the ghetto
Johnny Clarke - Crazy baldheads
Twinkle Brothers - Get behind me Satan
Peter Tosh - Arise black man
Greyhound - Black and white
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Lively up yourself
Count Matchukie and the Destroyers - Movements (the Joe Gibbs way)
I. Roy - Hot stuff
Michigan and Smiley - Rub a dub style
Prince Francis - Rock fort shock
King Tubby and the Roots Radics - King Tubby's explosion dub
King Tubby - Dub magnificent
U Roy - Dynamic fashion way
King Tubby - Roots of dub
Augustus Pablo - Kid ralph version
The Clash - Bank robber

 "Roots Rock Rebel"
Wednesdays, 10pm-midnight
CKUT, 90.3 FM, Montreal
Ska, punk, reggae got soul!
www.ckut.ca (for online streaming and archive downloads)
www.myspace.com/ckutrootsrockrebel

The Orobians "Come and Party With…(Anniversary Album)"

Redstar Records 2008

This 20 track compilation compiles 10 years of history for a band that dedicated themselves in capturing the sound of the 60's Jamaica. The Orobians come from Northern Italy but they capture the spirit and sound of a different place. Mixing in various styles with Jamaican ska such as jazz, rocksteady, mambo, etc. The Orobians have quite a story to tell and one that is documented quite well in the liner notes. Think of the album as a soundtrack of the band while you read about the various recordings and incarnations of the group. As most ska bands have a sorted history of people coming and going this group is no different. However many bands do not last for 10 years so there is much to celebrate about this anniversary.

I had a hard time writing this review because the amount of music is so vast on here. The CD booklet does a great job in telling their story from the band's own mouth. The music and the story revealed in the liner notes go hand in hand. The music and words both stand on their own but together is where they work well with one another. In todays music world many independent labels do not have the luxury to even include liner notes often you are lucky to get who played on the album and where it was recorded. One has to applaud The Orobians and Redstar records for putting this package together and making it bilingual as well .

It is difficult to review an album with 20 tracks. One has to say the band's ability to cover Jamaican music is impeccable and their covers of Skatalites sound authentic. "Christine Keeler" is one of my favorite Skatalites songs of all time. Also their cover of "Old Rocking Chair" by Jackie Opel is quite amazing. "Money Can't Buy Life" is another great tune. The album is split with instrumentals and vocal numbers. The ska/reggae feel almost gets lost on the opening tune which is a Strauss composition but Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop is given a proper treatment on "Bop Train." The singing on the album varies from male to female as does from English to Italian. The most powerful singer on the album for me is Decaro who the liner notes reference as just some ordinary guy that decides in his mid-30's he wants to sing in a ska band. And he does and fronts a band that had before just been instrumental, which I am sure was quite a transition.

Also one has to mention of "Love theme from 'Godfather" is really powerful it starts out with just a trumpet and then morphs into a masterpiece. The groups arrangements are often very jazzy and vocals even if present often take a back seat to the horns. The band is very horn driven but there is very highly crafted guitar work and keyboard throughout this collection. The rhythm is very authentic and the drummer and bass set the rhythm on all the songs. The drummer's constant one drop with the stand up bass gives it a Skatalites-esque appeal.

This is a very highly crafted collection of songs from a very skillful group. I did get lost a little in how massive the album is and how many different periods it covers. The album is arranged in a way the songs all mix together rather then being in a chronological order. I would have preferred a chronological order to hear how the band came to be in its various parts. But I would recommend this album for fans of traditional ska and also fans of New York Ska Jazz Ensemble this would be right up your alley.


For more info about buying this album go here...
www.theorobians.it
www.redstar73.com