The Reggaestra

With this week's departure of another key figure in reggae's beginnings, Lee “Scratch” Perry, the circle of living originators is getting very small. The genre coalesced from its precursors in the mid-60s on that little Caribbean island and by the 70s, the rhythm had spread across the world. The biggest rock bands in the world were copping that offbeat accent and chilled-out rhythm. The Stones, The Clash, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Police, the list goes on and on. The vibe was infectious.

The divine origin of reggae as we know it is undeniably The Wailers. The Jamaican group birthed in 1963 featured legends Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and the sadly recently departed Bunny Wailer. The vocalist and percussionist who was a member of the Wailers from '63-'74 went on to have a long and successful solo career winning three Grammys for Best Reggae Album. With his health failing in recent years, his band sought to pay him tribute. The project was conceived before his passing with his band the Solomonic Reggaestra providing the backing and the up-and-coming Picstitch filling in the vocal duties. Unfortunately, Wailer would not see the release of his tribute album leaving this world in March of this year. The Reggaestra has released this record to honour a man who influenced countless musicians and light-hearted people around the world.

The album has easy-going anthems abound, crossing over from the purist reggae into the horn-infused ska. 'Rock and Groove', 'Roots Man Skanking', and 'Ballroom Floor' score the equatorial dance party. 'Cool Runnings' offers a downtempo slinky head-bobber, the name jacked for the John Candy classic about Jamaican bobsledders. 'Don Dadda' gives us more carefree vibes, hitting that skank that bands like UB-40 copped right to the bank.

Although everything is taken with a considerable level of chill, the tunes do turn serious from time to time. 'Conviction' may rely on that same island offbeat but the lyrics are 100% blues. They lament busting their asses all their life to end up fighting the long arm of the law to maintain their livelihood. 'Ram Dancehall' takes on a menacing tone exploring the dark, violent underbelly of the island that produces such seemingly happy music. The finale 'The Reggaestra' has Picstitch stepping aside to let the band shine on their own. Joyful horn hits accent a playful melody. These players have been nailing these rhythms for decades and it flows with the greatest of ease.

As we look back this year at these pioneers that have left us, we celebrate their music and the way their art made us see the world differently. As Europeans and North Americans were bashing out their spastic rock 'n' roll tantrums in the 60s, the Jamaicans were calmly jamming out on their zen mantra. This tribute to Bunny Wailer was done with love, skill, and reverence. A retrospective on a tremendously influential life.