John Holt RIP

John Holt - RIP

Hopeton Lewis RIP

Hopeton Lewis - RIP

Daily Travels: West 42nd Street

Photo by Andy Schwartz

Daily Travels: Calabash Bay, Jamaica

William Clarke (Third World) RIP

William Clarke - RIP

Movie of the Week: Trench Town, The Forgotten Land (2007)

Junior Murvin RIP

Junior Murvin - RIP

Prince Jazzbo RIP

Prince Jazzbo - RIP

Just Because: Lee Scratch Perry

Cedric Brooks RIP

Cedric Brooks - RIP

Harry J RIP

Harry Johnson (aka Harry J), left

Harry J - RIP

Movie of the Week: Sound Business (1981)

Following on from yesterday, today we bring you Sound Business, another terrific reggae documentary. This one dates from 1981, and so focuses a bit more on the later stuff than The Studio One Story does.

Movie of the Week: The Studio One Story (2004)

Lets get the weekend started properly today with this lengthy but incredible documentary on reggae which mainly focuses on Studio One - the label and studio run by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (pictured above). This doc was originally put together & released by the folks at the great Sounds of the Universe record store & Soul Jazz label in London. They know their shit. Buy it here.

Movie of the Week: Rockers (1978)

The 1978 classic, starring Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Gregory Isaacs, and more, with a soundtrack by Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Third World, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller, Gregory Isaacs, Kiddus I, Junior Murvin, Inner Circle, the Heptones, & Abyssinians.

Lloyd Charmers RIP

Lloyd Charmers - RIP

Movie of the Week: The Harder They Come (1972)

The film & soundtrack that pretty much propelled reggae music (and Jimmy Cliff) into the international consciousness, The Harder They Come is the story of Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin (Jimmy Cliff) who moves to Kingston and struggles to find work. He proves to be a talented reggae singer, but can only release a record by signing away the rights to music mogul Hilton (Bob Charlton), who pays him a meager $20. His friend Jose (Carl Bradshaw) introduces him to the marijuana trade and Ivan eventually becomes a violent outlaw.

The hit record soundtrack includes now standard reggae fare with tracks by Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Toots & The Maytals, The Melodians, and others.

Buy the DVD here.
Buy the soundtrack here.

Movie of the Week: Countryman (1982)

Countryman tells the story of a Jamaican fisherman whose solitude is shattered when he rescues two Americans from the wreckage of a plane crash. The fisherman, called Countryman, is hurled into a political plot by the dangerous Colonel Sinclair. Countryman uses his knowledge of the terrain and his innate combat skills to survive.

The film was shot in Jamaica and featured a reggae soundtrack with music by Bob Marley & the Wailers, Rico, Aswad, Steel Pulse, Dennis Brown, Toots & The Maytals, Lee Perry, and others.




Buy the soundtrack here.
Buy the DVD here.

Ossie Hibbert RIP

Ossie Hibbert - RIP

Lloyd Brevett (Skatalites) RIP

Lloyd Brevett - RIP

Shot by: Kate Simon

Friend of the blog, Kate Simon, has a very nice article & slideshow in this week's New Yorker, and at their website, on her working relationship with Bob Marley:

When we asked Kate Simon to delve into her archive to find a photo of Bob Marley for this week’s issue, we knew she would send us something special. In addition to being the official photographer for Marley’s European Exodus Tour, in 1977, Kate has been a friend of Bob’s since they first met, at a concert, in 1975. Not only did Kate supply us with some amazing photos of Bob, she also shared a few words about her time with him. Continued here.

Check out the recent Marley documentary here.