“This is the foundation of Jamaican recorded music played by the acknowledged master guitarist Ernest Ranglin. Born in Manchester and raised in Kingston, he joined the Val Bennett Orchestra at the age of 15, and even as early as 1964 he was recognised as the “Best Jazz Guitarist” by the UK’s Melody Maker music weekly. He had also played on and arranged Millie’s huge selling ska hit “My Boy Lollipop’ the previous year.
The music here though predates those successes in Europe though. There are four tracks by mento outfit Denzil Laing & The Wrigglers, from an album released by Kalypso in 1958; Bloodshot Eyes is a cover of American jump-blues singer Wynonie Harris’s 1951 hit cover of Hank Penny’s country hit Bloodshot Eyes, and features excellent guitar work by Ernest – but the others are certainly very listenable mento.
Then it’s on to Theophilus Beckford and his Jamaican R’n’B sound with several characteristic shuffles and again some excellent breaks by Ernest; She’s Gone‘ is still recognisably influenced by the American sound but the dawn of ska is certainly evident in the rhythm guitar work on this release from the very beginning of the 60s. Beckford drops out for Clue J.s Silky but Roland Alphonso, Ernest, Monty Alexander, and Drumbago are still there, and trombonist Rico Rodriguez is added at the beginning of his very long career. A couple of tracks by Azie Lawrence conclude this section, including his bouncy immigrant’s lament, Jamaica Blues.
Next up is Ernest’s 1961 release, Guitar In Ernest, in its entirety, the second album to be issued by the famed Island Records (not to be confused with a later set) and produced by Chris Blackwell. This is definitely a jazz album, in a trio format (just guitar, bass and drums) showcasing the kind of sounds he was playing in the hotels – it’s also an extremely accomplished jazz guitar record; take a listen to Ernie’s Delight.
This educational, entertaining release then concludes with several seemingly unrelated tracks – the Caribbean standard Yellow Bird so beloved of steel bands and recorded here with Sonny Bradshaw, Exodus by the Cecil Lloyd Group, first issued on the album Jazz Jamaica From The Workshop and sometimes suggested as an influence on Bob Marley’s later number – in truth, maybe one or two phrases, possibly – and the closer, arranged by Ernest, the percussion and breakneck guitar The Boy’s Chase, from the soundtrack of the James Bond film, Dr. No, which brought Jamaica to a wider audience.
Ernest has been one of the key figures of Jamaican recorded music almost from the very beginning, and this set shows some of his earliest outings on record. Recommended, of course, but just don’t come to it expecting reggae!”
By Norman DARWEN – REGGAE VIBES
