The Jolly Boys Perform in the Bar at the Geejam Hotel, Baker Also Recognized That He Didn’T Have Forever to Capture the Aging Group on Record
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JUNE 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Jamaica, performing often in hotels—where they became favorites of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack pals during their visits to the country. In recent years the Boys have been regulars at Geejam Studios, a residential recording studio and resort hotel. That’s where studio founder and former Island label executive Jon Baker fell in love with mento. “This music talked about politics, rum addiction, sex,” Baker says. “I saw this music was very similar to rock ’n’ roll.” While watching the Jolly Boys perform in the bar at the Geejam Hotel, Baker also recognized that he didn’t have forever to capture the aging group on record. “I realized that three of the faces I had known around the ’hood weren’t there anymore,” he says. So he teamed with Jolly Boys percussionist Dale Virgo to produce Great Expectation, choosing songs they thought could help introduce mento to a younger generation. “We make sure it has the feel of the classic mento,” Virgo says, which means combining elements of African music, merengue, salsa and calypso, played on acoustic instruments. Derrick Henry, Albert Minott, Joseph Bennett William Richards William The first song tracked was Winehouse’s “Rehab.” “We looked for a song that had a retro feel that could work,” BBakeraker says. “We did ‘Rehab,’ and it was a THETHE JOLLY BOYSBOYS no-brainerno-brainer.. After Albert learned the lyrics, he just went in there and nailed it.” Though Melding a unique traditional folk style with Minott wasn’t initially familiar with some of unexpected new elements the songs, you’d never know it from the fi nished product. “I try to do them to the TRENDS COME AND GO, BUT THE interpretations of songs by the likes of Amy best of my ability, to make them stronger, Jolly Boys have been playing mento music—a Winehouse, the Clash, Johnny Cash, the sweeter,” says Minott, who declares that Jamaican folk style that was a major infl uence Doors and others. “It’s like a dream come he is ready for whatever attention the new on reggae and ska—for nearly 60 years. true,” says singer and founding member album may bring. “What is to come, let it The veteran band extends and expands Albert Minott, 73. come, and if it is to come, let it come big. that tradition on Great Expectation, a new Various incarnations of the Jolly Boys I’m going to stick with it.” collection that trades its usual fare for mento have played for decades in Port Antonio, –Eric R. Danton making records is always aiming for your favorite records,” he says. rerecorded the keyboard and guitars, creating an atmospheric sound “That was the only expectation on my end: Let’s make INXS’s Kick reminiscent of U2, another key infl uence. “It was taming the rhythm,” or Violator by Depeche Mode.” Nathanson says. “In that process, the song opened up.” “Kiss Quick” Counterintuitively, in this case that meant less was more. set the template for the rest of Modern Love, reinforcing one of Nathanson at fi rst approached Modern Love much as he had his Nathanson’s major rules of recording: “The song is god. Listen to previous six albums, tracking the songs with a live band. It wasn’t until what it wants. What it wants is usually way less instrumentation and the game-changing tune “Kiss Quick” that he and production and way more subtlety.” songwriting partner Mark Weinberg stumbled across the recording Although Nathanson’s last album spawned the single “Come on technique that would lead Nathanson into more adventurous sonic Get Higher,” which sold more than a million downloads, the rocker terrain. “During the moment of creation, there’s sometimes this says he didn’t feel any pressure to one-up himself. “The success of JUNE 2011feeling of, M ‘This MUSIC one is totally & important,’MUSICIANS and ‘Kiss MAGAZINEQuick’ felt that the last record happened at a really levelheaded time in my career,” way,” Nathanson says. “It sounded good, but it sounded wrong.” says Nathanson, who at 38 has been making music for nearly 20 The fi x was to strip away the rhythm track and have Death years. “At that point, making records became less about pleasing Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr record a new beat, which other people and more about pleasing myself.” was looped and layered over the original vocal. Nathanson then –Kenneth Partridge 17 MARCH/APRIL 2011 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE M mag 12.indd 17 7/7/11 10:03:04 PM.