Ernest Ranglin is a guitarist from Jamaica. He was an early innovator developing the rhythmic guitar style associated with ska in the 1960s. He has played on a ton of ska and reggae records, but he has also played on a ton of jazz records, often with Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander. Alexander is with him on this one, as is drummer Idris Muhammed, bassist Ira Coleman, and keyboardist Gary Mayone.
Ranglin's guitar is the star of the show, but it is a very talented group. Ranglin and Alexander have a special chemistry. The record serves up eleven instrumentals, each one with laid back reggae rhythm and solid solos from Ranglin and Alexander. It is casual cocktail music but it also holds up to repeated attentive listening.
You should give it a listen. I will warn you though that Ranglin has a lot of records to his name and at least nine more with Alexander. If half of them as good as this one, it may be a while before you're done with exploring Ernest Ranglin. I know it's going to be an issue for me.
Hat tip to Sal at Burning Wood.
This is one of my favorite Jamaican albums. Having seen Ernest play with Baaba Maal and others in the 1990's, I got to see him twice as the leader. One of these was with Monty Alexander in a very jazzy performance touring the album Rocksteady (2004). The other gig was with some local musicians who were fine, but by no means the same caliber as Ernest. He is one of the finest guitarists to pick up an axe, as virtuosic as, for example, Richard Thompson. Another album of his that is on heavy rotation for me is Earth Tones by Charlie Hunter, Ernest Ranglin, and Chinna Smith. https://www.discogs.com/master/1760313-Charlie-Hunter-Chinna-Smith-Ernest-Ranglin-Earth-Tones.
ReplyDeletePaul in DK