Nambo salutes Wailers

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Trombonist Ronald 'Nambo' Robinson's Freedom Sounds series continues Friday with a Salute to the Original Wailers show at Redbones Blues Café in St Andrew.

The veteran musician will lead a 10-piece band on songs made famous by the legendary group, whose best-known members were Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone (also known as Bunny Wailer).

"We just want to show respect for the music they took to the world," Robinson told The Gleaner. He also spoke about the importance of keeping interest in the music of reggae's pioneers alive.

"I'm committed to the music in terms of posterity. We'd love to do similar shows looking at the music of people like Jackie Mittoo, Tommy McCook and Baba Brooks."

Friday's show will be segmented. The opening set revisits the Wailers' stint at Studio One with producer Clement 'Sir Coxson' Dodd, and later with Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetter label.

Tribute to solo careers

The band will also pay homage to the trio's solo careers in Marley Moment, Touch of Tosh and Living Stone. Tosh and Wailer left the group in 1973, after they had recorded two albums (Catch A Fire and Burning) with Marley for Island Records.

In early 1974, Island released Natty Dread, the first album featuring Marley as a solo artiste. It proved to be his international breakthrough.

While Marley's albums for Island get the lion's share of recognition, Tosh and Wailer also made outstanding albums. Tosh cut Legalize It and Equal Rights for Columbia Records while Wailer recorded Blackheart Man with Island.

Robinson, 60, was inspired by the horn-based sounds of the legendary Skatalites band and roots group, Mystic Revelation of Rastafari. He started recording in the early 1970s and worked on Survival and Confrontation, two of Marley's later albums for Island.

Buffalo Soldier, Trench Town and Wake Up and Live are among the Marley songs Robinson played.

The band for Friday's show is: Keith Francis (bass), drummer/percussionists Shawn Anderson and Kemar Forrest, Everton Gayle (saxophone), Vivian Scott (trumpet), and guitarists Courtland White, N'namdi Robinson and Kevin Patterson.