Timeless Ernie Ranglin to Bring Back the Love on Saturday

Although his name has long been cemented globally as one of Jamaica’s greatest musicians, the reserved guitar maestro has never been ruffled by accolades, but rather he continues to let his fingers do the talking.

As he cruises toward his 90th birthday, he is as inventive and in demand as ever, and come Saturday, June 18, he will be featured on Bring Back the Love, the love songs concert. The stellar line-up also includes the equally evergreen Myrna Hague; beloved Jamaican crooners, Jimmy James (out of London) and Canada-based Juno Award nominee Jay Douglas, as well as drum maestro and musical director for the show, Desi Jones.

Ranglin, who is also busy on the recording front, recently dropped Two Colours, a collaborative disc with legendary saxophonist Dean Fraser. The 12-track set was released by Tads Records and also featured another titan of the Jamaican sound, deejay Big Youth, of S-90 Skank fame. Big-time collaborations are, in fact, nothing new for Ranglin, having previously joined forces with the likes of jazz piano ace Monty Alexander, reggae icon Jimmy Cliff and Senegalese superstar Baba Maal.

Ranglin’s rich tones, versatility and keen ears have been honed over decades of playing and production work, starting in the ‘golden age’ of Jamaican big band music through the formative years of Jamaican ska and pop and encompassing jazz, world beat and almost everything in between.

“We are honoured to have the legendary Ernie as one of our special guests on the show; concert-goers attending the Courtleigh Auditorium on June 18 are definitely in for a magnificent treat,” Lennon Crooks, executive producer for the show, stated.

The patron of the event is former prime minister, P.J. Patterson.