Q: But originally you gave that album to a guy in Miami called Tye Hutchinson? A: No, I don't give nothin' to no Hutchinson, I don't see me an' him 'ave no arrangement 'bout it. I write them, an' dem no write me back. Q: Where was the album recorded at that time? A: I record at... Q: Aquarius studio? A: Well, the second part record at Aquarius. The first part, the Rasta part of music... Q: At the Black Ark, Lee Perry's studio? A: Yeah, yeah. Q: How was the sessions? A: How do I remember the session? The sessions was all right, I get to play the drum again. Q: I have that album on a German CD release, called Grover. Authorised? A: With my music? Q: Yeah. Out of Munster, Germany. A: Yeah?

Q: There's four bonus tracks on it, named 'Just Cool', 'Japan Special', 'Space Light', and 'Rock With Me Baby'. And it says 'under license from Lloyd Brevett'. A pirate? A: Is a pirate, man. Q: Seems like it out came out about ten years ago. A: What? Q: We're getting back to it. So you got King Tubby to do the mixes for the album. A: Yeah. Q: How was that, he had never worked with Skatalites members before? A: Who that, King Tubby? Well, he was a good man, he do good job, very. The best. Anyt'ing in music, he work on, very good.

Q: There's some different releases or versions to this album, 'African Roots'. One called 'Herb Dub, Collie Dub', another one was 'The Legendary Skatalites In Dub', all are basically the same album with the same mix? A: This guy, the same guy that I tell you 'bout in England, he re-release the dub, about two-three different way. Q: OK, new titles only. A: Yes, James Dutton. Yes, same album but he put in music that we didn't have on the other dub. You had one name 'Starlight', he didn't have it 'pon the dub that he make. So he call me up an' say he get a music - he heard a music name 'Starlight', it sound (sings): 'On the day when Jah was born, Angels come together...'. A great music, yea, somet'ing like that. And him put it on a dub. So there's three different way of it, a jus' so him do. Q: So what about your involvement with the current Skatalites, I heard you broke away from them. What is the status of that as we speak? A: Yes. Because the band was going down... Beca' what 'appen, when the people take onto me, when they're writing book right around Europe, they put me on the front, they put me in the books an' they don't put them, so them become a lickle annoyed about it. And Lloyd Knibbs an' (Lester) Sterling an' them start to go on with t'ings, so I couldn't take it. They fight against Cedric Brooks, Cedric was one of the lights in the band, beca' he tried to play like Roland Alphonso, and the people love him also. So they fight against him, and get him out of the band. And they go to Canada, hook up a guy that used to play at the train station, Karl Bryan, and they put him in the band to take Cedric Brooks' place. And the tempo they want me to really stay up and play, is the tempo that first time the Skatalites used to play. And those tempo, those tempo right now for the youths, and it's mostly youths who used to follow us also. But the band was doing well in Europe, some of the place we play have ten thousand people, forty thousand people. The band was doing well, and it start to get down bad with them. When I change tempo - ca' we say we a go play some Bob Marley music, that type a music, the people love it. We play the ska, them want to play - through Lloyd Knibbs, him don't want to play the ska up to tempo for the youths them, him want fe keep the same bounce tempo whe Skatalites used to play in the old days. The music is good, but those tempo was from a different age of people - Skatalites used to play for big people, it wasn't lickle youths like in these ages now. So I couldn't stick with the band with that, y'know. I just step down an' leave them.

Cedric Im Brooks

Roland Alphonso

Q: Do you think you are off the Skatalites forever now, or? You don't talk anymore? A: Well, no, I don't really talk with them anymore. I just left them. Q: I think they have Val Douglas from the Now Generation band on bass now. A: I don't know who they are dealing with, I know the band aren't doing as well as they used to. Is only two Skatalites in it, which is Lloyd Knibbs and Sterling. Q: Talking the future, are you trying to get a new band together? A: Yeah, yeah. Q: Or maybe you'd like to retire after such a long, long life in the music business? A: Well, I would do a session. Music, you don't know what will happen though, you'll see. You know, when you becomes professional with the instrument that you play, if you get a call it's a good call. Yeah. Q: How do look back on your career so far, how do you view it? A: Well, my long life in music I do well, because I'm not a man who really get around when I earn my couple of dollars or pound, y'know, I put it together and save it. So now that I'm off music I no worry, I'm happy. If I just go to Jamaica for a while, it's cool (chuckles). Q: Good. A: Yeah man.

Lloyd Brevett

Lloyd Brevett

Q: What do you think is so lasting about ska music, that music refuse to die out and it never will, but what is your impression of the ever lasting quality of the music? A: Ska, I know that when I was out there playing we invent the ska, I just don't - I change my bass work, that's why we're doing it in a way that it's coming straight from Jah. When I do bass work, I do it to make people feel nice and get the people to move, so that they dance with the bass. Yeah, that's why people love we in Europe so much, because the bass is just an exceptional bass. Some of the people say that my bass make them hot, them move till them hot. And seriously, I play my bass and I see people cry (laughs)! Q: (Chuckles) Not bad. A: Yeah. Q: By the way, that German CD might be your own project after all, it's put out by someone called Dr Ring Ding. A: (Silence) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah... Yes, I know. Yes, I get into it, they put it out but I try going to Germany so many times, I will get to... get onto him. Q: So you're aware of this release at least. A: Yes. Q: Not a pirate in other words. A: No, no. Q: That's good. A: I know about it and tek it off a him, tek him off a it. Yeah, I do no business with him no more. Q: Is there anything specifically that you would like to bring to the public's attention that we haven't spoken of so far? A: Well, the only t'ing is my music dem that I have out there, make some change off a my music. Yeah. So, I would like to say to the public: One love.

Lloyd Brevett

Brevett is the rhythm foundation of Jamaican popular music and as such cannot be underestimated. Just like Lloyd Knibb was an exceptionally good drummer in his day, Brevett gave Jamaican ska the drive and the swing it is so known for. He embodied the ultimate bassline and later musicians, like Jackie Jackson, Family Man Barrett, Robbie Shakespeare, they refined it. Sadly, the way I see it, he is very overlooked when members of the Skatalites are praised for their individual talents and contributions; usually Tommy McCook, Don Drummond and Roland Alphonso, all now gone in the flesh, are the ones mentioned the most. Maybe it's time to lift the rhythm foundation, Brevett and Knibb, to a place they truly deserve: at the forefront. Brevett's legacy as an outstanding musician can partly be found in 'African Roots', it's a fine effort, but he shined the most on the various recordings for Studio One, Treasure Isle, King Edwards and, last but definitely not least, for Justin Yap's Top Deck imprint. 7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots.

	Page:  | 1 | 2 | 3
	[ Previous ]      [ Next ]

Article: Peter I (Please do not reproduce without permission)

All Rights Reserved. © 2007   Reggae Vibes Productions