Category: Early reggae

"Little Nut Tree"

“Little Nut Tree”: Rocksteady Revamped as Reggae

IThe Melodians recorded two versions of the same song – “Little Nut Tree.” The first version — recorded with underappreciated and pioneering producer, Sonia Pottinger, after the group had enjoyed a succession of hits on Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label — is definitely on the rocksteady side of the reggae

September 18, 2013 No Comments

"Heavy Heavy Reggae"

“Heavy Heavy Reggae”: Surprisingly Light

A fellow music fanatic (Tom Avazian) once let me check out a stack of old 45s from Jamaica he had just acquired, and one of the singles that caught my ear was a dance-oriented track from the early reggae period that had a curiously lowdown sound even with all the

July 11, 2013 No Comments