CD REVIEW
Ernest Ranglin & Avila: Bless Up
Avila Street Records, 2014
At age 82, Ernest Ranglin is one of the great names of
Jamaican music, and his newest album, Bless
Up, is a sustained blast of summery joy. That’s not unexpected from Ranglin
and his band of co-conspirators, including South African drummer Inx Herman,
Israeli bassist Yossi Fine, and US keyboardist Jonathan Korty.
What’s odd is that the album got me thinking about my great
uncles. Along with Bob Marley, Ranglin is probably one of the most accomplished
and recognized Jamaican musicians, though they have very different stories and
professional trajectories (and Ranglin has far outlived Marley, though he is 13
years older).
You see, my uncle Hugh was a rabble rousing activist,
Communist Party member, US Congressman, and general gadfly to the political
mainstream. His brother Phil was quiet, studious, and brilliant – a university
professor of Greek and Classics. Also Phil long outlived Hugh.
Similar backgrounds, different lives. One can only dream about
the international collaborations Marley would have pursued were he still with
us. But no dreaming is necessary to revel in the joyous music on Bless Up.
Ranglin and his band – first assembled for the High Sierra Music Festival in
2011 – play a delicious blend of ska-flavored jazz and reggae-flavored
instrumentals.
The B3-infused title track marries mellow horns with
Ranglin’s speedy but smooth guitar work. Exotic hints of Arabic and Indian
music spice the opening track “Bond Street Express.” And the album closes with
a languid interpretation of Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro.”
“This album takes the listener through every era of Ernest’s
music,” says Youssi Fine. “He was constantly adding new flavors, while staying
rooted in each particular style, be it reggae, jazz, or Latin grooves.”
This tasty album is a great starting point for those not
familiar with Ranglin’s sound, and equally appealing to this giant of music who
has been going strong since his first recordings in the late 1950s.
“I want people to hear this album so they’ll know Ernest is
still going strong at 82, composing and playing great music that touches on all
the eras of his career,” says producer Tony Mindel, who was instrumental in
forming Avila in 2011. “I know he still has a lot of new ideas he wants to
express, and we want to continue making music with him, and for him, for as
long as we can.”
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