Clue J & The Blues Blasters

Clue J & The Blues Blasters – Selection

The pre-ska – shuffle beat era of Jamaican music to this remains a mystery to most reggae music followers. Its true that more music from this era is now available than every before – but its still the presentation that is a problem.

Take for example Clue J, aka Cluette Johnson – a bass player who with his band the Blues Blasters cut over 20 tunes for Coxsone. And backed so many other artists including – Bonnie & Skitter, Lascelles Perkins, Theo Beckford, Basil Gabbidon and Winston and Robbie.

Taking something like R&B and creating something new was equal to the works of The Skatalites. Anyone familiar with the sound of R&B from America from that time – would be able to tell you what Clue J was doing was different.

Yes Roscoe Gordon was also working the same sound, but this was even different from what Rosco was doing. It was heavier!!! And the big clue (please forgive the pun) is probably the bass,

Or the interplay between the bass and the piano of man like Theo Beckford and Owen Gray – who also touched the keys on a lot of these early sessions.

To check out Clue J and His Blues Blasters you will need to dig around – but as the farmer said to the patato “I'll plant you now, and dig you later.”