Roland Alphonso

By Ray Hurford

Roland Alphonso – Small Axe File

When Coxsone Dodd started Studio One – he ended up using two sets of musicians. The Caribs who were Australian musicians who were working the Cruise ships. And Jazz musicians who were mainly working the many clubs and hotels in Jamaica. This latter group eventually became the Skatalites. Included in this group was Roland Alphonso. Roland born in Havana Cuba  and was in his mid twenties old when he started to record for Studio One. Nothing was released until 1960 and in 1962 Coxsone issued his debut album. 'I Cover The Waterfront'. This album is a Jazz album, and is a good place to start.

Roland Alphonso – The Singles Collection - 60-62– Not Bad – 2 x CD

I Cover The Waterfront – Port O Jam  - 1962 – Produced by C.S.Dodd

I'll Remember April 

The Jazz standard is basically a version of some well known tune of the time. Once the melody is in place it's up to people like Roland, and the other musicians here –( Cecil Lloyd on Piano, Lloyd Mason on Bass, Lowell Morris on Drums and Don Trummon on Trombone (nothing can be found on the latter, which makes me wonder if it is Don Drummond!) to basically Jazz it up. It's not as easy as it first seems – but this sort of thing was very popular in the Hotels and Clubs of the time.

Green Eyes

This one is more of a Cha Cha. All Latin music and there are so many different types – impacted into Jamaica. Ska came out of a massive musical gene pool. And what made it so popular was that it was new. Many of these musical styles that were loved in Jamaican music – had been around for years – Decades!! Everything that could be done with them, had been done with them. It took people like Roland – to see if they could come up with something new. It was a musical challenge. They accepted it, and did the work in fine style.

I Cover The Waterfront

A very slow and moody tune. It's the sort of tune that most people think of when they hear the word Jazz. You think of small smokey night clubs – with low lighting. And a group of musicians, bass, drums, piano,  and a trumpet or sax. It's probably about 2am – and a lot of people are thinking of going home, but others love to linger a while. These kind of tunes are for lingerers!!! This tune was the the title of a famous 1933 film all about people smuggling and the media. There is very little new under the sun, moon and stars. Billie Holiday released a song with the same title in 1944. What an incredible voice that woman had.

Softly As the Morning Sunrise

More visual imagery comes to mind with this track. This time it’s ‘Film Noir’ if it’s not really dramatic music being played – it’s this kind of music. Those early film makers – really knew the power of music. With so many great films, and music like this, it’s no wonder so many people took to a life of a crime. The concept of escapism – was born. But this was close to reality. With gangsters being involved in every part of American life. Film Noir supplied the visual images – music like this was the soundtrack.

Bridge View – Lloyd ‘Matador’ Daley

Lloydie Matador Daley – loved the Shuffle – so it makes a lot of sense that in the era of Shuffle -Roland and himself would link up. That he recorded only one with Roland – is a mystery. But reggae music is full of them. If you like Jazz, you must like Swing – and Shuffle is just one bassline away. It’s Roland’s magical solo skills that make this tune, he just takes off – like a moonshot.

Hully Gully Rock  - Coxsone

What an amazing tune this is. Roland once again in great form, but it’s the organ player who really makes the tune all is his own. The Shuffle here is something else – and even gives us a taste of things to come – with some reggae organ shuffle – that was eight years away. If this is Jackie Mittoo you have to wonder if Studio One had a time travel machine somewhere in the building. It seems that Coxsone had a number of rooms – that very few people ever got to see.

Blackberry Brandy – Duke Reid

No organ here, just some great horn riffs – and some superb percussion. The percussion man or perhaps it was a woman, is not heard much in the Ska era, But in the Shuffle Beat era – he played a big part in making these tunes interesting. Sometimes as is the case on this record – he/she was doing little more than tapping to the beat – but it adds such a great vibe to the tune. Roland does what he does in fine style. A fantastic musician.

Green Door – Duke Reid

A very famous melody – that reggae music took to it’s collective heart very early on. Roland did a good portion of work for Duke Reid, and it’s good to see even if it’s just a few tracks here. In other form of music. People like Roland – a top musician like him would have all his works with different producers available in album form. But then – at least this compilation exists for people to enjoy fans of Baba Brooks and so many others have nothing.

Back Beat – R Robinson

Producer Robbie Robinson’s ER and CDC released close to 20 tunes in the Shuffle Beat era. He only did one tune with Roland. But it’s a great one. With that organist again in the mix. This is a person who really knew how to shuffle those keys!!! Creating that beat that Jamaica loved so much. And for a Shuffle Beat tune it’s pretty fast as well. Before Roland gets a chance to do his thing on the sax, we are treated to some excellent guitar work – which may be Ernest Ranglin – equally it could be one of the Caribs. Whoever played it – did a fantastic job!!!

King Of Sax – Winro – 1975

By the seventies Coxsone had become indifferent to releasing albums from anyone. This one from 1975 was a rare event on the Studio One label. Well, ‘Winro’ (the same thing) . Perhaps he was seeing the popularity of people like Augustus Pablo, and thought it could be the right time for a good Sax album. Alhtough a nice melodica album from Studio One at this time would have been nice. Coxsone did eventually release the Pablo Black ‘Mr Muzik Originally’ but that was the eighties.

Soul Equalizer

One of the most popular and great basslines of all time in reggae music, gets an early version from Roland. And if you wanted this cut of ‘Full Up’ it looks like you would have to buy this album. Although back then interest in ‘Version’ was minimal. That is how reggae music, something can be happening – and no one really takes any notice. By the time they are, it’s all usually over and done with. Needless to say a great tune from Roland.

King Of Sax  - 

Cornell Campbell’s ‘Queen Of The Minstrels’ is a beautiful song. In instrumental form, Sly Dunbar and Augustus Pablo have both released versions of it. This one from Roland though as the edge. Roland takes timeless melodies and applies them to this rhythm with ease. Principles and concepts he learned from playing over many great tunes from the fifties, are well used here. 

Mac The Knife 

As if to acknowledge his past, and his great interest in Jazz. Roland goes back to the swing era and one of the more controversial tunes from that era. Written In Germany  by Bertoit Brecht and composed by Kurt Weill  - the song comes from there play ‘ The Threepenny Opera’. Frank Sinatra was ready to record it, and then Bobby Darin turned it into the classic Swing tune and had a massive hit with it in 1959. This fantastic version from Roland, sounds like it come from around the early seventies – with some great electric piano playing in the rhythm.

Theme From The Barber

A tune more associated with Treasure Isle and John Holt, then Studio One. But great songs and rhythms – are loved by all. Including other producers. The original song is based on a dream – written by John Holt, it recounts a whole set of characters out of the nursery rhyme books – Tom Thumb, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwafts – they all get a name check. With the main character being ‘Ali Baba’. And is the title of the song. By the mid seventies – with a number of brutal Police acts in place including the shaving of the head of any Rasta youth. It was time for a comment to be made. One of the most famous cuts is the one from Dr Alimantado ‘I Kill The Barber’ which means putting them out of business. Jah Stitch and I Roy also gave us great deejays cuts. When it comes to Studio One, this is the only and cut, and it’s a great one from Roland.

The Best Of – 1973 & 199X

So this set predates the King Of Sax album by a couple of years. With reggae music, nothing is set in stone. You can know one thing to be the truth one day – only to find out different the next.

The CD release of the album features 17 tracks. And this is the album we will review.

Jazz Steady

Alton Ellis’s tune ‘Rock Steady’ features Roland on flute. And what a superb version it it. The flute is such a natural instrument for reggae, and yet it is rarely heard today. And yet if you want to produce a gentle sound, the flute is the best instrument to reach for. Only the Vibraphone or Rhodes Piano can get create that sort of mood. The title of this tune matches it perfectly. A great work.

The Ark

Ken Parker’s ‘My Whole World Is Falling Down’ is the rhythm track for this one. You won’t find many versions of this tune. Which makes no sense at all, it’s got a great bassline – and a great melody. Ken Parker started out as a gospel singer with Coxsone, making a load of singles and even an album for the Studio One. Then he switched over to Duke Reid, wanting to sing over the new reggae rhythm. But he didn’t know how to it. Singing just behind the rhythm did not come naturally to him. Having learned how to do it he went back to Coxsone, and recorded to massive hits – this one and ‘Choking Kind’ Roland’s sax version is superb.

Flats

Alton Ellis again – this time it’s ‘Pearl’ and nuff respect to Alton a great song, but when Ashanti Waugh came along in 1979 with ‘I Love Jah So’ he took the riddim and melody higher, not better – he just gave it more meaning. Roland’s sax cut is superb, and it’s very possible that Ashanti or even his producer Stepping King Miguel may have been inspired by this cut to recut the rhythm, in the way that they did.

Rolando Sharks

A very odd title until you know that this one is a version of The Sharks hit for Studio One – ‘How Can I Live’ The Sharks were a band, not a vocal group and included people like Dwight Pinkney – who later found fame with the Roots Radics. Like the flute, very few tunes feature Acoustic Guitar – as the main instrument. Yet it’s this – that is the main feature of the tune. Dennis Brown kept the idea when he recut the tune for Joe Gibbs. Roland on the Studio One cut – takes a very unusual approach to the tune, rather than try to find a sax melody to match the works of the Sharks and the acoustic guitar, he just lets that guitar remain as the main feature, with just little bits of Sax melody to enhance the tune. Great works.

Roland Alphonso – Brighter Shade Of Roots – Imperial – Bunny Lee 

Bunny Lee was the master of compilation and re-compilation. Although baffling to some, his approach to production was simple – if someone played on a track – and he had enough tracks – and album could be made. The musician may have not been the lead instrument at the time, but he still played on the track. When it comes to Roland, I’m pretty certain that he released on Pama with him back in the late sixties/early seventies with the title ‘1000 Tons Of Megatons’ but at the time of writing there is no trace of it. This set was clearly recorded in the late seventies – just before Rockers turned into Dancehall

Brighter Shade Of Roots

This tune ‘Take Five’ was made famous in reggae by Val Bennett produced by Bunny in the rock steady era. It was one of those tunes that was ignored for years and then suddenly became very popular, in part because of a popular TV programme in the UK in the Eighties – that showed how things were made. Roland’s cut had little chance of matching that – but it’s a great tune – and it’s good to hear it inna Rockers style.

Drum Song Style

Another favourite rhythm for Bunny is ‘Drum Song’ . Dennis Alcapone had a massive hit with ‘Cassius Clay’ produced by Bunny in the early seventies. Then the same rhythm was used again by Lloydie Slim for Tapper Zukie’s ‘Judge I O Lord’. This is another great cut produced by Bunny, all that is missing is that simple little piano riff – that introduced the early seventies rhythm This one makes up for that with some great percussion work.

Let’s Fall In Love Style

Bunny Digs back a little deeper into his rhythm basket for this one. The riddim sounds like it comes from about 1975. The rhythm sounds like it was made in a flying cymbal style, and then Bunny decided to drop the Flying Cymbal. By doing so Bunny got some more use out of the Rhythm, And then he brought in Roland. Who plays in fine style over it. And if  Bunny as one track from Roland at this time, it probably means he had a whole album done in this style.

Island In The Sun

Virtually every style of reggae music as got a cut of this. It’s such a great melody it makes sense. And if you want someone to play great melodies, Roland is the man to go for. He could have  probably play this tune in his sleep!!! This cut though is in the Rockers style – so it’s got a little bit more go in it. It looks like it’s also the first time either Roland or Bunny as had a go at it. This also makes sense. Bunny prefers his recuts to come from the Shuffle Beat era of the US. Not the mento era of Jamaica. Likewise with Roland, it is not part of the ‘Jazz’ style – of much loved standards. But it is a  very good tune. 

Duke Reid, is not a name you would associate with Roland. Tommy McCook, yes, but not Roland. And yet if you check it out  Roland did more than enough work with Duke Reid to warrant an album. Yet the simple reality of most of these big producers from the sixties is that albums were not something they were interested in. People often say most albums are made up of singles, well that is true but even when there is a vast amount of singles available, there is still no album made available.

Coffee Shop – 1960

Jazz Swing/Shuffle Beat – call it whatever you like. Was still the music that got people onto the Dance floor at Duke Reid’s dances – it was also the kind of music his followers loved. So when it came to producing this, this is is the kind of music he was going to produce. And Roland was more than happy to make it. It’s a tune that some would say was really Swinging!! Or it’s got the Beat!!!

Mean To Me - 1961

Now this is Shuffle, the organ really makes a difference. And it would be nice to know who the organ player was. If it was Studio One – Jackie Mittoo, but who was hit those organ keys at Treasure Isle in 1961. Winston Wright? Roland does a great job supplying a simple melody that fits in with the rhythm perfectly. 

Bali Hai - 1966

A very unusual rhythm. It’s got touches of Ska and Rock Steady. There is a honking horn riff taking it off into Ska, but somehow the drum and the bass bring it forward to Rock Steady. Perhaps the simplest way of explaining it would be to call it a slow Ska. But that does not do it justice. It seems like this is a song from a film called ‘South Pacific’ sung by Peggy Lee in 1949. It might explain the unusual rhythmic nature of the song – if the original is from that part of the world.

Bond Street Special – 1966

Now this is Ska. With a title like that it would have to be. Treasure Isle more than any other captured the Rock Steady beat. Yet even in 1966  - they were still recording tunes like this. So whatever happened to bring in the Rock Steady beat, was dramatic. There are hints of Rock Steady in this tune, listen to the way that drums drops. But a key component of Rock Steady is missing a proper bass line. When you hear that – you can spot the difference. This bassline is more to do with the Walking Bass than anything else. It’s such a shame that Roland did not stick around to make some Rock Steady for Duke Reid, but having two super talented sax players in the same studio at the same time – was never going to work. Tommy McCook ruled Treasure Isle, and Roland did the same at Studio One.

Justin Yap

Justin Yap’s – Top Deck, Tuneico and Sound Deck group of labels existed from 1962 to 1965. Justin worked with all the major stars of the time, including Roland, Baba Brooks, Don Drummond and of course The Skatalites  with whom he released a classic album ‘Ska Ba Boo Da’ He also cuts tunes with Larry Marshall, The Schoolboys, Jackies Opal, BB Seaton (with the Astronauts) and the Charmers. 

Shot In The Dark -  1965

Classic Ska, and a  much loved Ska tune. Henry Mancini wrote the original for the film of the same name, which is one of those crazy sixties comedies – that usually involved thieves or spies. The popularity of the film – made it natural choice for a Ska cover. Reggae music was very much in sync with popular culture then. It’s a shame that ‘Film Noir’ was not as popular as it was in the forties and fifties. Can you imagine all those dramatic theme tunes – done in either Ska or Rock Steady!

Skaravan - 1965

Roland, dug deep for this one, going back to 1937 and Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra. ‘Caravan’ is described on the label ‘Master’ as a Fox Trot. Roland up the tempo – and Lloyd Knibbs gives us some great drum on metal – drum licks. For this wild relick. What is strange about this tune – is that with all the mystical far east vibes coming from it, you would think that Don Drummond or Augustus Pablo – would have gone for it. Perhaps the melody does not lend itself well to Trombone or Melodica.

China Clipper - 1965

Back to the Thirties again – for another ‘Far East’ tune inspired by the 1936 film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart. This one is hard driving Ska – the tempo is just right. Not too fast, not too slow. Apart from Roland, and the riffing horns – listen out for Lloyd Knibbs and those wilder than wild drum rolls. It must have been hard for the lovers of Ska back then to adjust to the slow pace of ‘Rock Steady’ Or perhaps the simple explanation is that tunes like this – wore them out!!!

Warlock

A tune that is deeply rooted in the Latin side of Ska. It’s well known as well, but not to me. It sounds a little like ‘La Bamba’ made famous by Ritchie Valens, which was released in 1958. It looks like the original of this tune came out 1938. If it is this tune, it means Roland must be a big fan of thirties popular culture!!! It is another fast tune, and does well to put such a great melody over it. If you think about it, what Jamaica was doing then – was pretty amazing, music and film from the last 30 years was all being transformed into something brand new. It doesn’t take long for anyone to work out that Jamaica is very good at this in every respect from clothing to household good – but when it comes to music they excelled themselves.

Prince Buster

Buster being one of the top producers of the sixties and Roland being one of the top sax players of the same era – meant that they must meet up and work together? Although it doesn’t always go like that. Val Bennett only recorded one tune for Buster, and Tommy McCook never worked with Buster at all!!!

Charles Street  – Islam – 1966

It’s 1966, and Jamaica and Prince Buster and Roland Alphonso are still playing and making Ska Records. Rock Steady came in late 1966, and went out early 1968. But there is something about the way the snare drum drops – that tells you something is different from these these late ska records,

than the early ska. Perhaps it may have been a better microphone on the drum. Or the drum kit being set up in a different way. Either way it’s a great tune.

Just A Closer Walk – Prince Buster VOP -  1966

A great tune in any form of music, and Roland’s version in Ska is a great one. Somehow I was expecting this tune to be a slow one,  but this is a great uptempo version. The first recording of the song goes back to 1941 by the Selah Jubilee Singers released on Decca. But the actual song goes way back into the 1800’s. It’s a very old song – and a much loved one.

Life In Living Colours – Prince Buster VOP – 1966

This one sounds like a celebration of the colour TV set. Which came into the US – I think sometimes in the early sixties. So it’s possible that the first sets arrived in Jamaica by this time. Or Roland or Buster had see them in the US. The UK was not broadcasting in Colour until 1967. And very few people had Colour TV sets. Once again the tune could be inspired by something else – but knowing Jamaica’s interest in anything technological – this is what this great tune is about. 

Happy Reggae (One Heart) – Prince Buster – 1969

George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ was a massive tune back. And with a good melody it was perfect for a reggae version. So up steps Roland. And by 1969 the reggae rhythm was slowing down – which suits the song perfectly. It is a really good tune. And with the way reggae was selling then, it was probably a really good seller. It also looks like Buster and Roland were the first reggae artists to give it a lick over. With all the other versions coming out in 1971. Considering that George’s version didn’t come out till 1970. Perhaps Roland was listening to the old hymn ‘Oh Happy Day’ in fact with a title like ‘Happy Reggae’ its almost certain that was his inspiration.

Leslie Kong

When it comes to Roland and Leslie Kong, it was the Rock Steady era, there work together started in 1966 and ended in 1967. In just over a year, call it 18 months they recorded some 25 tunes together – more than enough for two albums. Probably one of the most best known tunes from Roland on Beverley’s is ‘Jungle Bit’ it was issued as the b.side to Norman Grant’s (Twinkle Brothers) ‘Somebody Please Love Me’

Jungle Bit – Beverley’s – 1967

Pure Rock Steady with that clean Beverley’s beat. And that is very hard to beat!!! What makes this interesting is that it keeps those big horns much loved in Ska, but they are worked into a great Rock Steady rhythm. You then get a short but sweet guitar solo – and then Roland lets rip. Not the first tune for Beverley’s but one with a lot of charm.

Middle East – Beverley’s 1966

This one looks like the first tune that Roland did for Leslie Kong. And this one is Rock Steady without any traces of Ska at all. This is one aspect of Jamaican music that a lot of people find hard to deal with – these sudden changes in rhythms. And yet it’s this changing of the beat, that as keep the music interesting and fresh. Some artists who started in the Ska era, have remade there hits in every style right the way up into the Ragga era. 25 years!!! At least 8 different types of beat – and each and everyone of them is popular.

El Toro – Beverley’s 1966

Another one – in the same style. If anything it’s even slower. Which allows the bass line to come out of the mix. That was the radical change Ska experimented with basslines – but it seemed hard to come up with interesting basslines within the Ska rhythm. It’s a lot easier to create great basslines when the rhythm is moving along at this tempo. But it also means that the melodies need to be more complex – to fit into the extra space. You want complex melodies that is no problem to someone with the talent of Roland.

The Cat – Beverley’s 1967

You want to be confused reggae music is the place to go. After making some incredible Rock Steady tunes – it’s back to Ska! Of course it’s possible that this tune was made before the Rock Steady tunes – but it’s equally possible that Roland or someone thought – lets go back to Ska for this one. And with Beverley’s it is just as possible that there is a Rock Steady cut of this on a tape somewhere. Some truly great percusssion work can be heard on this as well. It must be the same percussionist who played on Norman’s ‘Somebody Please Help Me’ tune.

Lloyd Barnes 

Roll On – Wackies - 1984

Lloyd Barnes set up Wackies in New York sometime in the mid-seventies. It wasn’t the first reggae studio in New York. Hugh Hendricks of the Buccaneers set that up a few years earlier. By the early eighties Wackies had created it’s own sound, that can be heard on the many singles released at the time. And with the albums. They include Horace Andy ‘Showcase’ Wayne Jarrett’s ‘Bubble Up’ Sugar Minott ‘Wicked A Go Feel It’ albums, plus a whole heap of dub albums. Around this time musicians like Jackie Mittoo could be found in the studio. Roland also walked through the door then. At that time he had either moved to the US or was working there a lot. Roland was a legend to hear that he was working at Wackies caused real excitement. 

Revelation Time - 

There are many cuts of ‘Drum Song’ but this one as got a lot going for it. The rhythm is very spaced out -and features what sounds like a wha wha guitar . When Roland comes in it – he takes it onto a trip in the middle east. He gives it a very Arabic feel, which is very unusual. Jackie Mittoo created the original reggae version at Studio One – but this cut from Roland really builds on those ideas. 

Ego Trip.

This one is for all the Steppers people. It sounds more like something that Wackies swapped with someone rather than what was built at Wackies. I’m sure it’s a Everton Da Silva production – something released on Hungry Town. This is another aspect of reggae music that tends to throw people – the swapping of rhythms. Yet it makes a lot of sense, if you can only afford to build 5 rhythms – and someone else has  five rhythms – and you do a swap. You then have ten rhythms!  Artists and Musicians like to sing and play over certain rhythms. A project that wasn’t possible with one artist now is possible. A great tune. With those same kind of middle eastern vibes.

Shank I Sheck

Another massive rhythm from the past. Baba Brooks did it first in reggae for King Edwards. Bobby Ellis did a cut for Sonia Pottinger. Two trumpet players – it needed a sax cut – and in comes Roland.  It’s a great rhythm. Made for horn players – whatever they play Trumpet, Sax or Trombone. Roland’s cut is more mystical then then trumpet cuts. His mellow sax wanders along in fine style. 

Roll On

The title track of any album – is usually the best track on the album. And this is no exception. So many people have been inspired by the ‘Declaration Of Rights’ rhythm. This became one of the best instrumental cuts of the tune.  Roland places a brand new melody over the rhythm. And it’s probably a melody that been in head for years. I don’t think he ever cut a version of it for Studio One. In fact considering the power and majesty of this rhythm, it is strange that Coxsone kept away from it. That thankfully was the case with other producers. A great tune, from a superb album.

Lloyd Barnes