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We Sing Gregory

by Various Artists

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about

On this album, jamaican producer Bravo used the best roots and culture band, the undomitable Roots Radics, featuring Flabba Holt on bass, Style Scott on drums and Keith Sterling on keyboards, and hired legends Robbie Lynn on keyboards, Cat Coore and Chinna Smith on guitar, Stick on percussion, Dean Fraser on horns, thus ensuring a heavy and flawless riddim foundation and superb arrangements. The Roots radics were Gregory Isaacs band in the early 80's, playing on the Night Nurse and Out Deh! albums, touring around the world with the cool ruler. Gregory Isaacs' songwriting is above par and the subjects are always treated with humbleness and consideration for others.

Over the past few years, Bravo has become a leading producers of the new Roots & Culture scene in Jamaica. He has produced such legends as his good friends Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Cocoa Tea, U Roy, Horace Andy, Winston Jarrett, Frankie Paul, Daweh Congo...

Bravo's home base in downtown Kingston is Leggo's Studio, on Orange street, which used to boast the presence of Randy's and Techiques studios, or Prince Buster's and Augustus Pablo's shop next door. A strong advocate of old school-style live sessions where the riddim section plays together to lay down the basic tracks, acoustic instruments rather than computer drums, analog tapes rather than protools and other music software.

The following is an excerpt from an interview of Bravo recorded in Kingston in October 2004, in which he describes the making of this album.

In 1999, I was mixing the U Roy album ''Serious Matter'' in studio Ornano, Paris, France, the thought came to my mind to do a various artists album with Gregory Isaacs tracks. Everyone I talked to thought the idea was great so I started the project in 2000 with the money I made overseas. I recorded 15 riddim tracks with the drum, bass and keyboard section of the Roots Radics at Leggo's studio. The first to voice was Gregory himself, I was so honored. I often engineer for his shows and one night in Guyana I asked him permission to go ahead with a tribute album. He said ''no can't do a tribute album, tribute fe dead people, me well well live, seen ? So you fi include me inna it and nah call it a tribute , seen ?''. Back inna Kingston, he came at Leggo and voiced Cool Down and Thief-A-Man.

When the word spread in Kingston that I was doing a Gregory project, every artist start call and drop by at Leggo and I had to select carefully. It almost caused problems with frustrated artists and I had to put the projects on the back burner for a while, so many singer want to voice a Gregory tune for the international market ! Then someone I won't mention by name stole the tapes one night and went to London to mix a dub album out a it, slowing me down further. It took months to get those tapes back and start work again, seen ? This album has a history on its own, me tell you !” Bravo laughs.

When things got back to normal, over the months, whenever I could save a little cash, I would ask a singer to voice. One day Luciano came into Leggo. For him, I had ''Number One'' in mind. But him say : ''Me is a messenger and cyan do no love song'', so he voice ''Thief-A-Man'' again. I put it out early 2004 in Jamaica on my Small World label and it sell well because his rendition is so powerful. I didn't have to pay radio stations to get airplay. The last two artists to voice were Bunny Rugs from Third World and Glen Ricks. They have such soulful voices, they bring tears to a hard man's eyes, me a tell you. What me apprecialove is that they nah copycat Gregory and bring them own style to the tunes.

Because I have such love for the music and Gregory music in particular, this album turn out to be great, and I hope music lovers will enjoy it and continue to support the big acoustic sound of Roots & Culture. As Gregory told me, ''Keep up the good work'', so no matter how young or old you may be, you will never get a better chance to hear the Downtown original Sounds, check it out and don't let nobody fool you about the Real Authentic Sound, because it come from here (pointing to his heart and then pointing to the street outside the studio).

Many may say I was not born at the time Gregory Isaacs did most of these songs but growing up hearing them inspired me to keep this genre of music alive for the sake of Reggae music listeners, lovers and buyers, so the good music will live on and on and on. Maximum Respect !

Big up to my brethren Perry, Katus, my woman Ingrid, for support. Big up and maximum respect in every aspect to Father Gregory. A special thought to Anthony Ray, gone too soon.

Give thanks and praises to His Imperial Majesty for perfection and completion of this album.

Special thanks to Gregory Isaacs, don of all dons, Cool Ruler with no apology.

Produced & arranged by Gaylard Bravo & Guillaume Bougard

Recorded and mixed at : Leggo's Recording Studio
Engineer : Gaylard Bravo / Perry Hendricks
Assistant : Marlon Campbell / Katus Gordon

Musicians :
Drums : Lincoln 'Style' Scott
Bass : Errol 'Flabba' Carter
Keyboards : Keith Sterling, Robbie Lyn
Guitars : Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Cat Coore, Danny Sutherland
Percussions : Sticky Thompson, Christopher 'Sky Juice' Burth
Horns : Dean 'Canon' Fraser

Artwork : Denzil Naar aka Sassafrass
Photo : Dave Hendley
Artwork Remix : Laurent Gudin
Artwork Reissue : Florian Weigel

Vinyl LP Tracklist:
A1. Luciano - Thief-A-Man
A2. Glen Ricks - Number One
A3. Horace Andy - Night Nurse
A4. Sugar Minott - Wanted
A5. George Nooks - Private Secretary
A6. Gregory Isaacs - Cool Down
B1. Bunny Rugs - Tune In
B2. Max Romeo - Material Man
B3. Don Carlos - Objection Overruled
B4. Shalom - Stranger In Your Town
B5. Errol Dunkley - Sad To Know
B6. Gregory Isaacs - Thief-A-Man

GET YOUR COPY AT WWW.JAMWAX.COM

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released February 19, 2021

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