- Man from Wareika
-
Rico Rodriguez Studio album by Rico Rodriguez Released 1977 (UK, Int.) Recorded May 1976 - September 1976; Joe Gibbs and Randy's Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, September 1976; "Africa" Island Hammersmith Studios, May 1976 Genre Reggae Label Island, Blue Note, Top Ranking Producer Karl Pitterson Professional reviews The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space.
Rico Rodriguez chronology Blow Your Horn Man From Wareika
(1977)That Man Is Forward Man From Wareika was the first album recording for Rico Rodriguez led by his own artistic imagination, and his first recording created for album release. It is notable for being the only roots reggae album to be released on Blue Note Records.
After recording one track ("Africa") in London with engineer Dick Cuthell as a kind of a demo for label owner Chris Blackwell - its arrangement is completely different in comparison to the rest of the album and contains flute and chorus - Rico Rodriguez was offered a contract to record this album; and he could arrange to record in Jamaica.
After 15 years Rico Rodriguez returned for the first time to Jamaica. He had left the country in 1961 when he already has been heavily involved in creating the then new ska sound. In 1976 he added something new to reggae music. A critic wrote in 1977 that the album "does not just reflect the current popular trends, but ... expresses in a definitive way the Jamaican music tradition."
The nine self composed tracks on the album offer Jamaican rhythms with horn lines between a melodic use (e.g. on "This Day", "Lumumba") and jazz; the latter helped to define something like a new genre, Jamaican jazz, transforming the experience from early ska days into 1970s roots reggae. Most of the songs remained in Rico's live repertoire until these days. Some have been re-recorded by other artists and by himself.
Contents
Track listing
All compositions and arrangements by Rico Rodriguez
- "This Day" – 4:14
- "Ramble" – 4:11
- "Lumumba" – 4:01
- "Africa" – 4:36
- "Man from Wareika" – 3:16
- "Rasta" – 3:38
- "Over the Mountain" – 3:14
- "Gunga Din" – 3:53
- "Dial Africa" – 3:22
Personnel
- Rico Rodriguez - trombone
- Sly Dunbar - drums
- Jacko - drums on "Africa"
- Ras Robbie Shakespeare - bass
- Bunny McKenzie - bass on "Africa"
- Radcliffe "Duggie" Bryan - lead guitar
- Karl Pitterson - lead guitar, keyboards, percussion
- Junior Hanson Marvin - lead guitar
- Lloyd Parks - rhythm guitar
- Phillip Chen - rhythm guitar on "Africa"
- Bernard "Touter" Harvey - keyboards
- Ansell Collins - keyboards
- Errol "Tarzan" Nelson - keyboards
- Tony Washington - keyboards on "Africa"
- Skully - wood drums
- Tony Utah - percussion on "Africa"
- Satch Dixon - percussion on "Africa"
- Flick - fussy tambourine
- Ijahman - backing vocals on "Africa"
- Candi McKenzie - backing vocals on "Africa"
- Viv Talent Hall - trumpet
- Bobby Ellis - trumpet
- Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton - trumpet on "Africa"
- Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall - tenor saxophone
- George Lee - tenor saxophone
- Keith Gemmel - tenor saxophone on "Africa"
- Herman Marquis - alto saxophone
- Ray Allen - alto saxophone
Recorded at Joe Gibbs Studios and Randy's Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica, September 1976.
Engineers: Karl Pitterson, Errol Thompson, Dick Cuthell, assisted by Flick.
"Africa" was recorded at Island Hammersmith Studios, May 1976 by Dick Cuthell.
All tracks mixed at Island Basing Street Studios by Karl Pitterson and Dick Cuthell, assisted by Kevin Dallimore.
Executive producer: Chris BlackwellCover illustration by Tony Wright. Design by Eckford/Stimpson.
Releases
1977:
- LP: Island ILPS 9485 /UK
- LP: Blue Note BN LA819 H /US
- LP: Top Ranking no # /Jamaica
ca. late 1980s:
- CD: Mango /Island CID 9485 /UK
1999/2000:
- Vinyl Only /Island
2004:
- CD: Island Japan
Man From Wareika was also remixed into a dub version, released as Warrika Dub (LP: Ghetto Rockers PRE 1), re-released 2004 in Japan on Island CD
External links
Categories:- 1977 albums
- Reggae albums
- Albums by Jamaican artists
- Island Records albums
- Blue Note Records albums
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.