I plainly want to receive some various information about the reggae bassists Robbie Shakespeare, Flabba Holt and Aston "Family Man" Barret... What songs demonstrate their skills the best?

So long

Robbie Shakespeare is one of my favourite bass players and I love his work on the Grace Jone albums and with Black Uhuru as well as his Dub playing.

But I think the best thing I ever heard was when I saw him live with Black Uhuru in my home town - at the end of the gig, Sly and Robbie came back on stage without the band and played an encore - just bass an drums in a Dub style - fantastic stuff !

It was one of the best things I ever heard - but I thught at first it was just because I was a bass player and it meant more to me - but the crowd went wild and loved it - thousands of people just really loving bass and drums!! :)

All three of them are still touring and I highly recommend that you go see them live if you have the chance.

Robbie has recently been touring with Black Uhuru and I have heard that he is going to do some shows with Michael Rose.

Familyman is constantly touring the world with The Wailers.

Flabba is touring with The Roots Radics and they are backing Israel Vibrations.

Also you need to check out the greatest reggae bass player of all time: Leroy Sibbles. He played for Studio One, which was the most important reggae label ever. Sibble's bass lines are still being played today in countless versions of the Studio One songs. Also Sibbles happened to have an amazing voice and he was the lead singer for The Heptones.

Robbie Shakespeare is one of my faves too! I saw him with early Black Uhuru, and like Bruce said...it rocked my world:bassist: The early Black Uhuru albums like Chill Out/ Anthem etc. are great! Like Bruce said....the Grace Jones stuff is great as well as Joe Cocker's 'Sheffield Steel' album, for Robbie in a rock contex. Familyman Barrett has a couple cool solo albums out, as well as the Marley catalog that Rita Marley is trying to rip him off in:mad: Besides Roots Radics,go to www.allmusic to see how much great work Flabba Holt has done. Clinton Fearon is another excellent player, who has solo albums out and used to back the excellent roots band the Gladiators.

Robbie and Family Man are huge influences on me.

I love the bass line on "Botanical Roots" on the Black Uhuru album, "Anthem".

Every Marley album is good. I particularly like "Misty Morning" on Kaya.

You can't go wrong with those guys. I saw Black Uhuru live in the '80's and it was amazing.

Yeah it was the 80s when I saw Black Uhuru and that's the time of the Grace Jones albums - really innovative mix of funk, reggae and other types of music - so Joy Division, Iggy Pop covers in a funk/Jamaican style.:eek:

Of course the most famous is "Pull up to the Bumper" - Robbie slaps on dead strings!! But I think I like "Night Clubbing" best, although there are 2 or 3 other 80s Grace Jones albums with Sly and Robbie that have great grooves and production, as well.

Riddem Twins!!

Push push of the first Uhuru album(sensemilia) Kills. It will also remind you that that Sly is the MAN!

Thier in some places you might not expect For a Freak check Monte Alexander's album with them!(Jamiacan Born Jazz pianist just released a album with Ray Brown)

My all Time Fave is the Rhythm Killers album(Sly and Robbie) it produced by Bill lasswell and Has ALL THESE MOFO's on it.

AJ

1/ Fire (Ohio Players) 5.24
2/ Boops (Here To Go) (Sly,Robbie,BL,Shinehead,BC) 5.15
3/ Let's Rock (Sly,Robbie,BL,Collins,Berger)7.23
4/ Yes We Can Can (Toussaint) 6.16
5/ Rhythm Killer (Sly,Robbie,Laswell,Shinehead)7.17
6/ Bank Job (Sly,Robbie,BL,BC,Berger) 6.50

Recorded at Quad Recording
Engineered by Robert Musso
Assistant engineer : Pete Sturge
Mixed by Jason Corsaro at the Power Station
Assistant mix engineer : Steve Boyer
Produced by Bill Laswell/Material
Administration : Roger Trilling
Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk

Sly Dunbar : Simmons drums, percussion; Robbie Shakespeare : bass; Bootsy Collins : voice, guitar; Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Bernard Fowler & Shinehead : vocals; Pat Thrall : guitar; Nicky Skopelitis : guitar, Fairlight programming; Bernie Worrell : prepared piano; Karl Berger : vibes, melodica; Henry Threadgill : saxophones, flutes; D.ST. : turntable; Daniel Ponce : bells, bata; Aiyb Dieng : congas, bells, percussion.
Material strings arranged and conducted by Karl Berger


1987 - Island Records (USA), 7 90585-2 (CD)