Spirit of Music (with the Melody Makers 1999) is raw and bluesy. His subsequent solo albums, especially the last five - Wild and Free (2011), Fly Rasta (2014), Ziggy Marley (2016), Rebellion Rises (2018), Brightside (2026) are all really good. Hard to rank.
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Your favorite reggae bassist?
- Thread starter Reggae_Digger
- Start date
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- reggae reggae bass
Thanks for this post.
I'd lost track of his output and had wondered where to dive back in.
Robbie Shakespeare, of course. I had the good fortune to see Sly and Robbie with Black Uhuru, almost by accident, in Bermuda. Fairly simple sounding bass lines played with perfect feel and timing. At that time (early 90’s) he was playing a Steinberger, and Sly on Simmons drums, like one player, locked into the groove.
Flabba Holt has been the most influential for me, but that's partly because of the Roots Radics as a whole. That band is what really got me into reggae (especially their records with Junjo Lawes). I like to refer to Family Man as the "Jamerson of JA". I love Ronnie McQueen's bass lines on the Steel Pulse records (especially True Democracy). Lloyd Parks is a name that doesn't get mentioned a whole lot, but he was great. I did a transcription of his part on Ken Boothe's version of "Everything I Own" that you can find on Talkbass if you do a search. There's also a Reggae 101 thread here that you'd probably find interesting. I actually have a rehearsal with Leroy Sibbles this evening, so that should be interesting!
Wow on Leroy Sibbles! Icon and so foundational to the beginnings of reggae bass.
Saw Black Uhuru a couple times. Once at Reggae on the River and, early 80s, opening for Talking Heads. What a show that was. A year before the Stop Making Sense film but essentially the same show though with Adrian Belew. Robbie with a Steinberger on that one. I think he might have had a PRS? on the later one but don't remember for sure. It was a hazy night, apropos...
I just feel like coming back to say thanks a lot for this recommendation. I've since learned it on bass and played it a few times while having a lot of fun. It's truly one thing just listening to a Family Man bassline and another thing playing it yourself. The minimalistic approach with solid groove, space, and melody is irresistible. Thanks for another banger added to my collection!
You started a good thread bro, it won't likely go zombie.
Hear Me Now -- Barbara Paige
I've enjoyed this album since it came out. Too bad they didn't release it on CD.
Edit: Family Man plays on it.
I've enjoyed this album since it came out. Too bad they didn't release it on CD.
Edit: Family Man plays on it.
Thanks for recommendation! I've listened to it and can say that the rhythm section is great as always. Never expect any less than that from Family Man and his brother. I double-checked the song it reminded me of (Forever Loving Jah by Bob Marley), and it seems like they have plenty of similarities. Especially the series of short notes on bass with repeated pauses. It's one of my favorite bass patterns in reggae, so that's cool
So, following your and others' recommendations I went ahead and listened for the first time to a dozen of popular and highly rated Steel Pulse songs, mostly from albums Earth Crisis and True Democracy. Amazing stuff! I really loved the distinct style in the basslines with just enough simplicity and groove to make every track a banger. I just can't get Man No Sober and Chant a Psalm out of my head nowAs a guy who was already familiar with Family Man, Flabba, and Robbie in the 80s… Stepper McQueen REALLY knocked me out when I first heard Steel Pulse on one of the “Reggae Greats” comps back then. His fluidity, technical command and concept were really second to none on those early, horn driven albums. I highly recommend “Handsworth Revolution “, “Reggae Fever”, “Tribute to the Martyrs “ and of course “True Democracy “ which for me, is an all time classic in any genre- a tour de force in writing and arranging (and engineering; it’s one of the albums I would bring to a friend’s house if they bought a new stereo, along with Peter Gabriel and Sade)
They had an entire second career starting with “Earth Crisis” , which many consider a classic. I’m not super into their post-80s output, but it’s popular. I’ve seen them quite a few times, they’re on tour this summer. David is still a hell of a singer.
This bass is like super glue with how strong it ties everything together even with very diverse instrument arrangements. Simply great! Thanks from me
Chant a psalm a day.So, following your and others' recommendations I went ahead and listened for the first time to a dozen of popular and highly rated Steel Pulse songs, mostly from albums Earth Crisis and True Democracy. Amazing stuff! I really loved the distinct style in the basslines with just enough simplicity and groove to make every track a banger. I just can't get Man No Sober and Chant a Psalm out of my head now
Keep the undertaker away!
Milk And Honey:
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A reggae bassist must lock with his/hers drummer as brothers Heywood do here.
A reggae bassman can't fool around musically speaking. Otherwise stage is free for like Myki Richards.
A reggae bass player must have deep, articulated sound like Davina Ramdat has.
A reggae bassman can't fool around musically speaking. Otherwise stage is free for like Myki Richards.
A reggae bass player must have deep, articulated sound like Davina Ramdat has.
Firstly, great 3 live records. Aesthetically pleasing as I would say!
Secondly, I see you do understand the rules of reggae. Locking in with a drummer is a must and is how a lot of reggae simply works. Someone (maybe Donstrumental?) said that in a reggae song the drums are the skeleton, and the bass is the soul.
Reggae is also indeed quite rigid in what you are allowed to play as a bassist, though there are obviously exceptions. I wouldn't add or take anything out of a Family Man bassline, and I wouldn't quite articulate over it either. However, Robbie or Flabba on recordings I've heard tend to relatively regularly add some nice extra touches in the form of slides or just general crazy basslines (see Sponji Reggae for that), so there can be some space for creativity, but only if the song allows it.
The deep tone is usually preferred, but I still often mess around with EQ. Some songs like Plastic Smile by Black Uhuru backed by Sly & Robbie tend to sound better when playing around the bridge with a more sharp and punchy tone, but not punk-level. Family man songs I usually play with less bass in the mix, because they sound best IMHO when played with a balanced and round tone and a soft touch near the neck. Where the fat deep tone shines most is the Flabba Holt and Roots Radics records.
Anyway, thanks for coming around and sharing nice live records! The rules are usually very solid too, so I think it will be helpful to those trying to learn more about reggae bass
Clifton "Jackie" Jackson is also great. He played on so many rocksteady hits. I think he also played on Paul Simon's mother and child reunion,which Simon went to Jamaica to record.
That's an important mention and a very good addition to the thread. Thank you very much for posting!
It's been a while. How are you doing guys? Any (reggae) songs you've been listening to recently? Me, I still like Steel Pulse. 'Just can't sorry for the bodyguard', lol
I recently listened to the 40th anniversary edition of Barrington Levy's Prison Oval Rock. I've also been listening to the Jackpot comps on Spotify (Bunny Lee productions, King Tubby mixes). I have a bunch of those 10" releases and was kind of surprised to find them on a streaming platform.
That's amazing! I like Barrington Levy stuff too, just checked the anniversary edition. The song itself reminded me of Fort Augustus (Sly & Robbie production) by Junior Delgado. Have you ever listened to it?
Ah, Jackpot. I love the late 60s early 70s period in reggae. I checked their discography and Spotify playlist and found John Holt, Ken Boothe, and Delroy Wilson among others. I remember one of his songs, "Better must come", was used for Michael Manley election campaign in early 70s. The bassline is so good. I checked it was produced at Jackpot Records. To me it's very nice to see reggae still living on streaming platforms. i want to ask if you have any Jackpot recordings you particularly like?
I'm familiar with "Fort Augustus" (I had to go back and listen to it to refresh my memory). I can't say it reminds me of "Prison Oval Rock" though.
Many of the Jackpot playlists are kind of all over the place: there was one I listened to that had more recent recordings alongside tracks from the '70s. I have a soft spot for some of the DJ recordings, partly because they're often dubbed out a bit. But a lot of the tracks are throw-aways, so you have to go track-by-track. Some of the Johnny Clarke and Horace Andy stuff is classic. And the best of the King Tubby's dubs are, to me, as good as it (dub) gets. I personally really like the sound of those recordings. There's a darkness there that I enjoy. Rawness mixed with precision: the Aggrovators and Tubby were a magical mix.
