Here’s a rare one (for me)…an in-depth study of someone’s discography that contains almost no vinyl. The third wave ska scene featured something that I have not seen to my satisfaction since: truly fantastic instrumental ska albums. While paying homage to the 1st wave with lots of covers, the 2Tone era broke fully from instrumental ska. The 3rd wave went in several directions – punk ska (aka “punk with horns”), more traditional sounding ska with vocals, and then, the really traditional instrumental ska. It was a particularly unique time in ska history, as a good number of the original Jamaican masters were still alive and touring, their influence obvious in every instrumental release. One of these was the late Rico Rodriguez. Rico was wonderful, and a trombone master. Which brings us to today’s task: tackling the very confusing discography of Jazz Jamaica, the wonderful Rico Rodriguez band of the era. “Oh, that’s easy,” you say. “It was just two CDs, right?” (Okay, I know you aren’t saying that. Work with me.) It turns out there were several albums that were only released in Japan, several others released under different band names, and even two using the name that were really by a different band. It took me forever to get straight.
Total aside: I tried like hell to see Jazz Jamaica and/or Rico play before he died. The world conspired against me. Jazz Jamaica actually flew to the States for one show in the late 90’s – a free performance in Central Park. My car was stuck in the shop longer than expected and I couldn’t afford the bus ticket to New York at that point. I’m still kicking myself – I even had a friend who really had no interest go as a surrogate. Then…years later, I lived in Switzerland, and I was supposed to drive to see Rico (in Lucerne, if memory serves), but he cancelled at the last minute due to illness. Of course, the car I was driving might not have made it anyway. Tragic.
At any rate, let’s take a dive into Jazz Jamaica. First, the ground rules: what counts as Jazz Jamaica? Here’s how I am defining the band: 1. Must contain Rico. 2. Must contain a representative sampling (half) of the eight band members who released the albums under the Jazz Jamaica name. This will become clearer in a moment.
1. Skaravan CD – 1993/1996
Readily available U.S. CD. Easy, right? Negative. This one originally came out in Japan and the UK in 1993, then later in the U.S. in 1996. Each had a completely different cover. That’s not too bad. But wait, there’s more…the Japanese version contained three additional tracks. And they’re GOOD: “Dr. Kildare,” “Rasta,” and “Confucious” (a significantly different version from the one that later came out on the Double Barrel album). There are some wonderful recordings on this album, including my all-time favorite version of “Peanut Vendor.” All in all, a fantastic album. It stands out above the other early ones. If you listen to all three of the Japanese releases, it is fairly obvious why this is the one that got the subsequent U.S. release.
2. The Jamaican Beat: Blue Note Blue Beat Vol. 1 CD – 1994
This was a Japan-only CD. Usually fairly easy to track down, as long as you are willing to pay for shipping from Japan. This one…I don’t know. Parts are good and others fall flat. It opens with a rendition of “Three Blind Mice.” I mean…it’s certainly the best rendition of it I have heard, but it’s still “Three Blind Mice,” and they opened the album with it. It’s…an odd choice. They do a version of “Watermelon Man” on here, which is one of my all-time favorite instrumentals. I have always thought that this should be a high-energy song, though, and the Jazz Jamaica version is a bit more chill, with a wandering bass line. It’s good, but then I listen to the Jump with Joey or Baba Brooks version, and feel that those are far superior.
One weird thing is that there were a couple of tracks on the disc with vocals, which was pretty abnormal for Jazz Jamaica. Hmm…I feel as though this is coming off as too negative. It is actually a very good album. The second half of the disc, in particular, is really strong – “Sidewinder” and “Song for My Father” are really good. There is also a pretty badass version of “Take Five” on here (which Rico later did for the fabulous late-’90s Ska Island compilation as well). This song, with its aggressive horn line, is the type of track that really showed off Rico’s trombone ability.
3. Rico & His Band – You Must Be Crazy CD/LP – 1994
The first curve ball (aside from the Japan-only releases, of course). This is a live album, recorded in 1994, released in Germany. It’s not officially Jazz Jamaica, but it meets the spirit of the exercise and the sound of the band. Rico, along with Eddie “Tantan” Thornton, Michael “Bammie” Rose, and Tony Uter play on this one. The rest of the band is different from the Jazz Jamaica releases. It’s a very solid live recording.