JOHN BROWN'S BODY 'THIS DAY'

JBB is an american band coming from Ithaca NY which consists almost entirely  (with the exception of  Elliot Martin, harmony vocals) of white musicians: well, JBB is one of he best roots bands in the world. The ways of reggae music are infinite and mysterious. Although quite unknown here in Italy, the band is very popular in the USA due to their exceptional passion and ability in the handling of roots and dub riddims. The group is the incarnation of the life-long dream of singer Kevin Kinsella  who, alongside his friend Elliot Martin, gave birth to the band reassembling the members of the group he had first founded in the eighties, the Tribulations. 'All Time' the first effort from this group (the name comes from the legendary american slavery abolitionist- activist), released on their own label I-Town Records in 1996,   obtained  a success which was something unheard of before for autoproduced albums and earned  an entry in the Rolling Stones magazine's alternative music topo ten. Compared to the works of people like Lee Perry and Israel Vibration, the album (another work that really delighted me) allowed the band to release their second effort for the major label Shanachie Records (in its catalogue you will find albums of people like Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Alpha Blondy...). Since then the success of JBB has been growing and growing: their music is present in the soundtrack of two movies, and
lead singer Kevin Kinsella has written songs for jamaican star Half Pint. But when it's great, music speaks for herself so let me introsuce you to this splendid 'This Day' , released in 2000 once gain for Shanachie Records.
Listening to this album you could easily think that they are a jamaican band of the seventies, due to their compelling end magic vocal harmonies. The sound of David Gould's bass togehter with the sumptuos excursions of the brass section and the very effective vocal style of Kinsella (truly heartical and rootsy) create an energic and powerful reggae sound. Listen to songs like the title track, 'Isle of springs' or 'Poor Man's  prayer' (in a classic Bunny Lee's 'flying cymbals' style) and you wil get delighted.

RasWalter

Label  SHANACHIE

www.johnbrownsbody.com/

'Among Them' 1999 - Shanachie Records

'All Time' 1996 - I-Town Records