ROY BURROWES — Reggae Au Go Jazz (review)

ROY BURROWES — Reggae Au Go Jazz album cover Album · 1998 · Dub/Ska/Reggae Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
js
Roy Burrowes was a trumpet player who originally hailed from Jamaica, but by the 40s was already working in America and during the following decades played with a wide range of top talent from Duke Ellington to Archie Shepp. In 1987 Roy was invited by his old Jamaican friend, top producer Coxsone Dodd, to drop by his studio in Brooklyn and play trumpet on some old classic Studio One tracks. Roy also invited tenor sax man Clifford Jordan to help out as well. Unfortunately the album was still not finished by 1993 when Jordan passed away, leaving Dodd and Burrowes to finish the album with baritone saxophone ace Charles Davis filling in for Jordon. Finally in 98 they were finally ready to release “Reggae au go Jazz”.

This is a fun album, but I can’t help getting the feeling that this could have been much better. Listening to this album gives one the impression that they were tired of this project sitting on the shelf and decided to rush things at the end and just get it out there. There is no problem with the horn players and their solos, they are great throughout, but it sounds like the Studio One tracks were just played back in their already previously finished two track mix with absolutely no alterations or dubbing at all. That is the biggest disappointment, it’s a Dodd Studio One record with no dubbing effects, dang! It does help that they are all well loved classic Jamaican tracks, but it would have been a lot more effective if there had been more of an attempt to blend the horns with Dodd’s pre-existing tracks.

Along with the Studio One tracks, this album also has about four songs that feature a very dated 80s drum machine. Most of these tracks are clumsy and forgettable, except the sublime “Soul Sender”. On this one the drum machine plays a very sparse beat while Burrowes and Jordan float beautiful echoed melodies. It sounds like they are mixing Miles’ 60s “Silent Way” with his 80s “Amandla”. It’s a great track and would be a real prize for a DJ seeking that chill ambient cut that no one else has.

Overall this is a good record, but if they had really taken their time with it, it could have been much better. Maybe some day someone will give this album a well deserved remix.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Izumi Kimura / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway : Six Hands Open As One Avant-Garde Jazz
IZUMI KIMURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Raging Bulgakov Avant-Garde Jazz
SIMON NABATOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
New Start Fusion
TOM KENNEDY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Love Songs Live Avant-Garde Jazz
JOHN ZORN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Data 21st Century Modern
MATTHEW SHIPP
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

??·??·?·???·?·????
SADAO WATANABE
snobb· 19 hours ago
"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 1 day ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 2 days ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 3 days ago
T-SQUARE 45th Anniversary Celebration Concert & Tour 2023 @Zepp Nagoya ?CLIMAX?
T-SQUARE
js· 4 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed