Is He Jamaica’s Greatest Bass Player?

[Historian]

I suspect that no reader on this forum has ever heard of Jamaica’s Rohan Reid. This young man, in my opinion, is probably the greatest Jamaican bass guitarist ever.

I was privileged to know Rohan from he was a youngster growing up in Kingston. He first started his music career as a bass player with the Grace Thrillers somewhere around the tender age of 12. In the 1990s, Rohan, along with the great drummer Desi Jones, formed the outstanding rhythm section for the acclaimed jazz group at the regular Mutual Life jazz sessions.

Rohan later moved on to various gigs in the USA, including being the bass player in the Disney World house band. He now lives in New York, I believe.

Here is a YouTube link link for “Dry Weather Road,” one of his tracks from his album, “Rifle Road”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mZetoi4284

[Hortical]

Aston "Family Man" Barrett

[HL]

Love the music!!!

Jamaica has so many unsung musical heroes. Eugene Gray, Richard Greene...et al.

[TDowl]

http://www.brianatkinson.com/

[Historian]

Unsung Musical Heroes

Love the music!!!

Jamaica has so many unsung musical heroes. Eugene Gray, Richard Greene...et al.

Thanks, HL boss. And you are definitely correct in your statement that “Jamaica has so many unsung musical heroes.” You are so correct with this statement!

By the way, I have always been a fan of Jamaican guitarist Eugene Grey. Here is one of my favorites, “Linstead Market”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrDLJ_XkRWo

You know, HL, one of my many regrets over the many years that I’ve been involved in music is the sorry state of music education in Jamaica. But, when I see how we have developed our homegrown world class track and field clubs (MVP and Racers) and the results, I feel that culture-rich Jamaica will eventually see it fit to introduce music education on a serious, major scale in every high school.

This is one of the dreams I’ve always had!

[Historian]

Nope

Aston "Family Man" Barrett

Most definitely not in the same class at all as bass players like Rohan Reid and Dwayne Livingstone!!

[Raggs]

not know 'bout that, but there is an album out by marcus miller called " tutu revisted". he of a jamaican lineage and i've never heard a bass guitar played like that.

[TDowl]

Eugene Grey, and to think he started out playing Mouth Organ with the Serenades, and in that band was Brian "Bones" Atkinson and Ike Bennett who went on to play with the Crystalites, can you imagine they back up Moccasin now Niney, and Earl "The Pope" Edrum.

[Historian]

I Agree With You!

not know 'bout that, but there is an album out by marcus miller called " tutu revisted". he of a jamaican lineage and i've never heard a bass guitar played like that.

I completely agree with you, Raggs!

Marcus Miller is indeed one of the great bass players on the planet, and he is in a different league than most bass players. He’s also a more technically developed and experienced bass player than Rohan Reid. I’ve always listened to and admired Marcus’ extraordinary playing.

Marcus is in the same class of other geniuses like Victor Wooten, Jeff Berlin, Stanley Clarke, John Patituci, and so on. In fact, I did not mention Marcus Miller only because I was focusing on the Jamaican-born players .

[Farmah]

Rohan Reid is an excellent bass player.

Where would you guys rank Mikey Fletcher, LLoyd Parkes and Leroy Sibbles? Sibbles is also an excellent bass player but he is underrated because he is more known as a singer from Heptones fame and now doing it as solo artiste. However, he is (in my opinion) our best bass player...counting Rohan Reid.

[Hortical]

What are his accomplishments, and your friendship with him is likely to have an impact on your views.

[Historian]

Thanks, Farmah

Rohan Reid is an excellent bass player.

Where would you guys rank Mikey Fletcher, LLoyd Parkes and Leroy Sibbles? Sibbles is also an excellent bass player but he is underrated because he is more known as a singer from Heptones fame and now doing it as solo artiste. However, he is (in my opinion) our best bass player...counting Rohan Reid.

Farmah, I’m glad you know Rohan Reid ! This guy Reid is simply brilliant, although there is another young Jamaican, Dwayne Livingstone, who is probably on the same level. I’ll post a YouTube link for Livingstone later.

Also, Mikey Fletcher is another superb, very knowledgeable bass player. I suspect that he was classically trained (guitar) when he was growing up in England, but I’m not sure. I’ve spoken to Mikey Fletcher on one or two occasions back in the 1980s when he was with Dean Fraser, but I never asked him. But I particularly admired Mikey’s work with Dean Fraser’s 809 Band. Mikey, of course, later went on to become Shaggy’s bass player.

Leroy Sibbles is one of the most important bass players as far as the development of Jamaica’s rock steady and reggae are concerned. However, as in the case of Lloyd Parkes, it’s hard to fathom Sibbles’ level of musical development and bass technique in that playing reggae and rock steady grooves pose no great amount of technical challenge and theoretical knowledge. More than anything else, the ability to create a steady, rhythmic groove and good musical taste are important in commercial music such as soul, reggae, rock steady, and so on.

(Nevertheless, bass players like Derrick Barnett of Sagittarius Band are also good soloists.)

[Historian]

I'll Let You Judge, Boss

What are his accomplishments, and your friendship with him is likely to have an impact on your views.

Hortical, I respect your questions, boss. However, Rohan Reid is a brilliant, technical highly developed jazz musician. Jamaicans like Rohan and the violin player Jon Williams are in a class by themselves. I haven’t kept touch with his work after he left Jamaica, except for the time he spent as a bass player with the Disney World band.

Here are two links featuring Rohan. Judge for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aURfjmOfvhQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erM-p...eature=related

[Tilla]

Mouth Organ

Is wha dat boss?
Anyway, I was telling my wife just the other day that they called the harmonica a mouth organ in Jamaica.

[Assasin]

I have been there before with most of these bassist but Dr. Paul is also a good bassy too.

Playing live these Reggae Bass player can actually work it more than on record.