The Wailers Band
2.3.2000
Photos by Lamar

The Legendary Wailers
by W. Lamar Miles
Special to the Lumberjack

 

There is a word in the Rasta vernacular, "livication", that means devotion or dedication. There will be many shows and festivals in February livicated to Bob Marley, who would have been 55 this month. To lead off the celebrations here in Humboldt County, the legendary Wailers Band featuring Marcia Griffiths will be playing two shows at Six Rivers Brewery in McKinleyville this Thursday, February 3. This is rare opportunity to see top ranking roots reggae in a small venue.

The Wailers Band is led by Aston "Family Man" Barrett, one of the most respected and influential bass players in reggae music. As youths in East Kingston, Jamaica, Family Man and brother drummer Carlton built their first instruments from scratch. The Barrett brothers formed their first group, "The Hippy Boys" in 1965. During a prosperous and lengthy association with Lee "Scratch" Perry "The Upsetter", the Hippy Boys became known as the Upsetters. The original Wailers were a vocal trio consisting of Marley, Peter Tosh, and Neville Livingston aka, Bunny Wailer. The Upsetters provided the rock steady rhythms on Wailers' classics such as "My Cup Runneth Over", "Duppy Conqueror" and "Who The Cap Fit." In 1970 Bob hired the Barrett Brothers, undisputedly the best band in Jamaica. After Peter and Bunny left to pursue solo careers, the group was known as Bob Marley and the Wailers. Family Man is equally respected as the Wailers' Musical Director, and as a producer, having worked with reggae stars from Alpha Blondy to Yabby You as well as popular artists such as Joe Cocker and John Denver. Family Man is keeping busy by establishing a new recording studio and record label: AFMB Production Recently, the Wailers Band released a new live album, recorded in Negril Jamaica. s. For more information, check out the official site: http://www.wailers.com.

The Wailers 30th Anniversary Tour features Marcia Griffiths, one of the most popular female vocalists in Jamaica. She began as a solo artist at the Studio One label and later formed the I-Threes with Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley. The band includes longtime Wailers keyboardist Earl "Wire" Lindo, Vin Gordon on trombone, Glen DaCosta on sax, and singer Gary Nesta Pine. I spoke to Family Man and Gary Wednesday while the band was en route to the House of Blues in Los Angeles for a show that night. Gary has been to Humboldt County with Michael Rose and said "We love it up there...we always talk about up there. It's a very sensual place with a great vibe." His advice for aspiring musicians: "You have to understand that we're playing the King's music. We have to be humble toward that, and be reverent."

This article is a special livication to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and some of our brothers who left in 1999: Dennis Brown, Joe Higgs, Junior Braithwaite and Curtis Mayfield.

--W. Lamar Miles
Humboldt Foot Solier #1

Originally published in The Lumberjack newspaper, February 2000