SCIENTIST — Dubbin With Horns (Meets Roots Radics) (review)

SCIENTIST — Dubbin With Horns (Meets Roots Radics) album cover Album · 1996 · Dub/Ska/Reggae Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
js
To the casual listener, the relationship between jazz and dub roots reggae may not be obvious other than that both are based on African rhythms, but the very origins of ska/rock steady/reggae were created by Jamaican jazz musicians. In Jamaica, during the early 60s, out of work jazz and RnB musicians began to find steady employment playing the new ska beat, and brought with them the horn charts and rhythmic riffs from their previous work as jazzmen. Over the years ska gave way to reggae, but the jazz musicians were still part of this scene. In the late 70s engineer/mixer King Tubby assembled some of Jamaica’s finest musicians and began to record experimental psychedelic instrumental records that became known as dub. Fast forward a few more years and now his most talented protégé, a young man named Scientist, has taken the controls for even more creative dub adventures.

Although the release date says 1996, “Dubbin with Horns” was recorded during the late 70s, which is a good thing because modern dub has lost its roots and has been infiltrated with hip-hop, techno, crackaeton and crack-step. There are a lot of great late 70s dub records out there, but this one is especially good. The sound on here is pure gold, deep and heavy with just the right reverb around the horns to make them sound massive. Don’t expect jazz solos from the horn players, they just stick to their riffs, but every riff is the perfect addition to the riddims laid down by the Roots Radics. There are so many great tunes on here, but one favorite is “Nuh Brother Fight”, based on the majestic sounds of what is often called the “Stagalog” riddim, the horns sound like an African procession and Scientist interjects perfectly timed echoes and breaks. The deep bass on this cut will definitely test your sub-woofer.

Fans of late 70s dub should pick this one up, in a genre loaded with great recordings, this one is a slight cut above the rest.
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

Symphonic Blues No. 6 Third Stream
CORKY SIEGEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recut Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop
SKALPEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Yuval Cohen Quartet : Winter Poems Post-Fusion Contemporary
YUVAL COHEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Just Nu Jazz
JIM HART
Buy this album from MMA partners
Skrifum Post-Fusion Contemporary
JON BALKE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

SOLSTICE album release • Duo Russo - Holst
PAOLO RUSSO
js· 101 minutes ago
Akiko Yano & Hiromi - Kawarushi (Official Audio)
HIROMI
js· 1 day ago
All I Want For Christmas Is You
DAVID HAZELTINE
js· 1 day ago
Chicken
QUATUOR EBÈNE
js· 2 days ago
Det er en egen lomme
THE LEIF
js· 2 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