Description
Often compared to Motown for its hit-making power, Jamaican reggae was built just as much by studio musicians as by producers and singers. Among the most important of these was Soul Syndicate Band, the preferred studio unit of producer Niney the Observer.
While many Jamaican session musicians worked under different band names depending on the producer, Soul Syndicate were central to Niney’s sound, underpinning recordings by artists including Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, Michael Rose, I Roy, The Ethiopians, Barry Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Freddie McGregor. Built around the formidable rhythm section of Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis (drums) and George ‘Fully’ Fullwood (bass), the band combined tight, weighty grooves with fluid musicianship, often enhanced by leading brass and keyboard players of the era.
Recorded largely at Channel One, with additional sessions at Randy’s Studio 17 and Joe Gibbs’ studio, these tracks were frequently reworked by King Tubby, becoming powerful dub plates for sound system play. This release gathers a selection of those rare dub sides, highlighting the precision, creativity and collective strength of Soul Syndicate, with Niney guiding the sessions and Tubby adding his unmistakable touch.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.