Track Listing

1. Congo Man
2. Surfin'
3. King Tubby Meets The Rockers
4. Satta Massagana
5. 54-46 (Was My Number)
6. Ball Of Fire
7. Black Disciples
8. Bourbon Street Skank
9. None Shall Escape The Judgement
10. Nana's Chalk Pipe
11. Below The Bassline

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32467 in Music
• Released on: 1996-05-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 55 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the most revered elder statesmen of Jamaican music, Ranglin's career has seen him master a number of styles--from swing through ska, from Cuban music to jazz and bluebeat. A musician's musician, he's an unfailingly tasteful player, and passionately engaged with music of all kinds: now in his sixties, he seems as much at home with the latest drum and bass white label, as with a rocksteady rhythm. And it's this willingness to experiment, this creative restlessness, that has endeared him to subsequent generations of producers and players. Here, he teamed with American-based pianist Monty Alexander, on a collection of both original numbers, and classic Jamaican songs ("Ball Of Fire", Augustus Pablo's "King Tubby Meets The Rockers") which the duo filter through their respective reggae and jazz leanings. The rhythms are deep and cavernous, though serious jazz fans could argue that the sheer relentlessness of the groove--and the comparative simplicity of the tunes--renders them unsuitable for real improvisation. Nevertheless, a fine, distinctive set. --Andrew McGuire

CD Description
If there is was ever one Jamaican musician who should be considered a representative of all things musical in that tropical paradise, it is guitarist Ernest Ranglin. In the nearly50 years of playing leading up to the release of 1996's BELOW THE BASSLINE, Ranglin has not only seen musical trends metamorphosis from mento to ska to rock-steady and reggae, buthas also had a hand in participating in sessions for many hit songs.
BASSLINE bubbles over with Ranglin's distinctive and fluid guitar lines. He is joined by a talented back-upband, including Jamaican pianist Monte Alexander, jazz great Idris Muhammad on drums and Skatalites saxman Roland Alphonso. The mix of songs in this instrumental setting contains not only a number of Ranglin originals, but material by Augustus Pablo ("King Tubby Meets The Rockers"), Burning Spear ("Black Disciples") and Toots Hibbert ("54-46 [Was My Number]"). Regardless of origin, this talented crew manages to havegreat fun changing gears for this ska, reggae and dub material delivered with a jazzy touch. This wonderful instrumental opus is a Jamaican musical history lesson. In addition, Ranglin's exquisite phrasing makes BELOW THE BASSLINE the perfect soundtrack for Sunday brunch.

Customer Reviews

Where's Ernest's Grammy?
You see a lot of 5 star reviews on Amazon, some rabid fan drooling over their muse, but for those who have an open mind to music and, like me, can appreciate that Augustus Pablo has as much relevance in music as Miles Davis, this album is surely a 5 star composition. There's not really another album to compare it to but hey...

Let's start with the players. If you have to ask they are, just put in a few Google or Amazon searches and get your wallet out for the sake of your ears: Ernest Ranglin himself of course; Monty Alexander; Idris Muhammad; Roland Alphonso; Ira Coleman; Gary Mayone (OK, I'll admit I've not heard of this guy!). 'Nuff said!

And the tracks: The Congos' 'Congo Man'; 'King Tubby meets the Rockers' which originated from Pablo's 'Cassava Piece'; Burning Spear's 'Black Disciples'; The Abyssinian's 'Satta Massagana'; and a few Ranglin numbers and other reggae standards for good measure.

All the tracks are given the 'jazz' treatment but this is not as outlandish as it sounds. Jamaican music is prolific and varied and has thrown up as many classic tunes (if not more) as any other form of music. Hearing them in another format just demonstrates what great tunes they actually are (in much the same way as Clapton successfully lifted 'I shot the Sheriff').

The awesome grooves of Coleman and Muhammad keep everything together as the others tastefully articulate variations on the themes of the tunes that will please all but the most ardent jazz-heads. Conversely it is the simple rhythyms that actually make this an accessible 'jazz' album for those who lean to the mainstream. The best of both worlds really!

So, pass this over at your own loss. If you take the plunge and fancy some more in a similar vein try the Skatalites' 'Stretching Out' (Pioneers of Ska with whom Alphonso cut his teeth) or Cedric Im Brooks' 'Light of Saba' (This guy is the Sun-Ra of reggae).

Safe bet
For those who don't know much about Ernest Ranglin he is a true veteran in every sense of the word. Ranglin has consistently been making music since the 50s or so. He was around with the starting up of Studio One and played with just about every band that recorded with the landmark label.

Whereas most of that crew stayed true to reggae as their main output, Ernest took the most refreshing venture that I know of amongst them. Ranglin till uses reggae rhythms but has applied them to a jazz format. In doing so he's completely cornered a unique area of the market. His reggae jazz guitar is instantly recognisable on hearing and his lilting, easy melodies are impossible to dislike. They're just too pleasant and happy as they skip along.

Critics will say that he is too predictable and rarely diverges from this format and they aren't wrong. Fans will of course say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' They're right too. You always know what you're getting with Ranglin and it's good. Don't expect to be exhilarated, it's way too laidback for that. His music always occupies the background when it's on but it fills it with warmth and a jazzy Caribbean charm.

This disc brings some us some brilliant renditions of the old reggae favourites. The legendary '54-46 was my number' is given Ranglin's traditional jazz guitar 'lick, slide'n'tickle' over a hopping bassline while the keyboard stabs out light chords with eceonomy. It's vintage Ranglin. 'Satta Massagana' has a weighty sadness to it and expresses itself in a more jazz fashion than the previously mentioned track. Other goodies on here are 'Congoman Chant', 'Surfin' - very lazy lilt with a good display from keyboard, 'Below The Bassline' - a solid product of Ranlin's unique style, hypnotic and lazy.

This gets 4 stars as it can't be called trailblazing or an absolute corker but it's foolproof feel good music from an old hand.

A Seamless Fusion Of Jazz And Reggae
Ernest Ranglin, possibly the finest musician ever to come out of Jamaica, and one of the greatest guitarists on the planet in any genre, started out playing in the jazz bands that were popular on the island in the late 1940s and into the 1950s. As one of the island's best musicians, he was in at the start of the Jamaican music industry in the late 1950s, venturing to London to record and play at the likes of Ronnie Scott's in the early 1960s, and has divided his career between Jamaican session work and international jazz ever since. His profile was raised considerably by the release of this superb record in 1996, on which he was backed by American jazz musicians including his old friend, the Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander, with whom he has recorded several albums. The album is almost unique in being a collection of reggae tunes (some very well known, a few composed for this album by Ranglin) played by jazz musicians, a concept that could have gone badly wrong in lesser hands but seems completely logical here - you only wonder why no one's done it before. Ranglin and Alexander obviously delight in each other's musical company, and the rhythm section feels jazzy while largely sticking to a reggae beat. Ranglin's guitar playing is marvellously inventive, full of cunning little licks that are always used in the service of the music rather than to show off. And every time you think maybe he's getting a little too clever he'll completely disarm you with something beautifully simple and funky. Wholeheartedly recommended to anyone who likes inventive and inspired and accessible guitar playing, including those who are not necessarily jazz or reggae fans.