Return of a reggae pioneer
Wash Over Gold
Winston Grennan and Ska Rocks Band
Swegway Records
Send US$20 to 2400 Poplar Drive, Baltimore, MD 21207, USA
Review by Norm Dixon
Winston Grennan is not a household name among reggae enthusiasts, but he should be.
Drummer Grennan was one of the originators of the "one drop" heartbeat rhythm that is modern reggae's trademark. Grennan provided the beat for hundreds of reggae singles and albums in the music's formative years of the early '60s until the early '70s, as it evolved from ska and rock steady.
On almost all the songs recorded by Jimmy Cliff and Toots Hibbert in that period, it is Grennan who laid down the beat. It is Grennan's sticks on "The Harder They Come". Bob Marley's first few albums, and hits such as "One Love", "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Concrete Jungle" feature his talents.
He was the preferred drummer amongst the producers of reggae's burgeoning stars, playing with Peter Tosh, Desmond Dekker, ("007 Shanty Town"), Judy Mowatt, Gregory Isaacs, U Roy, the Ethiopians, the Melodians (the original version of "Rivers of Babylon"), and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. In fact, Grennan's discography runs to 13 pages of small type.
But the early Jamaican music industry was just as exploitative as any other. Session musicians, irrespective of their creativity and innovation, were rarely credited on the recordings they played. They were often paid a one-off fee per session, irrespective of how big a hit it may turn out to be. They did not share in stardom. Little of the riches that accrued to the producers and record companies came their way.
As Grennan told the reggae magazine Full Watts: "My name is not on a lot of these old records so I have to fight for my credit now. Because in those days they weren't putting no musicians' names on records. It was just the singers and the guy who owned the studio, the guy who put out the money to produce the records."
Grennan moved to the US in 1973 to study jazz and has made a living ever since as a session drummer, being equally at home on reggae, soul or jazz dates, and movie soundtracks.
In his adopted home of Baltimore, his reggae band's rare public appearances have generally been to assist local causes. He donates his services to help the annual benefit for Movable Feast which assists people with AIDS.
Grennan's long years in pioneering reggae, his versatility and sheer brilliance in all the variations of Jamaican popular music shine through in his band's debut album, Wash Over Gold.
Tracks range over the straight forward reggae tunes, horn drenched ska numbers and dub, all with a delicious jazz feeling from lovely guitar work (Lyn Tait), cool trumpet (Todd Horton) and funky organ (David Oliver). Grennan also plays a marvellous trombone and his lead vocals are sweetly gruff.
Another aspect of reggae's hey-day, which Grennan remains true to, is the commitment to social justice. "Domestic Violence" examines and condemns violence against women within relationships. Part of the proceeds of the album are being donated to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, an organisation that provides domestic violence education, prevention programs and lobbies for public policy reform. Other tracks attack racism, praise tolerance, and hit out against greed and war.
With Wash Over Gold, Grennan is seeking the recognition that has been denied him. If such things were determined simply by a performer's talent, sincerity and quality of achievement, then Grennan would be a household word.
But the world doesn't work that way. Grennan's album is released on his own label and available by mail order. It will not get the publicity and multinational recording industry marketing push that can turn even rubbish like the Spice Girls or Boyz II Men into billion dollar stars.
But, what the heck! We know about him and he can be our little secret.