FUNK BROTHER (VERSION)

Leroy Sibbles is the man.  Okay, got that out of the way.  He was one third of the Heptones, the amazingly smooth vocal trio, that much most of you may know.  But his contribution to of reggae in general is so much more.  When keyboardist and studio arranger Jackie Mittoo left Studio One, it was Sibbles who took over as arranger.  Important role in any studio, right?  But how important is the rhythm section?  In reggae, it's absolutely crucial.  Rhythms are what reggae is all about.  And, as you know, the rhythms (or riddims for people who aren't self conscious about using the term) get used and reused. Some rhythms never die.  In the sixties and seventies, Studio One was a damn riddim factory. There were lots of them, the good ones used several times for different artists and different songs.  (Okay, assuming you guys know a thing or two about reggae, and that this stuff is all pretty elementary, indulge me.)  Reggae is ,..wait.  Here's a question.  When you put on a good reggae record, after you adjust the volume, what's next?  That's right.  The bass. Hells yeah, am I right?  Okay, Leroy Sibbles was the bassist and arranger for the Soul Vendors, the Studio One house band, later renamed Sound Dimension, makers of the crucial golden era Studio One rhythms. You can see where this is going.  Just believe me, you've turned his bass up a time or two.

This all started when I ran into his most awesome solo cover of Express Yourself at DJ No DJ.  It's a top notch funky reggae jam, trust me.  After you listen to some of these, you can check out some of the Heptones stuff posted a while back. (I checked, about half of the links are good.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Leroy Sibbles - Express Yourself mp3 at DJ No DJ
Soul Vendors -Swing Easy mp3 at DJ No DJ
Soul Vendors - Musical Happiness mp3 at DJ No DJ
Sound Dimension - Rockfort Rock mp3 at Leave You Wanting Less
Leroy Sibbles - Love Me Girl mp3 at Music Megabox.net
More music:
Earlier Heptones posts Many links still good
Visit: 
Leroy Sibbles - Interview at Reggae Vibes