A window into the life and work of King Jammy, this book looks at one of Jamaica's legendary sound system owners and record producers-the man credited with saving reggae music by injecting it with new life through the development of digital rhythms. While the dominant roots sound that had come to define reggae during the 1970s had been primarily associated with ganja and Rastafari, the fresh sound that was coming out of Jammy's studio was upbeat, aggressive, and thoroughly modern in its use of electronic drums and keyboards. This book makes no attempt to cover the history of reggae or search out the roots of this popular musical form. Instead, it takes a detailed look at the musical history of one man, the legendary King Jammy, and intertwines his unique story with a portrait of the times in which he lived and worked.
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About the Author
Beth Lesser traveled with her husband for almost the entire decade of the 1980s back and forth between their homes in Toronto, New York City, and Kingston, Jamaica, collecting reggae records for his radio show and material for their well-respected magazine, Reggae Quarterly. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
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More About the Author
Beth Lesser has been a devoted reggae fan since the 70's. During the 80's, Beth edited and published Reggae Quarterly Magazine the first international reggae publication to focus on Dance Hall style music. Beth and her husband, David, spent the decade thoroughly immersed in Jamaican music, David hosting the top reggae radio show in Toronto and the couple promoting several small shows, releasing a record, working public relations and even flying to Jamaica to bring artists through immigration to perform. In 1989, Ms Lesser was asked to write what became the first book to examine the digital revolution in Jamaican music, King Jammys, published by Black Star in Finland. An expanded edition was later published by ECW Press, Toronto, Canada, in 2002. A few years later, Soul Jazz, requested that Ms Lesser write a book about the 80's that could showcase her photographs from the period. Dance Hall: The Rise of Dance Hall Culture came out in 2008.
In between books, Ms Lesser wrote articles for several reggae magazines including Small Axe, UK, and Natty Dread, France. Her photos have appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world such as Mojo (UK), Natty Dread Magazine (France), Focus (Germany), Small Axe (UK), Wire (US), Riddim (Germany), Reggae Festival Guide (US), Reggae Vibes (France), Wax Poetics (US), NME (UK), as well as on CD's/ Albums released by companies like Blood and Fire, Greensleeves, Heartbeat, RAS, Pressure Sounds. Trojan, Soul Jazz, VP, 17 North Parade, as well as many Jamaican Labels. Ms Lesser's photos are also being used in the upcoming documentary films Return of the Rub-A-Dub Style, Tom Chasteen, 2010 and Holding Onto Jah, Roger Hall, 2009. Several are included in the permanent collection, Exhibit Z, housed in the Jamaican Reggae Museum.
Beth and David were married in a dance hall session in the yard of Jamaican singer Sugar Minott in 1986. Beth is currently managing foundation deejay, Jah Stitch.
Beth can be reached at bethkingston@gmail.com
In between books, Ms Lesser wrote articles for several reggae magazines including Small Axe, UK, and Natty Dread, France. Her photos have appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world such as Mojo (UK), Natty Dread Magazine (France), Focus (Germany), Small Axe (UK), Wire (US), Riddim (Germany), Reggae Festival Guide (US), Reggae Vibes (France), Wax Poetics (US), NME (UK), as well as on CD's/ Albums released by companies like Blood and Fire, Greensleeves, Heartbeat, RAS, Pressure Sounds. Trojan, Soul Jazz, VP, 17 North Parade, as well as many Jamaican Labels. Ms Lesser's photos are also being used in the upcoming documentary films Return of the Rub-A-Dub Style, Tom Chasteen, 2010 and Holding Onto Jah, Roger Hall, 2009. Several are included in the permanent collection, Exhibit Z, housed in the Jamaican Reggae Museum.
Beth and David were married in a dance hall session in the yard of Jamaican singer Sugar Minott in 1986. Beth is currently managing foundation deejay, Jah Stitch.
Beth can be reached at bethkingston@gmail.com
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent History of King Jammy and 1980's Dancehall,
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This review is from: King Jammy's (Paperback)
I bought this book solely on the title alone while I was just browsing on Amazon for Reggae books. If your into mid 1980's reggae artists and King Jammys then this book is for you.I was impressed on the individual stories and pictures on Half Pint, Tenor Saw and many other artists in that era. I'd say there was a picture of some artist on every other page. This book focused on King Jammy's early start in reggae/dub to modern dancehall and soundclashes as well the singers/DJs that he worked with. I was very pleased to read the section on how "Sleng-Teng" riddim ruled the dance and revolutionized dancehall. If time permitted I would have read this book straight through. This is definitely a reggae collector's item to have with your crates of vinyl. Now I have to find a excellent book like this one but about Henry 'junjo' Lawes.
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