Andy Bassford, born in Hartford, Connecticut, is the reggae legend you’ve never heard of. After initially playing several years in rock, reggae, latin jazz, and country bands, he then was discovered by Horace Andy, which led to his recording debut on the classic album ‘In The Light’ in 1977. In 1980 he went to Jamaica and began playing on sessions with the Roots Radics. Soon after he joined Lloyd Parks and We The People, thus performing or recording with nearly every reggae artist of the era, most notably Dennis Brown. Upon his return to the US in late 1980’s he joined Toots and the Maytals among many others and became the house guitarist for the seminal Studio One label. Currently, Andy performs internationally in Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander’s Harlem-Kingston Express reggae-jazz fusion project, with whom he has also recorded two albums. In 2003, he was honored by the Jamaica Federation of Musicians for Outstanding Contributions to the Jamaican Music Industry, one of the only-non Jamaicans to receive this award. In 2019, he won his first Grammy as a composer and guitarist on Sting & Shaggy’s “44/876”, which took the honor of best Reggae album. Andy Bassford’s first ever solo album “The Harder They Strum” pays homage to the movie and album that lured Andy into the wonderful world of Jamaican music. Continue reading Reggae Guitar Legend’s Debut Solo album! ANDY BASSFORD “Harder They Strum” LP vinyl / 8 TRACK TAPE sold out
Tag: LARRY MCDONALD
BROOKLYN ATTRACTORS “Good Evil Alchemy” CD / LP (OUT OF PRINT) – All Star Jamaican Ska Jazz Reggae!
Anyone familiar with the American Reggae and Ska scene has already heard the work of the musicians in the BROOKLYN ATTRACTORS. The group’s core line-up consists of New York City Reggae and Ska veterans, LARRY McDONALD, EDDIE OCAMPO, BIG DAN JESSELSOHN, BUFORD O’SULLIVAN, JUSTIN ROTHBERG, as well as Anant Pradhan and Luke Penella, two emerging musicians on the NY Jazz scene. The group was created by Westbound Train trumpeter and Void Union co-founder RICH GRAIKO in 2011 as a way to pay homage to 1960’s era Jamaican and American instrumental music. Continue reading BROOKLYN ATTRACTORS “Good Evil Alchemy” CD / LP (OUT OF PRINT) – All Star Jamaican Ska Jazz Reggae!
