New Dimension Recording Studio |
 (Rich Lowe, www.reggaejamaicaway.com, 2022) The barn dance has ancient origins worldwide relating to celebrations of farm harvests and successful hunts. The dances take various forms; they may be organized country or folk dancing, religious worship, or marriage rituals. In the mid-1800s in Scotland, these dances were held by laborers where they imitated the behaviors of wealthy landowners. In the days of slavery in the Caribbean, dances had resistance themes where oppressed people would mock the plantation owner through dance. Dating back to the start of the ninetieth century in Jamaica, live orchestras would furnish music for barn dances. As a novelty, the informal dance might be held in a barn or an open barnyard-type area with animals, costumes, and music. Wally B Bryan is Jamaican-born, bred, and schooled. He was born in 1937 and lived on Pouyatt Street, just a few streets away from where Tom the Great Sebastian lived on Jamaica Street and by Barrel O’ Lawn. The Walker family operated an area bakery, and their property was rented for dances under the title of Pioneer Lawn. In 1955, Wally B promoted a dance at Barrel O Lawn in Jones Town with King Edwards The Giant Sound System. Wally B describes the dance that night: “That dance turn me into a man. The place was cork till it couldn’t hold. It was jam-packed! The street was block that night, and me sell-off nearly a van load of drink.” Dance promotion became a passion for Wally B that night and would continue throughout his life. Wally B emigrated to the UK in 1964 and continued to follow his native music by attending sound system events and promoting dances. The next step was to build his sound system in 1969, adopting the title of one of his favorite sound systems from home: Supertone Sound System. He went on to open his longstanding Supertone Record shop in 1983, which has been in operation ever since–featuring Jamaican and Caribbean music from the 1950s onward. Wally plays roots, rockers, lovers rock, and everything in between. A Barn Dance, As told by Wally B of Supertone Records In a recent conversation, Wally B mentioned the theme of a barn dance. He went on to explain how he promoted his own “barn dance” back in Jamaica: My friend used to work on a ship, and he show me how to cook the curry goat and make it nice. I keep a barn dance in the middle 1950s. Ya know what a barn dance is? A barn dance is a dance that you don’t use no electric light. You use lantern. It was a low-key kind of a dance where you keep the music down low and play all the calypso songs. That era kind of music-a tourist style of music. At the time, the barn dance had seen its better days, but we recuperate that kind of system for people who remember and could enjoy that type of dance. We make it on that level and are glad to know that somebody create that dance again. It was a revival night. The music that used to play was still hangin’ about ‘round the place, so you have to get a sound or DJ that knows that kind of music. I keep that dance at Victoria Pier at the bottom of King Street with Myrtle Bank Hotel just over at the other side on Harbour Street. Right at the water. They just refurbish that place and make the market for the tourists, and we keep the dance on top. Dickie’s Dynamic play for me there. Dickie’s was owned by a Chinese man that owned a store on Brynes Street in Jones town next to the post office. He sold all kind of fabric like tyrlene. All the people who come to a barn dance dress in more Jamaica national style of dress because it was old fashioned. We had people come from all ‘bout, and that was cork! We try it out, and we never know because we were pretty young to keep a barn dance, and the place was big. That was the first dance that ever keep at Victoria Pier at the club upstairs [of the] market. This was at the club where all the calypso bands play to attract the tourists (Wally B, interview by author, 21 November 2022). Wally B – Supertone “An all-arounder in the business” Supertone Record Shop, Sound System, and dance promotion. 110 Acre Lane, London SW2 5RA www.supertonerecords.co.uk |
Victoria Pier two-story club. Now owned by Andrew Azan. (2019, Rich Lowe)
(l-r) Mikey Jarrett, Sammy Dread, Lord Sassafrass. Many years ago, as a radio announcer playing Jamaican music, I searched for records on Eglington Avenue in Toronto and saw an advertisement for a dance that night. I attended the dance, and by sheer luck, I encountered and conversed with the tremendous Jamaican toaster Lord Sassafrass (Michael Johnson). This meeting was in 1985 and was still early in his career. I am fortunate to have known Jamaica’s Lord Sassafrass when he was thrilling Jamaican dance hall patrons and topping the Jamaican Hit Parade with “Pocomania Jump.” Sassafrass regularly worked with Black Scorpio Sound System alongside fellow toasters General Trees, Mikey Melody, Shuka Shine, Culture Lee, Echo Minott, and other greats. Close to forty years have passed, and Sassafrass is alive and well and living in Toronto, Canada. He continues to perform live, works on his “Skagichall” album for Horseman Records, and is occupied with a book project about his career.
Michael Johnson was named Lord Sassafrass by the great Jamaican producer and singer Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1978 when he recorded at the Black Ark Recording Studio. Sassafrass describes how he formed the full title: “Me name me-self after an American horse name Sassafras, a wicked grass horse, good pon the turf. Go to Lee Perry and him seh: ‘Well, we call ya Lord.’ That was in 1978 when I recorded ‘Green Bay Incident’ and ‘Green Bay Inquest’ [with Debra Keys] for Lee Perry at Black Ark.”
Over time I learned others had adopted the Sassafrass nickname. I know of three people/groups that use the title of “Sassafrass” in varying forms: Michael “Lord Sassafrass” Johnson of Black Scorpio, The Jamaican artist and poster maker “Sassa,” and the American folk group “Sassafrass” which started in 1999 at Bryn Mawr College. There has been some confusion over the years with this name, which recently swelled when the Jamaican artist Denzil Naar a.k.a. “Sassa,” died in July 2022. Some became confused when word spread that Lord Sassafrass had passed away, while it was the poster artist Sassa that died.
Denzil Naar is the iconic artist from Jamaica who created omnipresent posters in the 1980s. Naar went by the title of Sassa when he first started in the 1980s and, at times, adopted the nickname of Sassafrass. To say that Naar’s artwork was iconic is an understatement. His poster design, lettering, and coloring brought his posters to life. They conveyed dance information in tremendous detail while making the poster pleasing to the eye. His posters are positively mesmerizing and unmistakable long-lasting pieces of art. To some, these posters are mere advertisements for long past dances, but with Naar’s talent and ingenuity, they elevate and become everlasting. Rest in eternal peace to the artist Sassafrass.
Lord Sassafrass - The Original Horseman, teacher of the great General Trees, and DJ of Black Scorpio Sound System is alive. Don’t confuse, Lord Sassafrass may be on the backstretch of his last furlong, but he is alive and kickin’.
By Rich Lowe, 2022
reggaejamaicaway.com
Michael Johnson was named Lord Sassafrass by the great Jamaican producer and singer Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1978 when he recorded at the Black Ark Recording Studio. Sassafrass describes how he formed the full title: “Me name me-self after an American horse name Sassafras, a wicked grass horse, good pon the turf. Go to Lee Perry and him seh: ‘Well, we call ya Lord.’ That was in 1978 when I recorded ‘Green Bay Incident’ and ‘Green Bay Inquest’ [with Debra Keys] for Lee Perry at Black Ark.”
Over time I learned others had adopted the Sassafrass nickname. I know of three people/groups that use the title of “Sassafrass” in varying forms: Michael “Lord Sassafrass” Johnson of Black Scorpio, The Jamaican artist and poster maker “Sassa,” and the American folk group “Sassafrass” which started in 1999 at Bryn Mawr College. There has been some confusion over the years with this name, which recently swelled when the Jamaican artist Denzil Naar a.k.a. “Sassa,” died in July 2022. Some became confused when word spread that Lord Sassafrass had passed away, while it was the poster artist Sassa that died.
Denzil Naar is the iconic artist from Jamaica who created omnipresent posters in the 1980s. Naar went by the title of Sassa when he first started in the 1980s and, at times, adopted the nickname of Sassafrass. To say that Naar’s artwork was iconic is an understatement. His poster design, lettering, and coloring brought his posters to life. They conveyed dance information in tremendous detail while making the poster pleasing to the eye. His posters are positively mesmerizing and unmistakable long-lasting pieces of art. To some, these posters are mere advertisements for long past dances, but with Naar’s talent and ingenuity, they elevate and become everlasting. Rest in eternal peace to the artist Sassafrass.
Lord Sassafrass - The Original Horseman, teacher of the great General Trees, and DJ of Black Scorpio Sound System is alive. Don’t confuse, Lord Sassafrass may be on the backstretch of his last furlong, but he is alive and kickin’.
By Rich Lowe, 2022
reggaejamaicaway.com
(l-r) Vin Edwards, Rich Lowe, George Edwards. By Rich Lowe
The following includes excerpts from the forthcoming book titled “Two Kings - King Edwards ‘The Giant’ Sound System.” *Also refer to “Jamaica Way Reggae Podcast at Soundcloud” for a King Edwards Podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/jaway-665380859
Any Jamaican involved in music in the 1950s is now - at minimum, in their late seventies. Many artists are now in their eighties and nineties, and others have passed; Toots Hibbert, U-Roy, most of The Skatalites players, Coxson Dodd, and Bunny, Bob, and Peter. The music from Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s is often considered a Golden Era of music. It has now been sixty-six years since King Edwards – The Giant started playing sound system in Jamaica.
Many years ago, I found an old photo of King Edwards on the Internet. The photo displayed a blurry, black-and-white image of George “King” Edwards sitting in a chair, out in the Jamaican sunshine. This image appeared ancient. George looked very old, and I imagined that he must have long since passed away. Years later, I read an article posted on the Roots Knotty Roots Jamaican music website by Michael Turner with an interview he conducted alongside filmmaker Brad Klein, with King Edwards himself! Vincent “Vin” Edwards was alive and living in Jamaica. It struck me that Turner and Klein had spoken with Vin Edwards, so the photo I saw must have incorrectly listed King Edwards as “George.” It was not uncommon for names to be listed incorrectly. With further research, I realized there were two King Edwards: Stanley George Edwards and Vincent Lorenzo “Vin” Edwards.
With considerable preparation, I made a pre-COVID visit to Jamaica to meet with both brothers and take the ride of my life as we moved throughout Kingston’s roads and lanes, touring famed dance halls, lawns, and yard locations where they played music. We spent two weeks - with Vin’s expert driving, visiting Foresters Hall, Jubilee Tile Garden, Chocomo Lawn, Carnival, S-Corner, and many others. Vin said – “Record everything! I want you to know everything, and I want you to see where we played music.”
When asked about George’s nickname of “Big Man,” Vin responded, “Him did fat y’know. At the time, he weighed about two hundred pounds. George is the best man I could have dealt with because our relationship was so great.” With this response, there was an inkling that the brothers had a special relationship.
In time, King Edwards assembled five complete sound system sets and played throughout the island of Jamaica. When King Edwards began their sound system in 1955, rhythm and blues music from America was a sensation. King Edwards played the most exclusive records by artists that a Jamaican ear preferred. King Edwards was the talk of the town, and they were loved by their followers and feared by opposing sounds. As the sound system evolved, tracks by Shirley and Lee and Roscoe Gordon were playing, along with recording sessions by the pre-Skatalites and Higgs and Wilson. From here, George and Vin Edwards pick up the conversation:
(George Edwards) I love American rhythm and blues, but I didn’t deal with much of the white stuff anyway. You have Shirley and Lee “Feel So Good” and “Got You On My Mind.” Smiley Lewis “Ooh La La” is another good one. You remember “One, Two, Three Boogie?” that was a bad tune here in Jamaica. Ya have one called “Hen Pecked Papa,” but only one man in Jamaica has it, man! Those records was the records we used to play until we couldn’t get no more, and we have to make it out here. “Feel So Good” by Shirley and Lee was a big hit here in Jamaica. All the jukeboxes used to play the good artists like Shirley and Lee. There was a jukebox in every little bar all over Jamaica. Remember Nat Cole? Them is the best singer in the record business. So, Jamaica just imitate. I’m a Jamaican, but I don’t like Jamaican records so much. Rhythm and blues – that’s my stuff. Mi love the American tune, man! Good music is good music, though, so I am not biased. If you listen to the instrument blowing on Louie Jordan songs, you will understand that the Americans feel their saxophone and trumpet instruments more than Jamaican men. Jamaica a little lighter. Most of our music is the same Louie Jordan style of play. When our boys go to America in 1943, Louie Jordan was a popular man. When I was young, I go to Alterry Beach in Saint Ann to listen music played by sound systems like Michelin and Howell, and I go to Bournemouth and Silver Slipper. I go to all of them, cuz I wouldn’t get the music experience if I don’t do that.
(Vin Edwards) My favorite music is jazz. Reggae is our music in Jamaica, but the whole concept of reggae originate and come out of the American culture. Definitely. Our music was influenced by all of those artists and musicians, like Louie Jordan, Joe Turner, Shirley and Lee, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Big Joe Turner - who was the first rock and roll man! They can’t argue with me on that. Duke, Coxson, and King Edwards were the authors of reggae. The tunes that I was looking for were made as early as 1940, and we establish them with the Jamaican audience. We moved music from English classical music to American rhythm and blues. There was a transition, and Coxson, myself, and Reid did it.
(Vin Edwards) When I get my visa on 14 October 1954, I was twenty-one, going on twenty-two. It didn’t have anything to do with sound. My sister Evelyn – we used to call her “Tiny.” She passed her exam, left school, and went to live in America for the rest of her life. She and George were near in age. My sister send for me, and I went on a vacation, but I didn’t have sound system in my mind.
(George Edwards) While Vin was in Philadelphia, I keep listening to Tom the Great Sebastian, and that inspire me to bring Vin into the record business with me. But him never respond to me, but afterward, him get to like it. Him say no, but two month after, I get the sound an’ he say yes man, we ah play out the records man! Vin bring down the first amplifier.
(Vin Edwards) With every letter George wrote - every time saying, “Bring me down a sound. Bring me down a sound. Bwoy when you come home, the sound thing ah make money.” I say what kinda sound? George say, “Bring a hundred-watt.” In those days, our guys them used to make the power transformer on the output and a fifty watt an’ a twelve-inch and bruk up this house. They move from this tube to transistor in America, so I buy the hundred watts, believing I bigger than the rest. I bought it at a radio shop on Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia. At that time, it was only black and white television, no color television.
(Vin Edwards) When we came on a Sunday, we stop out at Bournemouth to test it out. George brought a roll of speaker wire, and we plug it in. When George hear the amplifier I bring from America, he say, “Boy, this sound not too heavy, y’know.” A sound can be good in a room, but it doesn’t have the weight when you’re out there. I said, “No man! This is a new thing – this is an American thing.”
(George Comments) “We doubt it, man!”
(Vin) When we carry it home and put it in the house, it sound nice! We give our new sound the name “Rock and Roll.” That night we first play out as a sound system; Chung’s Cavalier Sound play first, and it was advertised as a “Cavalier” dance. When you have a double sound, you play from start to twelve, and then the next sound go from twelve. The first to play is always the heavy [superior] sound. That night Cavaliers played first because, at that time, he was more popular than us. We didn’t play against Cavaliers; we play with him. This was not a clash. Them no know how good my sound was, but they know we have some good music.
(George) It’s raining here in Jamaica now, and my health is not good, but I’m still here. I’m the older one, and I’m proud because it’s through sound system where I know my wife. It’s through sound system where Vin met his wife of sixty years now. Sound system get us popular. Everybody know King Edwards. It wasn’t a bad life, although money-wise, I don’t get much.
Rich Lowe, May 2021
www.reggaejamaicaway.com
The forthcoming book titled “Two Kings - King Edwards ‘The Giant’ Sound System” has an expected release date of December 2021 with distribution via Amazon.com.
The following includes excerpts from the forthcoming book titled “Two Kings - King Edwards ‘The Giant’ Sound System.” *Also refer to “Jamaica Way Reggae Podcast at Soundcloud” for a King Edwards Podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/jaway-665380859
Any Jamaican involved in music in the 1950s is now - at minimum, in their late seventies. Many artists are now in their eighties and nineties, and others have passed; Toots Hibbert, U-Roy, most of The Skatalites players, Coxson Dodd, and Bunny, Bob, and Peter. The music from Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s is often considered a Golden Era of music. It has now been sixty-six years since King Edwards – The Giant started playing sound system in Jamaica.
Many years ago, I found an old photo of King Edwards on the Internet. The photo displayed a blurry, black-and-white image of George “King” Edwards sitting in a chair, out in the Jamaican sunshine. This image appeared ancient. George looked very old, and I imagined that he must have long since passed away. Years later, I read an article posted on the Roots Knotty Roots Jamaican music website by Michael Turner with an interview he conducted alongside filmmaker Brad Klein, with King Edwards himself! Vincent “Vin” Edwards was alive and living in Jamaica. It struck me that Turner and Klein had spoken with Vin Edwards, so the photo I saw must have incorrectly listed King Edwards as “George.” It was not uncommon for names to be listed incorrectly. With further research, I realized there were two King Edwards: Stanley George Edwards and Vincent Lorenzo “Vin” Edwards.
With considerable preparation, I made a pre-COVID visit to Jamaica to meet with both brothers and take the ride of my life as we moved throughout Kingston’s roads and lanes, touring famed dance halls, lawns, and yard locations where they played music. We spent two weeks - with Vin’s expert driving, visiting Foresters Hall, Jubilee Tile Garden, Chocomo Lawn, Carnival, S-Corner, and many others. Vin said – “Record everything! I want you to know everything, and I want you to see where we played music.”
When asked about George’s nickname of “Big Man,” Vin responded, “Him did fat y’know. At the time, he weighed about two hundred pounds. George is the best man I could have dealt with because our relationship was so great.” With this response, there was an inkling that the brothers had a special relationship.
In time, King Edwards assembled five complete sound system sets and played throughout the island of Jamaica. When King Edwards began their sound system in 1955, rhythm and blues music from America was a sensation. King Edwards played the most exclusive records by artists that a Jamaican ear preferred. King Edwards was the talk of the town, and they were loved by their followers and feared by opposing sounds. As the sound system evolved, tracks by Shirley and Lee and Roscoe Gordon were playing, along with recording sessions by the pre-Skatalites and Higgs and Wilson. From here, George and Vin Edwards pick up the conversation:
(George Edwards) I love American rhythm and blues, but I didn’t deal with much of the white stuff anyway. You have Shirley and Lee “Feel So Good” and “Got You On My Mind.” Smiley Lewis “Ooh La La” is another good one. You remember “One, Two, Three Boogie?” that was a bad tune here in Jamaica. Ya have one called “Hen Pecked Papa,” but only one man in Jamaica has it, man! Those records was the records we used to play until we couldn’t get no more, and we have to make it out here. “Feel So Good” by Shirley and Lee was a big hit here in Jamaica. All the jukeboxes used to play the good artists like Shirley and Lee. There was a jukebox in every little bar all over Jamaica. Remember Nat Cole? Them is the best singer in the record business. So, Jamaica just imitate. I’m a Jamaican, but I don’t like Jamaican records so much. Rhythm and blues – that’s my stuff. Mi love the American tune, man! Good music is good music, though, so I am not biased. If you listen to the instrument blowing on Louie Jordan songs, you will understand that the Americans feel their saxophone and trumpet instruments more than Jamaican men. Jamaica a little lighter. Most of our music is the same Louie Jordan style of play. When our boys go to America in 1943, Louie Jordan was a popular man. When I was young, I go to Alterry Beach in Saint Ann to listen music played by sound systems like Michelin and Howell, and I go to Bournemouth and Silver Slipper. I go to all of them, cuz I wouldn’t get the music experience if I don’t do that.
(Vin Edwards) My favorite music is jazz. Reggae is our music in Jamaica, but the whole concept of reggae originate and come out of the American culture. Definitely. Our music was influenced by all of those artists and musicians, like Louie Jordan, Joe Turner, Shirley and Lee, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Big Joe Turner - who was the first rock and roll man! They can’t argue with me on that. Duke, Coxson, and King Edwards were the authors of reggae. The tunes that I was looking for were made as early as 1940, and we establish them with the Jamaican audience. We moved music from English classical music to American rhythm and blues. There was a transition, and Coxson, myself, and Reid did it.
(Vin Edwards) When I get my visa on 14 October 1954, I was twenty-one, going on twenty-two. It didn’t have anything to do with sound. My sister Evelyn – we used to call her “Tiny.” She passed her exam, left school, and went to live in America for the rest of her life. She and George were near in age. My sister send for me, and I went on a vacation, but I didn’t have sound system in my mind.
(George Edwards) While Vin was in Philadelphia, I keep listening to Tom the Great Sebastian, and that inspire me to bring Vin into the record business with me. But him never respond to me, but afterward, him get to like it. Him say no, but two month after, I get the sound an’ he say yes man, we ah play out the records man! Vin bring down the first amplifier.
(Vin Edwards) With every letter George wrote - every time saying, “Bring me down a sound. Bring me down a sound. Bwoy when you come home, the sound thing ah make money.” I say what kinda sound? George say, “Bring a hundred-watt.” In those days, our guys them used to make the power transformer on the output and a fifty watt an’ a twelve-inch and bruk up this house. They move from this tube to transistor in America, so I buy the hundred watts, believing I bigger than the rest. I bought it at a radio shop on Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia. At that time, it was only black and white television, no color television.
(Vin Edwards) When we came on a Sunday, we stop out at Bournemouth to test it out. George brought a roll of speaker wire, and we plug it in. When George hear the amplifier I bring from America, he say, “Boy, this sound not too heavy, y’know.” A sound can be good in a room, but it doesn’t have the weight when you’re out there. I said, “No man! This is a new thing – this is an American thing.”
(George Comments) “We doubt it, man!”
(Vin) When we carry it home and put it in the house, it sound nice! We give our new sound the name “Rock and Roll.” That night we first play out as a sound system; Chung’s Cavalier Sound play first, and it was advertised as a “Cavalier” dance. When you have a double sound, you play from start to twelve, and then the next sound go from twelve. The first to play is always the heavy [superior] sound. That night Cavaliers played first because, at that time, he was more popular than us. We didn’t play against Cavaliers; we play with him. This was not a clash. Them no know how good my sound was, but they know we have some good music.
(George) It’s raining here in Jamaica now, and my health is not good, but I’m still here. I’m the older one, and I’m proud because it’s through sound system where I know my wife. It’s through sound system where Vin met his wife of sixty years now. Sound system get us popular. Everybody know King Edwards. It wasn’t a bad life, although money-wise, I don’t get much.
Rich Lowe, May 2021
www.reggaejamaicaway.com
The forthcoming book titled “Two Kings - King Edwards ‘The Giant’ Sound System” has an expected release date of December 2021 with distribution via Amazon.com.