Rico Rodriguez was the older trombone player in The Specials, but had a link to Jamaican Ska and his sound helped pioneered the Two Tone movement in the 1980s. He was 80. Jerry Dammers pays tribute to him.
It’s hard to express how sad I feel about
the death of Rico Rodriguez. He taught me so much about what a proper
musician is supposed to try and do. For me, getting to play with him was
one of the greatest things about the Specials. His album ‘Man from
Wareika’ had been one of my all-time favourites and a great inspiration.
I could not believe that he had agreed to play with us, and his
contribution to the Specials was immeasurable. He provided an all
-important link to authentic Jamaican ska and reggae, which we had tried
to copy, and his trombone added the essential element
which took us to a next level and helped offer the band a possibility of progression beyond the confines of punk."
which took us to a next level and helped offer the band a possibility of progression beyond the confines of punk."
"To me his majestic solo on the 12”
version of 'Ghost Town' is the musical highpoint of The Specials and
when I play it as a DJ it still elicits cheers from audiences, as the
beginning of any Rico solo always has done live. When the Fun Boy Three
left The Specials it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for
the bassist, drummer, and myself to follow Rico and his constant
companion, trumpeter Dick Cuthell . We toured as his backing band in
Germany and Europe for a while."
"Rico’s time with The Specials was only a small part of his huge musical achievements and international reputation. Already a legend in Jamaica, along with Dandy Livingstone and a few others, he had been an ambassador of reggae music to Britain in the 60’s, amongst the first to play it live and record it in this country. A student of the legendary Alpha school in Kingston Jamaica, where very strict nuns taught music to boys from the poorest of backgrounds, Rico has stated that he then saw his role as using his trombone to express the suffering, and the aspirations of his people for a better and more just world. This was no less powerful being in an abstract way, with an instrument, than if it had been a singer using lyrics. His intentions in music were always very serious and dedicated."
"Rico’s playing was influenced by jazz, but was not jazz, and combined all the influences of the Caribbean, from mento , calypso and Cuban music, to folk music, blues, and African traditions which had survived doggedly through 400 years of slavery -most notable in this respect was the Nyabinghi drumming of Count Ossie in the Rasta community of Wareika Hills, of which Rico was a part."
"At the last gig he ever did, where Rico could no longer play his trombone, but still continued to sing as other musicians played his music, the legendary Jamaican producer Bunny Lee said Rico was just as responsible as his fellow Jamaican trombone legend Don Drummond, in creating the iconic sound which for a while made the trombone virtually the national instrument of Jamaica , eventually playing it’s part in making reggae probably the most popular music in the world. Rico’s band supported Bob Marley on tour internationally at the height of their success. Rico received the highly prestigious Jamaican Musgrave Medal for art, as well as an MBE in this country."
"I think it was the incredible mixture of joy and sadness at one and the same time in his playing, which gave it its power. The mournful and melancholic sound of sufferation , the humour and joy of living , and the righteous anger and defiance of the poor and oppressed people of Jamaica , all combined in a highly melodic way with no unnecessary frills. Rico said the silences in music were just as important. His playing could break your heart and make you smile and determined, all at the same time. I will greatly miss him, as will many people around the world."
While over the weekend I was putting this together, a fellow Facebook friend and sometimes Song Pop player Lorna Campbell passed away from this world, she was 52 years old. She had cancer for a while. That said Lorna, was a flaming liberal that spoke her mind and defended her beliefs if some FOX news watching bigot came a calling. Although I never met her in person, but on the other side of the computer was a caring and sweet woman. She will be missed.
Martin Milner, famed TV actor for Route 66 and Adam 12 passed away at age 83. Best known for Officer Malloy on Adam 12, Milner also appeared in Pete Kelly's Blues as the drummer but also played the shady dude on the William Castle cult classic movie 13 Ghosts. http://variety.com/2015/film/news/martin-milner-dead-adam-12-route-66-1201587461/
"Rico’s time with The Specials was only a small part of his huge musical achievements and international reputation. Already a legend in Jamaica, along with Dandy Livingstone and a few others, he had been an ambassador of reggae music to Britain in the 60’s, amongst the first to play it live and record it in this country. A student of the legendary Alpha school in Kingston Jamaica, where very strict nuns taught music to boys from the poorest of backgrounds, Rico has stated that he then saw his role as using his trombone to express the suffering, and the aspirations of his people for a better and more just world. This was no less powerful being in an abstract way, with an instrument, than if it had been a singer using lyrics. His intentions in music were always very serious and dedicated."
"Rico’s playing was influenced by jazz, but was not jazz, and combined all the influences of the Caribbean, from mento , calypso and Cuban music, to folk music, blues, and African traditions which had survived doggedly through 400 years of slavery -most notable in this respect was the Nyabinghi drumming of Count Ossie in the Rasta community of Wareika Hills, of which Rico was a part."
"At the last gig he ever did, where Rico could no longer play his trombone, but still continued to sing as other musicians played his music, the legendary Jamaican producer Bunny Lee said Rico was just as responsible as his fellow Jamaican trombone legend Don Drummond, in creating the iconic sound which for a while made the trombone virtually the national instrument of Jamaica , eventually playing it’s part in making reggae probably the most popular music in the world. Rico’s band supported Bob Marley on tour internationally at the height of their success. Rico received the highly prestigious Jamaican Musgrave Medal for art, as well as an MBE in this country."
"I think it was the incredible mixture of joy and sadness at one and the same time in his playing, which gave it its power. The mournful and melancholic sound of sufferation , the humour and joy of living , and the righteous anger and defiance of the poor and oppressed people of Jamaica , all combined in a highly melodic way with no unnecessary frills. Rico said the silences in music were just as important. His playing could break your heart and make you smile and determined, all at the same time. I will greatly miss him, as will many people around the world."
While over the weekend I was putting this together, a fellow Facebook friend and sometimes Song Pop player Lorna Campbell passed away from this world, she was 52 years old. She had cancer for a while. That said Lorna, was a flaming liberal that spoke her mind and defended her beliefs if some FOX news watching bigot came a calling. Although I never met her in person, but on the other side of the computer was a caring and sweet woman. She will be missed.
Martin Milner, famed TV actor for Route 66 and Adam 12 passed away at age 83. Best known for Officer Malloy on Adam 12, Milner also appeared in Pete Kelly's Blues as the drummer but also played the shady dude on the William Castle cult classic movie 13 Ghosts. http://variety.com/2015/film/news/martin-milner-dead-adam-12-route-66-1201587461/
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