Roland Alphonso • Something Specialː Ska Hot Shots

 

Review by Richie Unterberger
No single compilation could fairly represent the breadth of Alphonso's career -- so often did he record as a solo artist, bandleader, band member, and session musician. This, however, is an excellent 20-song retrospective of vintage sides from 1958-68 released largely under his own name; if they weren't, they were by groups in which Alphonso was the leader or principal player. Actually, he recorded in a staggering variety of guises, and this anthology includes cuts that were billed to Roland Alphonso & the Alley Cats, Roland Alphonso & the Studio One Orchestra, Roland Alphonso & the Soul Brothers, just the Soul Brothers, Rolando & His Group, Soul Vendors, Clue J & His Blues Blasters, Rolando & the Sharks, and so on... you get the picture. The important thing is that these are exciting, seminal ska and reggae instrumentals, with styles traversing ska roots to rock steady and soul-influenced reggae. There's more variety to be heard here than with almost any other single-artist ska compilation -- from ska takes on spy movie themes and witty novelties like "Rollie Pollie" to the cooking "Do It Good" (which is as close to early American funk-soul as it is to reggae). Alphonso plays imaginative, jazzy sax throughout, and unlike many of the ska brassmen, was not prone to a wobbly or out-of-tune squeak. Among the dozens of other musicians heard on this collection are numerous major ska-reggae figures: Tommy McCook, Rico Rodriquez, Ernest Ranglin, Rita Marley, Clement Dodd, Jackie Mittoo, and even Lee Perry. The liner notes, recording and release dates, and session personnel are amazingly comprehensive for an early reggae reissue. Three of the songs were previously unreleased.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/something-special-ska-hot-shots-mw0000609457

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Reseña de Richie Unterberger
Una sola compilación no podría representar la amplitud de la carrera de Alphonso, que grabó tantas veces como solista, director de banda, miembro de banda y músico de sesión. Sin embargo, esta es una excelente retrospectiva de 20 canciones de los años 1958-68 publicadas en su mayoría bajo su propio nombre; si no lo fueron, lo fueron por grupos en los que Alphonso era el líder o el jugador principal. En realidad, grabó en una asombrosa variedad de formas, y esta antología incluye cortes que fueron facturados a Roland Alphonso & the Alley Cats, Roland Alphonso & the Studio One Orchestra, Roland Alphonso & the Soul Brothers, sólo los Soul Brothers, Rolando & His Group, Soul Vendors, Clue J & His Blues Blasters, Rolando & the Sharks, etc... ya se entiende. Lo importante es que se trata de instrumentales de ska y reggae emocionantes y seminales, con estilos que abarcan desde las raíces del ska hasta el rock steady y el reggae con influencias del soul. Hay más variedad aquí que en cualquier otra compilación de ska de un solo artista, desde versiones de ska sobre temas de películas de espías y novedades ingeniosas como "Rollie Pollie" hasta la cocción de "Do It Good" (que está tan cerca del funk-soul americano como del reggae). Alphonso toca un saxo imaginativo y jazzístico a lo largo de todo el disco y, a diferencia de muchos de los músicos de ska, no es propenso a un chirrido tambaleante o desafinado. Entre las docenas de otros músicos que se escuchan en esta colección se encuentran numerosas figuras importantes del ska-reggae: Tommy McCook, Rico Rodriquez, Ernest Ranglin, Rita Marley, Clement Dodd, Jackie Mittoo e incluso Lee Perry. Las notas de presentación, las fechas de grabación y publicación y el personal de las sesiones son sorprendentemente completas para una reedición de los primeros discos de reggae. Tres de las canciones eran inéditas.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/something-special-ska-hot-shots-mw0000609457

Tracklist:
1 - Roland Alphonso & The Alley Cats - Four Corners (AKA Four Corners Of The World) - 2:41
2 - Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra - From Russia With Love - 4:18
3 - Roland Alphonso & Soul Brothers - Dr. Ring Ding - 3:05
4 - Roland Alphonso & Group - Jack Ruby - 2:41
5 - Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra - El Pussy Cat Ska (Take 2) - 3:16
6 - Rolando & His Group - Federal Special - 2:43
7 - Roland Alphonso - Do It Good - 3:18
8 - Roland Alphonso - Jah Shakey (AKA Jack Steady) - 2:05
9 - Roland Alphonso & Soul Brothers - Pepe To - 2:57
10 - Soul Vendors - You Trouble Me - 3:06
11 - Roland Alphonso And His Soul Brothers - Rollie Pollie - 2:17
12 - Roland With Clue J. & His Blues Blasters - Proof Rum - 3:25
13 - Soul Brothers - James Bond - 2:59
14 - Roland Alphonso & The Soul Brothers - Provocation - 2:19
15 - Clue J. And His Blues Blasters - Grand National - 3:00
16 - Roland Alphonso & The Alley Cats - Hully Gully Rock - 2:52
17 - Roland Alphonso & Soul Brothers - Something Special - 3:27
18 - Roland Alphonso - Rolando Special - 3:22
19 - Rolando And The Sharks  - Groovy Sax - 3:14
20 - Roland Alphonso And The Studio One Orchestra - Maria Elena - 3:44


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – "Deadly" Headley Bennett, Karl Bryan, Lester Sterling
    Backing Band – The Skatalites, The Soul Brothers
    Baritone Saxophone – Sam Wells
    Bass – Bryan Atkinson, Cluett Johnson, Fred Crossley, Lloyd Brevett
    Compiled By – Brian Keyo, Chris Wilson , C.S. Dodd, Dro
    Design – Jean-Pierre LeGuillou
    Drums – Aston "Wackie" Henry, Hector "Bunny" Williams, Joe Isaacs, Ken Williams (6), Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Robinson, Lowell Morris
    Engineer – Graeme Goodall (tracks: 6, 12, 15, 16), Sylvan Morris
    Guitar – Dennis Sindrey, Dwight A. Pinkney, Ernest Ranglin, Errol Walters , "Jah" Jerry Haynes, Ken Richards , Nerlin "Lyn" Taitt, Wallin Cameron
    Mastered By – Toby Mountain
    Organ, Piano – Aubrey Adams, Cecil Lloyd
    Piano – Herman Sang
    Piano, Organ – Donat Roy "Jackie" Mittoo
    Producer, Engineer, Liner Notes – C.S. Dodd
    Research, Liner Notes, Other [Resource] – Brian Keyo, Dro
    Tenor Saxophone – Karl McLacklin, Tommy McCook
    Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Roland Alphonso
    Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Dennis "Ska" Campbell
    Trombone – Emmanuel "Rico" Rodriguez
    Trumpet – Bobby Ellis, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore
    Vocals – Rita Marley
    Vocals, Handclaps, Percussion – Clement Dodd
    Vocals, Percussion – Lee Perry, Noel G. "King Sporty" Williams

Label: Heartbeat Records (2) ‎– HB 228, Heartbeat Records (2) ‎– 11661-7728-2
Series: Heartbeat - Studio One Series –
Genre: Reggae
Style: Ska
https://www.discogs.com/Roland-Alphonso-Featuring-The-Skatalites-And-Soul-Brothers-Something-Special-Ska-Hot-Shots/release/909328

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