Rico – Ramble
Rico – This Day
Rico – Gunga Din
This record from Jamaican trombonist Rico Rodriguez has always been a bit of an enigma to me. I’ve never been able to understand the how or why this record came to be on Blue Note. While the playing is a bit “jazzy” and Blue Note’s output around 1977 was more focused on funky fusion from Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey and the like, it still seems just plain odd that there’s a roots reggae record on Blue Note. I know this record also came out on Island, but I think the Blue Note edition actually was pressed first in 1976 (my copy is a second pressing definitely from 1976, I’ve never seen an “original” or an Island pressing of this so I can’t confirm that the 1976 release date).
Additionally, for the life of me I cannot remember where I first heard “Ramble,” one of the most slyly funky reggae tracks I’ve ever run into. I think it was on a “Blue Note Breaks” collection from back in the day, but doesn’t show up on any of the tracklists for those comps. What I do remember is the first time i actually ran into this record, where else but Groove merchant in San Francisco. I knew “Ramble” was a top track, but one quick listen to the rest of the album made it a no-brainer. In addition to having some of the loveliest album cover art on a Jamaican LP, the whole record is filled with top-notch, all instrumental mid-tempo roots vibes with exceptional playing from everyone involved but especially Rico on trombone.
For those of you who don’t know Rico is (even still at 75) a legendary trombone player from JA, second only to perhaps the greatest trombonist of all time (and any nation) Don Drummond. His playing on the records from the Specials and Special A.K.A. were what led me to discover original Jamaican ska and rock steady sounds. It’s a free and easy sound (imagine Lester Young as a trombone player and you’ve got Rico), with loads of feeling and tons of soul, as you can tell on the additional tracks here “This Day” and “Gunga Din.” One day I’ll learn the full story behind this lovely record, how it came together and how it came be released on Blue Note, but for now I’m just happy to have run into it again.
Cheers,
Michael