A Toronto tribute to Jamaica’s guitar legend Ernie Ranglin

The Godfather of Reggae

Ernest Ranglin

Jamaican-Canadian guitarist and band leader Maurice Gordon will do a musical and birthday honor Tribute to Jamaica’s Legendary guitarist and Godfather of reggae Guitar Ernest Ranglin. Gordon has selected music from the early years of Ranglin’s musical legacy and music from his Island Jazz album Below the Bassline. 

Gordon and a group of top-notch musicians will pay tribute to Ranglin, guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records.

Ranglin features on many early ska recordings and helped create the rhythmic guitar style that defined the form. Ranglin has worked with Theophilus Beckford, Jimmy Cliff, Monty Alexander, Prince Buster, The Skatalites, Bob Marley and the Eric Deans Orchestra. He is noted for a chordal and rhythmic approach that blends jazz, mento and reggae with percussive guitar solos incorporating rhythm ‘n’ blues and jazz inflections.

Maurice Gordon is a Jamaican-Canadian guitarist and composer who went back to Jamaica in the 90’s and recorded and performed with artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Mutabaruka and

Maurice Gordon

Monty Alexander. Now back in Toronto, Maurice has been  performing his own compositions and the works of his heroes such as Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and, of course, this signature performance celebrating the music of Ernest Ranglin. His other ensembles are his Caribbean folk jazz group Pimento and his Ska Music Project Ska Fire.

Songs to be performed throughout this very special evening of music will include Ranglin’s interpretation of the Jamaican folk song Linstead Market, the calypso Archie, as well as performance of his most famous solo on the Wailers song It Hurts to be Alone as well as ska songs like My Boy Lollipop and Ball of fire straight on through to the jazz and dub renderings Congo Man and Below the Bassline.

Gordon will be your host and guitarist along with Wilson Laurencin on Drums, Dwayne Livingstone on bass and visiting Jamaican keyboardist Koriq.

This musical tribute to Ernest Ranglin is being staged a few days after his 91st birthday.

Details: Hugh’s Room on June 22 at 8: p.m.