In the years before reggae or even ska was known outside of the Caribbean, Byron Lee was the first bandleader to achieve an international following playing Jamaican music, and he played a vital role in popularizing it around the world. And when Bob Marley was a struggling young musician of the little-known Wailers, Byron Lee was probably the most well-known Jamaican bandleader in the world.
Lee was 20 years old when he formed his band the Dragonaires in 1956. They began making a name for themselves almost immediately, as a kind of big-band equivalent to the solo Calypso singing that Harry Belafonte (and Sir Lancelot before him) brought to enormous popularity in the late ’50s.
Touring behind Belafonte, they became internationally famous, and justifiably so — they played Calypso and ska, but their musicianship was impeccable in any idiom, with a trumpet and sax section that could’ve passed muster with any big band, and Lee’s bass playing itself was extraordinarily distinctive. With Lee leading and manager Ronnie Nasralla co-producing and handling the business arrangements, the Dragonaires made all of the right moves.
One of the first ska bands, the Dragonaires — a 14-piece outfit whose lineup was always changing (and sometimes worked under the name the Ska Kings) — toured throughout the Caribbean and into North America, spreading the ska sound. Lee opened a concert booking and promotion agency in the early ’60s, Lee Enterprises Limited, as well as his own label, Dragon’s Breath.
He brought American acts like the Drifters, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino into Jamaica, booking them into the Carib and Regal Theaters, with local Jamaican acts opening for them. From : http://www.vprecords.com/byron-lee/
11 Comments (since 21 Aug 2014)
music_xplosion
In the years before reggae or even ska was known outside of the Caribbean, Byron Lee was the first bandleader to achieve an international following playing Jamaican music, and he played a vital role in popularizing it around the world. And when Bob Marley was a struggling young musician of the little-known Wailers, Byron Lee was probably the most well-known Jamaican bandleader in the world.
music_xplosion
Lee was 20 years old when he formed his band the Dragonaires in 1956. They began making a name for themselves almost immediately, as a kind of big-band equivalent to the solo Calypso singing that Harry Belafonte (and Sir Lancelot before him) brought to enormous popularity in the late ’50s.
music_xplosion
Touring behind Belafonte, they became internationally famous, and justifiably so — they played Calypso and ska, but their musicianship was impeccable in any idiom, with a trumpet and sax section that could’ve passed muster with any big band, and Lee’s bass playing itself was extraordinarily distinctive. With Lee leading and manager Ronnie Nasralla co-producing and handling the business arrangements, the Dragonaires made all of the right moves.
music_xplosion
One of the first ska bands, the Dragonaires — a 14-piece outfit whose lineup was always changing (and sometimes worked under the name the Ska Kings) — toured throughout the Caribbean and into North America, spreading the ska sound. Lee opened a concert booking and promotion agency in the early ’60s, Lee Enterprises Limited, as well as his own label, Dragon’s Breath.
music_xplosion
He brought American acts like the Drifters, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino into Jamaica, booking them into the Carib and Regal Theaters, with local Jamaican acts opening for them. From : http://www.vprecords.com/byron-lee/
leejohnson
Great synopsis! Fabulous sound too. Cheers.
BladeRunner
what a delightful jam!!!
debutch
Great jam & write up. You know your stuff!
music_xplosion
My pleasure @leejohnson :) Glad you enjoyed it!
music_xplosion
Thanks @BladeRunner. I'm happy you liked it.
music_xplosion
Thank you @debutch :) I'm glad you liked it.