Search - Ernest Ranglin :: Surfin

Best experienced in small doses

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 07/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unless you're a rabid fan of jazz-tinged reggae (which I'm not), you'll probably share my interesting experience of having quite enjoyed this music, but finding yourself worn out about half way through. And it has nothing to do with shoddy musicianship or poorly chosen selections. Both are beyond criticism. It's just that I found myself getting antsy listening to musical development across such a narrow range.



Let's face it. There just isn't that much variety in reggae. Yes, there is variation in tempi: some pieces are slow and some get to mid tempo or slightly beyond. But there are no out-and-out reggae burners, at least not that I'm aware of. Nor is there a great deal of variety in instrumentation, with keys, guitar, bass, drums, and, often, winds constituting the basic sound image. There can be some variety in types of percussion employed, but you're not going to find anything from the clarinet family, or any accordions, or mallet instruments (vibes, marimba, etc.), or strings. Combine that with a strict adherence to the trademark chuck-a-chuck syncopated beat and you have music that tends to begin to sound pretty much the same after about a half a dozen cuts. That's why you probably don't have a lot of jazz/reggae discs out there.



If you're totally hooked on reggae and would like to see its musical horizons slightly expanded by its being combined with a slightly jazzy vibe, this might be the record for you, although I think both Dean Fraser's The Big Up or Ranglin's disc with Monty Alexander (although it's really pre-reggae) are better. If you're pretty taken by a wide variety of world-jazz artists (e.g., Egberto Gismonti, Omar Sosa, Jan Garbarek, Cyro Baptista), you'll probably find this quite listenable but not essential."

Ranglin is groovy.

P.J. Le Faucheur | Canada (ex- U.K. resident) | 05/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By far one of the fastest and most accurate guitar players whose presence has graced about a thousand classic calypso,ska and reggae l.ps from way back in the 50s.. I heard him first on a Monty Alexander record called "Jamento" (1977) It's still available on CD and is the ultimate showcase for Ernest's talent. His speed and dexterity will stun you.

Here he sticks to traditional rock steady grooves and the result is wonderful.

Ernest Ranglin is almost a Jamaican version of Joe Pass."

Great guitar jazz with a reggae influence

Brian Blueskye | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 11/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I'm a hardcore classic jazz fan, I can't help but to take interest in Ernest Ranglin. His reggae guitar playing mixed with jazz makes for a good time. There are some great songs on this album, and it will definitely grow on you. The best track on here in my opinion is "Ketch It.""