Winston Grennan
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2011) |
Winston Grennan | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Winston Richards |
Born | [1] | 16 September 1944
Origin | Duckenfield, Jamaica |
Died | 27 October 2000 | (aged 56)
Genres | Reggae Ska Rock |
Occupation(s) | Drummer singer songwriter Pianist |
Instrument(s) | Drums vocals Piano trombone |
Years active | 1962–2000 |
Labels | Island Records Trojan Records Decca Records Swegway Records |
Website | winstongrennan |
Winston Grennan (16 September 1944 – 27 October 2000) was a Jamaican drummer, famous for session work from 1962 to 1973 in Jamaica as well as later in New York City through the 1970s and 1980s.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Biography
Career
Grennan's career spanned several of the richest and most diverse decades in popular music, and he worked with a large number of the most famous artists of his time, both in Jamaica and in the United States.
Jamaica
He is most famous for creating the one drop rhythm in the late 1960s; this beat places kick/snare emphasis on the third beat within a highly syncopated 4/4 bar. One Drop, an outgrowth of the ska and rocksteady, became the foundation for reggae music, combined with traditional Jamaican forms such as mento, burro and kumina. Grennan was also responsible for importing the "Flyers" beat to the United States – a beat which he had developed and recorded in the 60s in Jamaica. While living New York, Grennan performed at the uptown nightclub Mikell's, where local musicians scored and adapted the beat for their own use. A reconstituted Flyers later emerged in New York as the rhythm that became known as disco.
Grennan is also remembered for his work at
Grennan performed on thousands of tracks over the years. He played on sessions for numerous Jamaican acts notably
New York
In 1973 Grennan relocated to America "to study
Later, he appeared in the film 9½ Weeks (1985), with his Ska Rocks band, which he assembled in the 1980s and which stayed active in various incarnations until his death. Grennan formed the Swegway record label on which his band's albums were released. Notably, Lynn Taitt, the Trinidadian-born guitarist credited with creating the rock steady beat while living and working in Jamaica, and long time colleague of Grennan's, appeared on several Ska Rocks recordings. Grennan also worked on music for, or appeared in, other films including Harold and Maude, Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places, and later Sleepyheads, and Soho. He was involved in the original musical efforts for the unrealised production Reggae on Broadway.
Over the years, Grennan continued to back
Last years
In the last year of his life Grennan released his final record, Clean Slate, as well as performing on and sharing arrangement duties with dub-poet Anthony Pierre on his debut, Obeah Accompong.[citation needed] In early 2000, Grennan appeared on Back to the Island, a reggae compilation album of local tracks produced by Peter Simon, of Martha's Vineyard.[citation needed] He continued to tour until he was diagnosed with cancer in May 2000. Grennan continued to record with long-time cohorts and Ska Rocks members David Oliver and Andy Bassford, almost up to his death. Throughout his life he mentored his sons on drums and other instruments, and also gave private lessons to a number[quantify] of promising young drummers[who?]. His son, "Sunray" appears on several Ska Rocks recordings.[citation needed]
Discography
Solo albums
- Big Apple Reggae (1982)
- Combine Nations (1989)
- Across the Border (1990)
- Wash Over Gold (1997)
- Clean Slate (2000)
Notable songs
- "Mother and Child Reunion"
- "Israelites"
- "Rivers of Babylon"
- "The Harder They Come"
- "You Can Get It If You Really Want"
- "Many Rivers to Cross"
- "No Woman No Cry"
- "Small Axe"
- "54-46 That's My Number"
- "Pressure Drop"
- "My Conversation"
- "Cherry Oh Baby"
Record labels
- Atlantic Records
- CBS Records
- Decca Records
- Discovery Records
- Elektra Records
- Island Records
- MGM Records
- Motown
- RCA Records
- Swegway Records
- Trojan Records
- Warner Bros. Records
References
- ^ "The Man". Winstongrennan.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ^ David Katz (8 November 2000). "Winston Grennan – Background musician with foreground players". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ "ReggaeTrain.com...your portal to Reggae music...(Biography [Winston Grennan])". Reggaetrain.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Winston Grennan; Innovative Jamaican Drummer, songwriter". Los Angeles Times. 6 November 2000.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (4 November 2000). "Winston Grennan, 56, Jamaican Drummer". The New York Times.
- ^ "'Harder They Come' Back and Worth a Look, Listen". The San Francisco Chronicle. 7 November 2000. Copy of NY Times article.
- ^ "Baltimore City Paper: Winston Grennan | Musician Review". Citypaper.com. Retrieved 19 August 2014.