5 things to know about Jazz Jamaica

Look it up online and you’ll undoubtedly see Jazz Jamaica named as one of its pioneers, originators and most notable exponents. 

Who are Jazz Jamaica? Well, we’re glad you asked. 

They’re the brainchild of Gary Crosby

Like much of the British jazz scene of the last four decades, Jazz Jamaica has a direct line to the influential Gary Crosby. The London-born bassist’s love of jazz, which stemmed from his father’s record collection – Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Gene Ammons – and his uncle, guitarist Ernest Ranglin’s stints at Ronnie Scott’s, saw him first pick up the trumpet before later switching to the bass under the tutorship of Peter Ind. 

In the 1980s Crosby was one of the founding members of Jazz Warriors, a London-based all Black collective of jazz musicians that included other notable names such as Courtney Pine, Steve Williamson and Orphy Robinson. His experience with Jazz Warriors would lead Crosby to form two spin-offs that have continued to shape jazz music on these shores ever since; the musical education and development programme Tomorrow’s Warriors, and Jazz Jamaica.

The band first took shape in 1991

Whilst jazz and its improvisational nature may have been Crosby’s first love, he was also greatly inspired by the music of his family roots, the rhythms of traditional Jamaican music. In 1991 he fused these two styles together; melding mento, ska, reggae and jazz styles in performances of modern jazz standards and Jamaican folksongs, and then set about pulling together musicians from the jazz and reggae circuits – to perform it; Jazz Jamaica was born.

Their list of members is a veritable who’s who of jazz and reggae

‘Pulling together musicians from the jazz and reggae circuits’ does somewhat undermine the quality in Crosby’s Jazz Jamaica line-up. The artists at the group’s 1990s core included some legendary pretty legendary names including Rico Rodriguez on trombone, Alan Weekes on guitar, Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton on trumpet, Michael ‘Bammi’ Rose on saxophone and flute, Tony ‘Groco’ Uter on percussion, Clifton ‘Bigga’ Morrison on keyboards, and of course Crosby on bass.

…and it just keeps growing

As the group approached the end of their first decade, Crosby was ready to take the concept to another level. In 1999 he expanded Jazz Jamaica from band to big-band, a 20-piece collective complemented by a host of guest soloists, the Jazz Jamaica All Stars. The intergenerational All Stars have featured talents established and new, from Orphy Robinson, Claude Deppa and Guy Barker to graduates of Crosby’s Tomorrow’s Warriors programme such as saxophonists Denys Baptiste, Soweto Kinch and Jason Yarde.

They continue to perform as both Jazz Jamaica and Jazz Jamaica All Stars

Though the All Stars have gone on to achieve widespread acclaim – ‘Britain’s own rival to the Buena Vista Social Club’, The Guardian; ‘Britain’s finest big band’, The Times – and deliver some remarkable concerts, such as 2019’s tour celebrating 50 years of Trojan Records, that hasn’t meant the end of Jazz Jamaica in its original form. They too continue to thrive – from 2004’s tour with Hugh Maesekela to mark 10 years of democracy in South Africa, to a special performance as part of Ronnie Scott’s 50th anniversary celebrations that featured a guest appearance from Crosby’s uncle Ranglin, via an acclaimed album and tour celebrating the impact of Motown – ensuring the future of skazz is very much alive and well.