Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band - Vision (Jamaica, 2006)
Douglass Colbert, Rootsbeat International, co-host House of Dread, KSER public radio, Everett WA
Clinton Basie Fearon continues to write and arrange roots reggae music on a level with the most renowned reggae artists with his new release, Vision. The lyrics reflect humanity's joys and troubles with boundless heart and soul. The arrangements are ingenious attesting to Clinton's musical accomplishments. The songs performed by Clinton alongside many talented musicians gives reggae enthusiasts another CD to add to their collection of gems
1. Livin' Is An Art 2. Dutty Gun 3. Sleepin' Lion 4. Vision 5. Love's Knockin'6. Feelin' The Same7. Jah Know His People8. Run Come Rally 9. Find A Way 10. Life Is Not Always Easy 11. Why You Treat I So 12. I Won't Give In 13. Bellyfull (Instrumental)
Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band - Give And Take (Jamaica, 2004)
Review by Larry Leiber, Reggae Movement
Clinton Fearon and the Boogie Brown hails out of Seattle, Washington nowadays, but the music he produces and offers comes straight from Jamaica. Give and Take, Mr. Fearon's latest release from the northwest, gives a modern day flavor from a recipe from yesteryear. Notable is the variety of styles that Mr. Fearon, a former member of The Gladiators band, offers, from the beautiful rocksteady inspired "Parable Sound", which makes one smile and remember The Ethiopians sweet melodies, to the playful and crying "Feel the Spirit" which gives the classical reggae beat that everyone seeks to find.
Infused throughout the album are sweet musical instrumentals that captivate the reggae mind and imagination. The Boogie Brown band has evolved into a sweet reggae machine with Clinton Fearon as the Captain commanding the way over snaky, twisting bass rhythms.
Mr. Fearon states in the repetitively hypnotic "Movin' Up", "In this world of competition, there is no recognition." Where this may speak some truth in our current societal system, it is just due to give him the recognition he deserves for putting out a great album. A very fine addition to any respectful reggae collection.
Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band - Mi Deh Yah (Jamaica, 2010)
Clinton Fearon fue miembro de Gladiators, el mítico grupo jamaiquino que allá por los años 70 daban los mejores y más excitantes recitales según cuentan las crónicas. Texto-Daniel Soberon
Clinton fue su bajista y corista pero ocasionalmente fue cantante de algunos éxitos entre los años 1970/1987. Luego de esa larga experiencia grupal en el año 1994 comienza su carrera solista, ya con ocho trabajos en su haber (en el 2009 edito “Faculty of Dub”, un disco de versiones dub de sus éxitos) estamos en presencia de su noveno y ultimo disco “Mi Deh Yah”.
Su ultimo y gran disco de composiciones originales data del 2006 y fue “Visión” dónde se podían encontrar “Dutty Gun”, “Livin’ is an Art ” y “Life is Not Aways Easy ”.
En su My Space tienen para escuchar dos títulos del álbum, “Are You Ready” y “Mi Deh Yah”, que le da nombre al disco.
Canciones del mas puro root reggae, old school (a la vieja usanza) que deja a las claras el nivel y la vigencia de este grande del reggae que estará saliendo de gira por el viejo continente en el verano boreal, con algunos compinches de la vieja camada como Earl “Chinna” Smith, Kiddus I y The Viceroys entre otros, en una gira denominada Les Maitres du Reggae Acoustique (los maestros del reggae acústico).
Chequeen este material y para los que no conocen, no dejen de escuchar al gran“Bassie” Clinton.
Fuente: Pelagatos
The man stooping over a lit match on the cover of Mi Deh Yah has been creating and performing reggae music for over 40 years. Clinton Fearon's newest release brings together the essence of a credentialed career with some hard-won wisdom. Mi Deh Yah is a Jamaican expression meaning, "I am here." In terms of musical authority and personal presence, Clinton Fearon is most definitely here.
His lyrics are an entreaty. He wants you to feel the heartbreak of humanity, as in "What a World," along with our power to transform it ("Better Days" and "Are You Ready.") He wants to convey that it's possible to be aware and happy. Indeed, pain and joy intertwine in most of his songs, leading to the choice implied in "The Best": "A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of lead." The music stands strong on its own. Fearon himself plays bass on all the tracks: need I say more? His distinctive bass and percussion style remains rootsy and playful, yet clearly in charge. Also evident is his hand in the engineering, learned from working with masters such as Lee "Scratch" Perry. He makes way for the musicians of his Boogie Brown band to showcase their talents on horns, flute, sax, and even strings. This variance brings us an unexpected a whiff of different traditions the bluesy saxophone solo in "Working For the Man," the Mariachi feel to the ska instrumental, "Focus," the middle eastern embellishments to "Feeling Blue." In "De Casa," Fearon tips a hat to the South American countries he's fallen in love with on tour. In "Jamaica" he brings it all home with harmonies that hail from the sweetest days of reggae's trio singers. Having made a name for himself in the 70's and 80's, Clinton Fearon walked away from it all in 1987. He literally stepped into the musical abyss by starting over again, on his own, in Seattle, a city with a small reggae audience at the time, when the popularity of roots reggae had faltered.
Now his flame is spreading again; Mi Deh Yah was released in France this June, and will be released in the rest of Europe in September, after its U.S. debut. This deeply personal work transcends the "Mi" and takes us to the greater "I." It offers a hand-up from the bleakness that seems at times to surround us. Indeed, the man stooping over a lit match on the cover of Mi Deh Yah looks as if he's about to extend his flame to you. You have only to reach out and accept it.
Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band - Faculty Of Dub (Jamaica, 2008)
Clinton Fearon fue
miembro de Gladiators,
el mítico grupo jamaiquino que allá por los años 70 daban los mejores y
más excitantes recitales según cuentan las crónicas.
Texto-Daniel Soberon Clinton fue
su bajista y corista pero ocasionalmente fue cantante de algunos éxitos entre
los años 1970/1987.
Luego de esa larga experiencia grupal en el año 1994 comienza su carrera
solista, ya con ocho trabajos en su haber (en el 2009 edito “Faculty of Dub”,
un disco de versiones dub de sus éxitos) estamos en presencia de su
noveno y ultimo disco “Mi
Deh Yah”.
Su ultimo y gran disco de composiciones originales data del 2006 y fue “Visión” dónde
se podían encontrar “Dutty
Gun”, “Livin’
is an Art ” y “Life
is Not Aways Easy ”.
En su My Space tienen para escuchar dos títulos del álbum, “Are You
Ready” y “Mi Deh Yah”, que le da nombre al disco.
Canciones del mas puro root reggae, old school (a la vieja usanza) que deja a
las claras el nivel y la vigencia de este grande del reggae que estará saliendo
de gira por el viejo continente en el verano boreal, con algunos compinches de
la vieja camada como Earl
“Chinna” Smith, Kiddus
I y The
Viceroys entre otros, en una gira denominada Les Maitres
du Reggae Acoustique (los maestros del reggae acústico).
Chequeen este material y para los que no conocen, no dejen de escuchar al
gran“Bassie” Clinton.
Fuente: Pelagatos
Step up to higher education...Clinton
Fearon has scaled another musical summit with the release of his eighth album
and his first purely dub CD. Faculty of Dub is a higher education in sound. If
his previous work established Fearon's tenure in the reggae world, the 15 lessons on
this album reveal a deeper mastery. They teach us to transcend melody and
lyrics, into direct experience. Your heart and bones will understand-without
taking notes.
I've been thinking about this album for a long time, Clinton reveals. In
Faculty of Dub he gives vent to creative experimentation that builds upon his
previous work. The layered sounds, echoes and reverberations blend into
songscapes evocative of the legendary Jamaican sound system engineers. You may
recognize some rhythms from earlier recordings, but this album is original in
every sense.
Recorded in Seattle with the Boogie Brown Band, he teams especially strongly
with singer and musician Ire, whose experience hails from Culture, and Winston
Watson of Meditations fame. Horns, flute, and lead guitar are key ingredients,
and respect is due to every member of the band for consistently strong
performances. But when Professor Fearon picks up his bass, partnered with ex
Burning Spear drummer Nelson Miller, watch out! You will see why he is also
known as Basie, a name earned during the Studio One and Gladiator
years. The lessons set forth by these combined talents will stay with you for
life. Clinton Fearon has once again put together a remarkable album that will
also be available on vinyl. Your assignment: listen with all your senses.
Douglass Colbert, Rootsbeat International House of Dread, KSER FM Everett,
Washington.
