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SUGAR MINOTT and Shaggie Williams
March 7, 2001
Star Hill Music Hall
Charlottesville, VA
The
Hills ARE alive!There is always an electric quality to an evening when you will finally witness, live and direct, one of your musical heroes... and yet be gifted with the performance of a newcomer just as deserving of such anticipation. So it was, Wednesday 7 March, at Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville...swiftly becoming the rhythmic vanguard in central Virginia. Late winter is forgotten, in a room where Roots and Culture blooms.
Local champion sound Stable Roots set the windows a-rattle as the evening commenced... a smallish-but-tight-knit crowd-a-people irresistably drawn to the dancefloor. The Singers and Players proved that all of their weekly efforts at neighboring Outback Lodge has strengthened their craft ito a musical force to be reckoned with. The bedrock rhythm section propelled the vocal harmonies with selections from their upcoming CD, their set as openers hinting at their possibilities.
Set Two became the revelation: there rises, occasionally, a talent from out of the ether who sounds as if he were there always... such is the Voice of Shaggie Williams. Armed with only his debut CD No Man Perfect as introduction, his personal mix of the style and quality of influences Luciano and Dennis Brown made any comparisons unjustified. Truly a masterful set, made all the more eventful by a spot-on, sublime reading of the Studio One classic, "Smile"... hindered in no way by the musicians, including veteran musicians Pablo Black and "Mr. Patrick" from Coxsone's own house band--they played it like they made it! This would be a hard act to follow.
But, the arrival of Lincoln "Sugar" Minott onstage erased all doubts about why we came into the room. The groove already laid remaining on the instruments, Mr. Minott drew the massive close with the half that had never been told, from his years-ago debut Ghetto-ology (thankfully reissued by Easy Star Records, fast becoming the showcase of the many facets of his talents...Lem Oppenheimer largely responsible for his appearance, tonight).
Carrying us forward from the Studio One days of "Vanity," and down by the riverside with real rock gospel, the Soul Man provoked the crowd to sing out (in tune!) with the melodies that bring up the goosebumps... "Good Thing Going" and "Oh, Mr. DC" providing the thrills. As the social tensions hot up in the outside world, beyond this evening and the club doors, Give Thanks that the quality singers of Roots reggae continue to represent. Through their many works, they provide the foundation to meet the daily challenges, with love-in-music in our hearts.
If (musical) "Aid Travel With A Bomb" (bless you, sister Breeze), let's hope there's lots more Incoming!
By Scott "Goldfinger" Shisler
"Reggae Vibrations"
WTJU/Charlottesville 91.1FM
www.reggaetrain.com
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::
Sanchez :: Sugar Minott Dec 3, 2002 New York City ::
Jr Kelly ::
Frankie Paul ::
Sugar
Minott ::
The Meditations
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