Gavin B.

I'm a new member to this forum. I love all kinds of music with the possible exception of Scottish bagpipe music. Here's the a few of the most played songs on my WMP to give you an idea of the music I like:

Dejalo- Rilo Kiley
White Winter Hymnal- Fleet Foxes
Paper Planes- M.I.A.
Under Mi Sensi- Barrington Levy
Cupid - Amy Winehouse
Neon Beanbag- Stereolab
The Big Hush- Shreikback
L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold
Dance Like A Monkey- NY Dolls
Feel Alright- Steve Earle
Astronaut- Luna
Chiney Man- Culture
Towers of Dub- Orb
The Eleven- the Grateful Dead
Jesus is on the Mainline- Ry Cooder
Dying Crapshooter's Blues- Blind Willie McTell
Blue Days, Black Nights- Buddy Holly
Cry Me a River- Julie London

I'm very active in a political website called Perspectives and have been a news journalist for the past ten years. I'm not a music journalist but I've been contributor to No Depression, Reggae Source and Roots World music magazines over the years. Writing about music is really fun for me. My current home is St. Louis. I grew up in Boston and have lived and travelled all over the world.

I look forward to meeting other forum members especially those who love reggae, blues, 70s punk, 60s psycheldelica, garage bands, and roots music.

jackhammer

About time we had some Reggae fans on here and The Orb too

Welcome.

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Gavin B.

I like your Linton Kwesi Johnson avatar. I saw him at the Channel in Boston with Gil Scott Heron in 1980 and it was one of the best live shows I've ever seen.

jackhammer

LKJ AND GSH! Two poets on stage. I bet it was a great gig.

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Gavin B.

I was working as the deejay at the concert and was thrilled when Gil-Scott Heron tapped me on the shoulder in the deejay booth and introduced himself as "Gil" and asked me if he could help as selector. I was tongue tied during most of the half hour he joined me as sound selector. At least I didn't grovel and say "I am not worthy" in the pathetic manner of Wayne and Garth when they met their Aerosmith heroes.

I was sad to read about Gil's problems with alcohol and drugs a few years later because he's one of the few music people I've met who had a genenrosity of spirit. Gil's affable nature was a surprise to me, since his poetry is generally preceived as hostile toward white guys like me.


Linton Kwesi Johnson was less gregarious than Gil-Scott but his performance raised the roof of the club. Dennis Bovell's Dub Band that backed LKJ was hands down the best live reggae band I've ever heard. The Dub Band's sound board operator did mind bending live dubs of the band straight from the mix board. He had an amazing set of ears and a precise sense of musical timing. Dennis Bovell is guitar playing is amazing and goes largely unnoticed by other accomplished players.