Two of Jamaica’s best bass players, Robbie Shakespeare – a single fifty percent of the prolific ‘riddim twins’ Sly and Robbie – and Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, have been named amid a Best fifty listing of finest bassists from across the world. The fifty Greatest Bassists of All Time listing, compiled by the prestigious Rolling Stone journal, sees the Jamaicans showing at amount 17 and amount 28, respectively.
When The Gleaner achieved out to the Grammy award-winning Robbie Shakespeare, he explained he was humbled by the recognition, “Bwoy, I respect the point that other individuals seeking in can see what we are executing for the new music. This helps make me sense like a child.” The A-lister, whose fingers have lovingly stroked the chords on many hit songs for artistes, which include Gwen Guthrie, Grace Jones, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Bob Dylan and Peter Tosh, spoke passionately of the worth of tricky perform, though subtly throwing shade at the ‘entitlement’ culture.
“No make any difference how considerably individuals hail Sly and Robbie as the legends, and despite two Grammy wins and 11 nominations, we never ever sense like something we get in existence we have to get it. There have been a whole lot of sleepless nights, and ‘eatless’ nights, too. Nuff time we go to bed hungry, so we don’t forget these matters and take inventory. There are so many other terrific bassists out there who they could have selected, and nonetheless they selected me and I am grateful,” Robbie Shakespeare told The Gleaner.
Not the 1st accolade
This is not his 1st chunk of the cherry as regards Best fifty listing. Proper soon after leaving Peter Tosh to perform bass for Black Uhuru again in the day, he captured the amount 3 placement on a Best fifty compiled by a established of new music critics based in England. Robbie explained that for the Rolling Stone posting, he was presented a heads-up when he gained an e mail from a get hold of in France inquiring him to do the job interview. “I manufactured sure to notify them about the other terrific bass players in Jamaica, like Lloyd Parks, Val Douglas and Jackie Jackson. They explained ‘who are these fellas?’ And I replied, ‘Google them’.”
When requested to name some of his favourite items that he has performed on about the many years, Robbie instead, genuine to his character, performed ‘Mr Good Guy’. He was quite ecstatic that fellow bassist, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, who he usually describes as his mentor, also manufactured the Best fifty. He sums up his respect for Loved ones Male in a 2009 Fog Metropolis Journal job interview in this way: “Well … what can I say? He is the man (laughter). Just the way the man performs the bass, you know. There are gunfighters and there are gunfighters, seen? I simply cannot notify you nothing at all far more. He is a master for me. I have had aid and influences from other individuals, but I have to give it typically to Loved ones Male.”
Robbie is hoping that this accolade will aid to inspire young technology of bass players who look up to him. “It’s all about supplying your all to a thing that you adore. Remaining consistent in in search of generally to excel and having dangers creatively. At the close of the day, we all have to have to realise that God set us here on Earth to do a perform, and we will do it for as prolonged as God wishes us to do it,” he concluded.