Linstead Markets.

Ernest Ranglin's contributions to ska, rocksteady, and reggae are widely known and praised (rightly), but few people are aware of his jazz recordings for Merrifield in the mid-60s. Ranglin traveled to London in 1964, staying for 9 months as the resident guitarist at Ronnie Scott's. While there, he backed a number of jazz greats and recorded two LPs: Wranglin' and Reflections. Wranglin' opens with a fantastic jazz arrangement of the Jamaican folk song "Linstead Market," a tune dating back at least 100 years (and likely longer). Here is Ranglin's version:

"Linstead Market" - the Ernest Ranglin Trio

Now to give you some idea of the traditional approach to the song, here's a mento recording from the mid-50s:

"Linstead Market" - Lord Messam & his Calypsonians

Obviously Ranglin's version is much more harmonically dense, but (as you'll hear) it pretty successfully preserves the lilting, breezy feel of mento within a modern jazz arrangement.

Enjoy.

P.S. You can find more info on Lord Messam here.

Long Time Gal/Boy

Here are two vastly different versions of the same calypso tune:

"This Long Time Gal A Never See You" - Monty Reynolds & the Shaw Park Calypso Band

(available on Mento Madness: Motta's Jamaican Mento, 1951-1956)

"Long Time Boy" - Nadia Cattouse

(available on Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up)

The first version is by Monty Reynolds & the Shaw Park Calypso Band. Technically, Monty Reynolds is a mento artist - mento being a distinctly Jamaican form of Caribbean folk music. His version of the song is upbeat - manic, even - especially in comparison to contemporary mento artists like the Jolly Boys.

In constrast, Nadia Cattouse's take on the song is slow, romantic, and folky. I love the flautist's emulation of birdsong throughout the recording. Go buy the entire Numero Group catalog - seriously.

Enjoy!