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The beautiful rock steady music created by Lynn Taitt & The Jets between 1966 and 1968 provided the basis for all that was to follow…
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Date Added: Mar 2, 2011, Date Updated: Nov 22, 2016 Copyright (C) 2024 Dub Store Sound Inc. |
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Real Name: |
Nearlin Taitt |
Jun 22, 1934 - Jan 20, 2010 |
Place of Birth: |
San Fernando Trinidad Tobago |
Related Artist(s): Gladstone Anderson Jets
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Many cultures and races have combined in Jamaica to make a unified whole: 'Out Of Many One People'. Many forms of music and many musicians, whose origins lay outside the island, have wielded varying degrees of influence on Jamaica's rich musical history. Trinidadian Lynn Taitt is one of the most significant ever.
"The first set of tunes I did was with Lynn Taitt... the greatest man that came to Jamaica and changed the whole beat from ska to rock steady was from Trinidad... but Byron Lee did bring him come to Jamaica as an organist. But he started playing guitar and the rest is history!" Bunny Striker Lee
"Rock steady was a great change from the ska... Lynn Taitt... he's the man who changed Jamaican music right round from ska to rock steady." Derrick Morgan
Born in San Fernando, Trinidad 22nd June 1934 Nearlin 'Lynn' Taitt began his musical career when he was "eight or nine years old" as a steel pan player. At the age of fifteen he acquired a guitar which he played in a group called The Dutchy Brothers but, after two years, Lyn left to form his own group. In 1962 the group were given a contract by Byron Lee to travel to Jamaica to play at the Independence celebrations. Lynn decided to stay in Kingston and joined The Sheiks then The Cavaliers before forming Lynn Taitt & The Comets who played live dates and also began to make records. Lynn's first hit recording was 'Shank I Sheck' for King Edwards where he played with Baba Brooks and his band.
After signing to Federal Records in 1966 he formed Lynn Taitt & The Jets and created what is reckoned to be the first ever rock steady record: 'Take It Easy' by Hopeton Lewis.
"Hopeton Lewis came to the Federal Recording Studio with a song called 'Take It Easy' and I find the ska was too fast. Very, very fast. So I told them let's do this one slow. Very slow. And as the music got slower it had spaces. The slower the music it have more spaces to do something with so I put a bass line and I play in unison with the bass and I get a bass line. And the piano, sometimes I strum, sometimes I play a bass line with the bass. That was the first slow song... nothing else was slow at that time. Everything had been ska." Lynn Taitt
Despite the fact that rock steady lasted only two years the extent to which Lynn Taitt's playing, arrangements and rock steady rhythms have influenced the sound of Jamaican music is incalculable. Not many records were solely credited to Lynn Taitt & The Jets but, as the most in demand session player in Kingston between 1966 and 1968, the records that Lyn and his band played on are numbered in their thousands.
"They may call me for a session at nine in the morning till twelve noon and another session would start at one and finish at four with another one at five till eight at night... so maybe four sessions a day, five sessions a day for different promoters." Lynn Taitt
In rock steady the bass no longer gave equal emphasis to every beat but instead played a repeated pattern that syncopated the rhythm. The rhythmic focus shifted to the drums and bass where it has remained ever since. The horns that had dominated ska were no longer prevalent and vocalists, influenced by American soul singers, now began to come into their own. Credit has to be given to piano player, Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderson(Gladstone Anderson), who was also a musical arranger for The Jets. Gladdy gave this new music a name on finishing the final take of 'Take It Easy' when he remarked on the 'rock steady' nature of the rhythm. Another of his not so well known roles was as translator for Lynn:
"I had a really strong Trinidadian accent...the Jamaicans didn't really understand it fully so Gladdy used to look after all of that. Talk to the singers and get everything clear." Lynn Taitt
The inherent beauty and understated elegance of rock steady are truly beyond compare and have held Jamaican music in a vice like grip for over forty years. Its enduring appeal proved pivotal to all that followed as each successive chapter in reggae's development relied on its rhythms, bass lines, musical motifs, lyrical pre-occupations, melodies and songs. The lyrics became increasingly important as the slower pace and open nature of the music allowed vocalists the room to voice not only their traditional avowals of love and affection but also their discontent and disaffection.
There were other rock steady bands including Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats, Duke Reid's Treasure Isle house band Tommy McCook & The Supersonics (who often featured Lynn Taitt) and The Soul Brothers and The Soul Vendors (who would also feature an uncredited Lynn Taitt) at Coxsone Dodd(CS Dodd)'s Studio One but the achievements of Lynn Taitt & The Jets remain unmatched in the history of Jamaican music. However, Lynn was always a modest, self-deprecating figure.
"It was a pleasure to get up and get an idea and put your idea on to a record and to have the public like what you do is a great gift. At the time we were not thinking of it from a business aspect. We were just interested in creating beautiful music... (I'm) just an ordinary guitar player trying to continue the heritage of black music from the West Indies." Lynn Taitt
In August 1968, after two years of unprecedented and unparalleled musical creativity, Lynn was offered a contract to work as musical arranger for the house band at The West Indian Federated Club in Toronto, Canada. He "jumped at the chance" and left Jamaica never to return.
"Give me some soul Bassie (Bryan Atkinson)
A skinful of drums (Joe Isaacs)
A tickle of ivory Gladdy (Gladstone Anderson)
A dash of ska Hux (Hux Brown)
A few strings of Lyn Taitt ..."
Soul Food – Lynn Taitt & The Jets
Lynn Taitt died in Toronto, Canada 20th January 2010
Sources:
Robert Schoenfeld: Interview with Lyn Taitt
Dub Catcher Volume 1 Issue 4 June 1992 |
Mar 2, 2011 (Nov 22, 2016 Update) Text by Harry Hawks
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Trinidad born legendary guitarist, Lynn Taitt, who brought the first wave of Rocksteady to the Island, and Gladdy Anderson who is well known for a Skatalites' pianist, they both got together to record this Rocksteady instrumental album 'Glad Sounds' at Federal Studio in 1968. Released from the Merritone label, which was managed under the Federal. The album depicts the hay day and best sound of Rocksteady as well as label itself. First time to be reissued by Dub Store Records. The forth reissue of the Story Of Federal program by Dub Store Records. The original UK issue was released on the Big Shot label with a different jacket design. Album tracks consist mainly of cover versions of popular tracks, which were produced by Coxsone Dodd, Bunny Lee and Sonia Pottinger. Lynn Taitt and Gladstone Anderson added gentle flavors to their versions by their distinctive instrumental plays. Also Federal's recording facility made possible to maintain this sound quality. Certainly, this is another classic album to add to your collection shelf!! |
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Trinidad born legendary guitarist, Lynn Taitt, who brought the first wave of Rocksteady to the Island, and Gladdy Anderson who is well known for a Skatalites' pianist, they both got together to record this Rocksteady instrumental album 'Glad Sounds' at Federal Studio in 1968. Released from the Merritone label, which was managed under the Federal. The album depicts the hay day and best sound of Rocksteady as well as label itself. First time to be reissued by Dub Store Records. The forth reissue of the Story Of Federal program by Dub Store Records. The original UK issue was released on the Big Shot label with a different jacket design. Album tracks consist mainly of cover versions of popular tracks, which were produced by Coxsone Dodd, Bunny Lee and Sonia Pottinger. Lynn Taitt and Gladstone Anderson added gentle flavors to their versions by their distinctive instrumental plays. Also Federal's recording facility made possible to maintain this sound quality. Certainly, this is another classic album to add to your collection shelf!! |
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Best selling CD(s) |
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Trinidad born legendary guitarist, Lynn Taitt, who brought the first wave of Rocksteady to the Island, and Gladdy Anderson who is well known for a Skatalites' pianist, they both got together to record this Rocksteady instrumental album 'Glad Sounds' at Federal Studio in 1968. Released from the Merritone label, which was managed under the Federal. The album depicts the hay day and best sound of Rocksteady as well as label itself. First time to be reissued by Dub Store Records. The forth reissue of the Story Of Federal program by Dub Store Records. The original UK issue was released on the Big Shot label with a different jacket design. Album tracks consist mainly of cover versions of popular tracks, which were produced by Coxsone Dodd, Bunny Lee and Sonia Pottinger. Lynn Taitt and Gladstone Anderson added gentle flavors to their versions by their distinctive instrumental plays. Also Federal's recording facility made possible to maintain this sound quality. Certainly, this is another classic album to add to your collection shelf!! |
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Best selling LP(s) |
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Best selling 7"(s) |
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Although Hopeton Lewis recorded many songs for the Merritone, Henry Buckley was also a prolific singer who recorded many songs for the label. Federal was probably recording with him for his never released debut album. Side-B features a Rocksteady instrumental, which appeared on LynnTaitt’s debut album. |
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The Tartans were like the 70’s reggae all-stars, and this is their early big hit along with a rare Lynn Taitt’s instrumental! Formed by Prince Lincoln, Cedric Myton and Devon Russell, the Tartans brilliantly represent the “oldies but goodies’”vibe on the A-side. Flipping over to the B-side is the Lynn Taitt’s interpretation of the Miriam Makeba’s hit tune. Mysteriously it’s been unknown if this rare piece has been put out as a single or still being unreleased. |
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