11 October 2013

St. Lucia




 Ronald ‘Boo’ Hinkson is a Saint Lucian jazz guitarist & composer. Born in St. Lucia & raised on a diet of Ellington, Davis, & Coltrane, Boo's name is synonymous with St. Lucian music. His mother, who was also an accomplished guitarist, was his first teacher. Today, he is an exceptionally accomplished musician who has stayed true not only to his jazz roots, but also to his West Indian culture. Boo couples his appreciation of the old masters, with contemporary jazz & soca in his music & lyrics.

 
I was going to post up his album Beyond from 2003, but I see it is still available at various locations around the web, so I’ll just feature a few of the tracks with the best island sound & if you like it, go buy it. Underlined songs are in 4-track sampler.

 Ronald 'Boo' Hinkson – Beyond, Zephryn Records, 2003. 
decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –

That's What He Said
Song of Love
Love Everyday
Magic in Love
Simply Beautiful St. Lucia
King of My Jungle
Round the Corner
Peace of Mind
Prim
All Blues
The Comet
Second Look
Off the Blues



Hinkson’s musical career began with the band The Tru-Tones Combo, a group he started in St Lucia in the 1960s with his brother & some friends. They recorded five albums & several singles, most famously “Hungry Belly”, “Burning Eyes”, & “Sexy Thing” (a remake of the Hot Chocolate song). I know the Tru-Tones set the dancefloors on fire in St. Lucia's hotel nightclubs & cabaret venues. They commanded stages locally & internationally for two decades. Their eclectic blends of Caribbean & pop rhythms garnered them an appearance at Superbowl XIII.


For those of you not into American football, Super Bowl XIII was a game between the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers & the NFC champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the NFL champion for the 1978 season. The game was played on January 21, 1979, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. It was the fifth & final time that the Super Bowl was played in that building. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 35–31. The halftime show was "Carnival: A Salute to the Caribbean" with various Caribbean bands, The Tru-Tones Combo being one.

Cream of the Crop is an album of cover tunes done in the Tru-Tones own inimitable style. The Tru-Tones were: Ronald Boo Hinkson - band leader & guitar; Guy Frances - rhythm guitar; Basil Belizaire - organ; Cyril Mitchell - bass; Chester Hinkson - tumbales; Conrad Hinkson - guache; Denis Ishmael - tumbas; Joseph Narcisse - bongos; & Erwin Ishmael - drums.


Side 1 –

Light My Fire
This Guy's in Love with You
Aquarius
California Dreaming
It Must be Him
Pan Man

Side 2 –

House of the Rising Sun
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'
Sock it to Me
My Way

Enjoy,


7 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Ronald Boo Hinkson - Beyond
      x-LljxpysYSyGZVdJvWMCph3nD4hx8E-eaARsRdXvuc
      Tru-Tones - Cream of the Crop
      Mm99CTZOsqilQf40eDbRsz0UGieBXttBvB9CBCpXNV0

      Delete
  2. Caribbean has been kool. Lotsa good sounds & hopefully lots more to come.
    Thanks for taking the journey. Was wondering if you were still following along.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kinda got overwhelmed for a short while, but still checking in every day or two. Thanks again for the journey.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What's the password, please?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The passwords (i.e. decryption codes) are in the first comment, under their titles.
      Just cut & paste where MEGA asks for decryption code. Enjoy.

      Delete
  5. There was another band called the N Dees(so cool)they were right there with the TT’s.They recorded the single Aquarius,that was jamming.Nobody ever talk about them,would love to hear that single.

    ReplyDelete