Once a pivotal figure in Jamaican music, the virtuoso musician has played second fiddle to dancehall artistes for the past 40 years. Ivan Christie, a guitarist who has toured and recorded with acts such as Jimmy Cliff, Max Romeo and Mykal Rose, shows his skills on ‘Cool Reggae’, his first album which was released five years ago.

Covid-19 prevented the Jamaican axeman from properly promoting the 12-song set which is produced by British company Stingray Records. He has put renewed energy behind the project which contains covers of several classic reggae and Rhythm and Blues tracks.

Christie, who lives in London, is from St. Ann parish in Jamaica. He salutes his influences on ‘Cool Reggae’ by covering The Wailers’ ‘Concrete Jungle’ as ‘Concrete Vibration’, soul singer Brook Benton’s ‘Rainy Night In Georgia’ and Jerry Butler’s ‘Make It Easy On Yourself’ which he does as ‘Make It Easy’.

“‘Concrete Jungle’ was an all-time favourite of mine from Bob Marley and The Wailers ‘Catch A Fire’ album and also the live version, on ‘Babylon By Bus’ with Al Anderson playing the lead solo. I always wanted to do a version,” said Christie. “My version was recorded on a portable eight-track digital recorder on my sofa in my front room prior to my now assembled studio.”

‘Calm Waters’ and ‘Jamaica Sunset’ are the original songs on ‘Cool Reggae’ which features musicians such as drummers Dave Heywood and Paul Yebuah, bassist Leroy Heywood, and guitarist Cyrus Richards.

The album was meticulously recorded and produced, but when it came out in May, 2020, Covid paranoia had set in globally. Vaccines, masks and sanitisers, not music, was priority at that time.

Now that things have returned to normal, Christie decided to take a second crack at marketing ‘Cool Reggae’.

“Due to Covid, I was unable to do a public album launch and proper marketing for the album although it did get some very positive reviews,” said the self-taught Christie, whose playing is strongly influenced by blues players like Anderson, a black American who played for Marley and Peter Tosh.

After playing countless recording sessions for Stingray Records and touring with a flood of artistes, he decided six years ago that the time was right to do an instrumental album and show his chops on his Fender Stratocaster.

The maestro was once front and centre in Jamaican music. They included saxophonists Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso, trombonist Don Drummond, guitarist Ernie Ranglin, keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, drummer Sly Dunbar and bass guitarists Leroy Sibbles, Jackie Jackson and Robbie Shakespeare.

Their presence dimmed somewhat in Jamaica during the digital dancehall era of the 1980s. There was a revival during the 1990s when several instrumental reggae albums were released by musicians including guitarist Dwight Pinkney, and saxophonists Dean Fraser and Tony Greene.

(Photos contributed)