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| Togetherness (Delanuca, 2006) Trombonists traditionally get the shaft (no pun intended). I mean, how many trombone solos have you ever heard? And no groupie ever dreams of hooking up with the trombone player -- if there even is a trombone player -- regardless of the size of his slide. Rico Rodriguez, however, is one of the rare few who can headline an album or a concert, and on Togetherness he does both. The album records him in concert in Argentina fronting the Roots to the Bone Band, comprised of some of the country's best reggae musicians. For a live album, the sound is very crisp, with little crowd noise to interfere with Rodriguez's magical musicianship. You tend to think of trombonists primarily in ska bands, and while Rodriguez has played with the Skatalites, the Specials, and Madness, he's also contributed to the works of roots legends like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, and Jimmy Cliff. As such, while we are treated to ska classics like the Skatalites' "Eastern Standard Time" and "Dr. Kildare," we also get full-blooded roots instrumentals like "Jumbo Rock," and a few tracks from his seminal 1977 album Man From Wareika: "Over the Mountain," "This Day," and the bluesy "Ramblin" (also on the Countryman soundtrack). As can be expected from a live performance, the tracks tend to be extended (including a 10-minute "Jungle Beat"), so in Togetherness, you get plenty of bang for your buck. Check it out at delanuca.com. |
| Track Listing 1. Jumbo Rock [Intro] 2. Dr. Kildare 3. This Day 4. Some Day 5. Ramblin 6. Over the Mountain 7. Eastern Standard Time 8. Jungle Beat 9. Eastern Island 10. Jam Rock 11. Reggae Music Moving 12. Try to Reach the Top |
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