WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.100 Welcome in, everyone. We're so glad you're joining 00:00:03.100 --> 00:00:05.379 us today for a very special deep dive. Yeah, 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:07.540 I am really excited for this one. Same here. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.240 Our mission for this session is singular, but 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:14.560 the scope of it is just absolutely massive. Massive 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:16.739 is the right word for it. Right. We are taking 00:00:16.739 --> 00:00:20.100 a single, incredibly rich Wikipedia article about 00:00:20.100 --> 00:00:23.579 a man known simply as the chief musician, and 00:00:23.579 --> 00:00:26.039 we are bringing his story to life. It's a story 00:00:26.039 --> 00:00:28.550 that really demands our full attention. I mean, 00:00:28.570 --> 00:00:30.230 the notes I've been making in preparation for 00:00:30.230 --> 00:00:32.770 this are bordering on chaotic. I saw you scribbling 00:00:32.770 --> 00:00:34.909 over there. Just trying to track the sheer volume 00:00:34.909 --> 00:00:37.090 of work this man produced over a half century 00:00:37.090 --> 00:00:39.369 is, well, it's a lot. I don't blame you at all. 00:00:39.450 --> 00:00:41.429 So for those of you listening, here are the parameters. 00:00:41.909 --> 00:00:45.090 We are diving deep into the life and legacy of 00:00:45.090 --> 00:00:47.549 Roland Alfonso. Who is also frequently credited 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:49.890 as Rolando Alfonso, just to be clear. Right, 00:00:49.950 --> 00:00:52.950 Rolando Alfonso. We are talking about a foundational 00:00:52.950 --> 00:00:56.909 Jamaican tenor saxophonist. He was one of the 00:00:56.909 --> 00:00:59.280 key... visible architects behind the creation 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:02.100 of ska, rocksteady, and reggae. Okay, let's unpack 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:05.159 this. And just to establish exactly why you should 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.739 care about this right off the bat, if you have 00:01:07.739 --> 00:01:10.939 ever tapped your foot to a reggae beat, or if 00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:13.620 you've ever, you know, nodded along to a two 00:01:13.620 --> 00:01:16.299 -tone ska revival track, you were literally listening 00:01:16.299 --> 00:01:18.560 to the echoes of Roland Alfonso. Absolutely. 00:01:19.060 --> 00:01:22.040 This deep dive is essentially a masterclass in 00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:25.810 how behind -the -scenes session musicians The 00:01:25.810 --> 00:01:28.730 folks whose names aren't in massive neon letters 00:01:28.730 --> 00:01:31.849 on the marquee actually build the genres we love 00:01:31.849 --> 00:01:34.150 from the ground up. So let's go back to the very 00:01:34.150 --> 00:01:36.650 beginning because his origin story really sets 00:01:36.650 --> 00:01:38.890 the stage for everything that follows. It does. 00:01:39.170 --> 00:01:41.209 Roland Alfonso wasn't actually born in Jamaica. 00:01:41.209 --> 00:01:44.810 He was born in Havana, Cuba on January 12th, 00:01:44.810 --> 00:01:47.659 1931. Yeah. He only came to Jamaica at the age 00:01:47.659 --> 00:01:49.540 of two, moving there with his Jamaican mother. 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.239 And that Cuban connection, it might seem like 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:54.920 just a minor biographical footnote, but it's 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:57.579 actually a vital piece of his musical DNA. How 00:01:57.579 --> 00:01:59.500 so? Well, you have to consider the environment. 00:01:59.700 --> 00:02:02.299 Afro -Cuban rhythms, the clave, those complex 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:04.579 polyrhythms, they were swirling all around the 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:05.819 Caribbean at that time. Right, it was in the 00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:09.159 air. Exactly. Even if he moved at age two, those 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:11.259 foundational rhythms were in the culture he was 00:02:11.259 --> 00:02:14.020 born into, and they inevitably found their way 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:17.250 into his phrasing later on. But his formal entry 00:02:17.250 --> 00:02:19.590 into music happens under much more structured 00:02:19.590 --> 00:02:22.050 and, frankly, much tougher circumstances. Oh, 00:02:22.050 --> 00:02:24.729 absolutely. He ends up at the Stony Hill Industrial 00:02:24.729 --> 00:02:28.409 School in Jamaica. And that is where he first 00:02:28.409 --> 00:02:30.370 finds the horn. That's where he starts learning 00:02:30.370 --> 00:02:33.169 to play the saxophone. What's fascinating here 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:36.590 is the sheer grind of his early career. Stony 00:02:36.590 --> 00:02:39.310 Hill wasn't some prestigious, polished conservatory. 00:02:39.349 --> 00:02:41.650 It was an industrial school. Right. A very different 00:02:41.650 --> 00:02:44.620 vibe. For a kid in that environment. An instrument 00:02:44.620 --> 00:02:47.280 wasn't just a hobby. It was a lifeline. It was 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:51.500 a trade. By 1948, he left school entirely to 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.360 join Eric Dean's orchestra. Wow. Just jumped 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.900 right in. From there, he threw himself into the 00:02:56.900 --> 00:02:59.639 deep end of the working musician's life, hustling 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:01.639 heavily through the hotel circuit. But wait, 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:03.479 let me pause there. The hotel circuit in late 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:05.840 1940s Jamaica, that's mostly playing for tourists, 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:08.039 right? Yeah, largely. So it's a lot of calypso, 00:03:08.219 --> 00:03:12.180 maybe some imported American jazz or R &B. Exactly 00:03:12.180 --> 00:03:15.979 that. You are playing to entertain a dining or 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:18.620 dancing room. You learn to read a crowd, you 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.020 learn stamina, and you learn how to blend into 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:23.400 an ensemble. It is a grueling apprenticeship. 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:26.280 I can imagine. Night after night of projecting 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:29.120 your sound to the back of a noisy room. It's 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:32.780 the ultimate gig economy. And it clearly sharpened 00:03:32.780 --> 00:03:34.860 him because it leads to his very first recordings 00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:38.020 as a member of Stanley Motta's group in 1952. 00:03:38.139 --> 00:03:41.300 Right. I really want to jump to 1956 because 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:43.620 the source material highlights this incredibly 00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:47.840 tragic yet intriguing detail. He records for 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.500 the legendary producer Clement Coxone Dodd for 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:53.240 the very first time. Oh, this car hurts. It does, 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:54.659 those early recordings. They were completely 00:03:54.659 --> 00:03:56.659 lost before they could even be mastered. It is 00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:59.319 a devastating detail. Imagine the emotional weight 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:02.280 of that. You are a young, hungry musician. You 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:04.300 finally get into a studio with a major producer 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:07.319 like Dodd. You pour your absolute soul into the 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:09.400 horn, you lay down the tracks, and the physical 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.520 tapes just vanish into the ether before they 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.860 ever see the light of day. But I have to push 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:16.620 back on the industry side of this. In an era 00:04:16.620 --> 00:04:19.899 where studio time and magnetic tape were prohibitively 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:22.920 expensive in Jamaica, how does a setback like 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.699 a lost session not completely ruin his reputation 00:04:25.699 --> 00:04:28.259 with producers? That's a fair question. Why wasn't 00:04:28.259 --> 00:04:30.620 he just written off as bad luck? Because his 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:33.509 live reputation was completely bulletproof. A 00:04:33.509 --> 00:04:35.790 lost tape is a financial hit for the producer, 00:04:35.949 --> 00:04:39.230 sure. But everyone in Kingston already knew Roland 00:04:39.230 --> 00:04:41.509 was the real deal. They'd heard him play. Exactly. 00:04:41.589 --> 00:04:43.870 He wasn't a studio creation. He was a stage veteran. 00:04:44.089 --> 00:04:45.709 They knew they just had to get him back in front 00:04:45.709 --> 00:04:47.350 of a microphone. And he certainly didn't let 00:04:47.350 --> 00:04:51.750 it stop him. Which brings us to 1958, where his 00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:54.430 career path takes a brilliantly quirky turn. 00:04:54.629 --> 00:04:57.449 I love this part. Roland becomes part of a stage 00:04:57.449 --> 00:05:00.370 act for a pair of comedians named Bim and Bam. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:03.759 And this traveling tour was sponsored by Macaulay 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:05.459 Liquor. You really have to picture the spectacle 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:08.240 of this. It's almost surreal. It really is. A 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.800 traveling comedy troupe, effectively acting as 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:13.639 a live touring commercial for a 1950s Jamaican 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:16.779 liquor brand, with a world -class jazz prodigy 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:19.240 providing the soundtrack. It sounds chaotic, 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:22.319 but the source notes that the absolute highlight 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:24.079 of this stage act, the thing that brought the 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:26.920 house down, was Roland's dynamic cover of Louis 00:05:26.920 --> 00:05:29.000 Prima's Robin Hood. And that makes perfect sense 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.199 if you think about what a comedy tour demands. 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.339 How so? Well, comedians need a backing band that 00:05:34.339 --> 00:05:37.459 can catch every punchline, stop on a dime, vamp 00:05:37.459 --> 00:05:39.800 for time, and bring high -octane showmanship. 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:42.860 Playing a Louis Prima cover isn't just about 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:45.019 playing the notes. It's about energy. That makes 00:05:45.019 --> 00:05:47.759 total sense. That specific tour sharpened his 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.600 live entertaining instincts to a razor edge. 00:05:50.819 --> 00:05:53.579 It was a massive career catalyst. That performance 00:05:53.579 --> 00:05:56.339 led directly to him becoming an in -house session 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.000 regular for producers Clement Dodd and Duke Reed. 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:01.180 He really leveled up. He goes from the comedy 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.519 stage to the absolute center of the recording 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.959 industry. By 1959, he takes a huge step forward. 00:06:07.339 --> 00:06:09.379 He joins a group called Clue J and his Blues 00:06:09.379 --> 00:06:12.459 Blasters. They were backing Dodd's sessions in 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:15.680 a typical Jamaican R &B style. Right. But the 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:17.680 sources explicitly tell us he was doing much 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.220 more than playing. He was acting as an arranger 00:06:20.220 --> 00:06:22.800 at many of Dodd's recording sessions. Let's actually 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.519 dig into that. Because for an audience that knows 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:29.139 music, the term arranger can mean a lot of things. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:32.699 True. In 1950s Jamaica, we aren't necessarily 00:06:32.699 --> 00:06:35.620 talking about a guy handing out pristine printed 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:39.480 sheet music to an orchestra, right? Rarely. We're 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:41.800 often talking about head arrangements. Head arrangements. 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:44.459 Yeah, this means Roland is standing in a sweltering 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:47.300 studio listening to a basic chord progression 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:51.319 and then verbally or musically dictating the 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:53.060 horn lines to the rest of the section. Just on 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.689 the fly. Exactly. He's saying, you take the harmony 00:06:55.689 --> 00:06:58.709 here, we punch on the upbeat there. He is building 00:06:58.709 --> 00:07:00.569 the architecture of the sound right there in 00:07:00.569 --> 00:07:02.930 the room. It requires an encyclopedic knowledge 00:07:02.930 --> 00:07:05.509 of music theory and incredible leadership. And 00:07:05.509 --> 00:07:07.949 that architectural work ethic just explodes in 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:10.850 1960. The sheer volume of his output that year 00:07:10.850 --> 00:07:13.670 is staggering. He is recording for Dodd, but 00:07:13.670 --> 00:07:15.829 he's also working with a whole roster of other 00:07:15.829 --> 00:07:18.470 producers. Everyone wanted him. Duke Reed, Lloyd 00:07:18.470 --> 00:07:21.230 the Matador Daly, King Edwards. And he isn't 00:07:21.230 --> 00:07:23.800 just playing the tenor sax anymore. No, he is 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.000 expanding his arsenal. The sources note he was 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:29.319 contributing alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:32.800 baritone saxophone, and even flute. Which, musically 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:35.579 speaking, is not a minor detail. It is a massive 00:07:35.579 --> 00:07:38.399 physical feat. Switching from a baritone sax 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:40.680 to a flute isn't like a guitarist switching from 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:43.879 a stratocaster to an acoustic. Right. It fundamentally 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:46.939 changes your entire embouchure. I'm sure. The 00:07:46.939 --> 00:07:48.740 way you shape your mouth and lips around the 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:51.759 mouthpiece. A tenor or baritone sax requires 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:55.639 massive driving lung capacity and a loose vibrating 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:59.339 reed. A flute requires a hyper -focused, incredibly 00:07:59.339 --> 00:08:02.199 precise stream of air directed across a hole. 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:04.560 Doing that back -to -back in a recording session 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:07.259 requires elite physiological control. He was 00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:09.699 a one -man horn section, and he was hopping between 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:12.180 all these vividly named bands, the Alleycats, 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:15.500 the City Slickers, Aubrey Adams, and the Dewdroppers. 00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:17.939 Great names. You can practically hear the energy 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:20.560 of the early 60s Kingston music scene just in 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:22.620 the names of those groups. He was the common 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:25.120 denominator in an entire ecosystem of musicians. 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:27.019 He was the glue holding those sessions together. 00:08:27.370 --> 00:08:30.050 Here's where it gets really interesting. We hit 00:08:30.050 --> 00:08:34.049 the pivotal year of 1963. Roland spends a few 00:08:34.049 --> 00:08:37.409 months over in Nassau, Bahamas. Right. But when 00:08:37.409 --> 00:08:40.350 he returns, he helps create something absolutely 00:08:40.350 --> 00:08:44.690 legendary, the Studio One Orchestra. This was 00:08:44.690 --> 00:08:47.190 the very first session band at Clement Dodd's 00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:49.809 newly opened recording studio. The historical 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:52.960 weight of this moment is profound. You have the 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:55.580 best players on the island finally housed in 00:08:55.580 --> 00:08:59.059 a dedicated, state -of -the -art studio coalescing 00:08:59.059 --> 00:09:01.480 into a single, tight -knit unit. A supergroup, 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:04.200 basically. Exactly. And it is this very band, 00:09:04.340 --> 00:09:06.799 the Studio One Orchestra, that soon adopts a 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.960 new name, the Scatolites. Just saying the name 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:12.159 Scatolize carries so much weight. It's also worth 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:14.120 noting that just before this massive shift, in 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:16.360 1962, there was a release called I Cover the 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.220 Waterfront produced by Dodd that Alfonso was 00:09:18.220 --> 00:09:20.899 central to. That 1962 release is the perfect 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:23.399 bridge. I Cover the Waterfront is a classic American 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.740 jazz standard. Right. What Roland and the musicians 00:09:25.740 --> 00:09:28.100 were doing was taking that Tin Pan Alley melody, 00:09:28.299 --> 00:09:31.519 injecting it with R &B influences, and placing 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:33.539 it over a syncopated offbeat Jamaican rhythm. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:36.980 They were inventing the formula. Yes. The Scatolites 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:39.519 then became the ultimate high horsepower engine 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:42.279 for that fusion. They essentially codified ska. 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:45.279 But the music business is always volatile and 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:49.080 band dynamics are fragile. By August 1965, the 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:52.519 Scatolites disband. Yeah. It is a startlingly 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:55.039 short run for a group that fundamentally changed 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:58.019 the trajectory of global music. It is short, 00:09:58.039 --> 00:10:01.620 but Roland's resilience is incredible. He immediately 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:04.039 pivots. He forms a new group called the Soul 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:06.620 Brothers alongside Johnny Dizzy Moore and Jackie 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:09.080 Matu. And this timing is critical because the 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.360 music itself was shifting beneath their feet. 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:14.440 The frantic driving tempo of Ska was slowing 00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:17.580 down, giving way to rock steady. That's a huge 00:10:17.580 --> 00:10:19.899 transition. Now, we know the tempo slows down 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:21.759 in rock steady and the bass line takes on a different 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:24.080 role. But from your perspective, what does a 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:26.440 horn player actually do with that extra space? 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:28.740 It requires a completely different sensibility. 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:31.440 In Ska, the horn... Horns are often driving the 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.779 rhythm, playing these staccato, punchy stabs 00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:35.820 on the offbeat. Right, very aggressive. When 00:10:35.820 --> 00:10:38.179 you transition to rocksteady, the rhythm section, 00:10:38.379 --> 00:10:40.320 the bass and drums, takes over the heavy lifting. 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:43.320 A horn player like Roland had to learn restraint. 00:10:43.779 --> 00:10:46.059 Restraint. He had to play more lyrically, fighting 00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:48.200 the pockets of space between the heavy bass lines 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:51.399 to weave more melodic, soulful solos. It's about 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:54.139 knowing when not to play. That restraint really 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:57.259 defines the era. By 1967, the Soul Brothers evolve 00:10:57.259 --> 00:10:59.600 into the Soul Vendors, and we have to mention 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.100 the 1968 release during this era, ABC Rocksteady. 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:05.879 A classic. This one was produced by Sonya Pottinger, 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:07.960 and Roland performed on it with the original's 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:10.659 orchestra. It's a masterclass in that specific, 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:14.639 spaced -out, soulful, rocksteady sound. As we 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:17.360 move into the late 60s and early 70s, he takes 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:19.320 on a slightly different role. He becomes the 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:21.779 leader of the Ruinaires. The Ruinaires. Yeah, 00:11:21.820 --> 00:11:23.759 the resident band at a restaurant nightclub called 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.519 The Ruins. In some ways, it's a return to his 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:29.320 roots, that working band live entertainment grind 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:31.919 he started with back in the hotel circuit. He 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.120 was an entertainer at his core. But then an unimaginable 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.340 hurdle appears. At just 41 years old, Roland 00:11:38.340 --> 00:11:40.600 suffers a stroke. If we connect this to the bigger 00:11:40.600 --> 00:11:43.179 picture, we really have to consider the severe 00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:46.000 physical toll of playing the saxophone. Right. 00:11:46.059 --> 00:11:47.840 You mentioned the embouchure earlier. We talked 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:51.080 about lung capacity and embouchure. Playing a 00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:53.320 wind instrument at a professional level creates 00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:56.500 immense back pressure in the head and neck. For 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:59.220 a horn player, a stroke isn't just a medical 00:11:59.220 --> 00:12:01.960 emergency. It's career ending. It is an absolute 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:04.960 existential threat to their livelihood. It threatens 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.299 their motor skills, their facial muscles, their 00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:10.100 breathing. At 41. nobody would have blamed him 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:11.940 for stepping away from the microphone forever. 00:12:12.179 --> 00:12:13.620 It would have been a completely understandable 00:12:13.620 --> 00:12:17.460 retirement. But he didn't retire. The sheer willpower 00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:19.580 required for what happens next is staggering. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:23.879 He experiences a remarkably quick recovery from 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.500 this massive neurological event. Not only does 00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:30.379 he recover, but by late 1972, he relocates completely. 00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:33.090 He moves to the United States to continue his 00:12:33.090 --> 00:12:35.389 craft. Huge move. He leaves the island where 00:12:35.389 --> 00:12:38.190 he built his legacy to start a totally new chapter. 00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:40.750 And he wastes absolutely no time once he gets 00:12:40.750 --> 00:12:44.830 there. Which leads us into 1973. After decades 00:12:44.830 --> 00:12:47.129 of being the chief musician behind the scenes, 00:12:47.289 --> 00:12:49.750 after arranging and playing on countless hits 00:12:49.750 --> 00:12:52.789 for other artists, Roland finally releases the 00:12:52.789 --> 00:12:56.179 very first album under his own name. The best 00:12:56.179 --> 00:12:58.659 of Rolando Alfonso. It was about time. And beautifully 00:12:58.659 --> 00:13:01.559 enough, it's released on the Studio One label. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.720 There's a deep poetic justice to that. The very 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.080 label where he physically built the architecture 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:09.779 of the sound is the one that puts out his first 00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:13.200 true solo record. Exactly. But the solo album 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:15.100 didn't mean he stopped being a working musician. 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:18.460 Throughout the 1970s, the 80s, and into the 90s, 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.860 his hustle remained relentless. It's incredible 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:23.279 to track his output during this period. He was 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.320 a constant presence on Jamaican studio records, 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.340 especially doing a massive amount of work for 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:29.919 producer Bunny Lee. Yes. But he was also deeply 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:32.340 embedded in the New York live circuit. In the 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:35.039 late 70s and early 80s, he played regularly around 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.259 New York with a band called Ja Malala. You have 00:13:37.259 --> 00:13:38.779 to think about what the New York reggae scene 00:13:38.779 --> 00:13:41.399 was like in the late 70s and early 80s. It was 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:43.679 intense. It was gritty, it was highly competitive, 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:47.120 and the music was evolving into heavy roots reggae 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:50.509 in early dancehall. And here is Roland, an original 00:13:50.509 --> 00:13:54.529 architect of 1960s ska, seamlessly adapting his 00:13:54.529 --> 00:13:56.909 style to fit the modern sounds of Brooklyn and 00:13:56.909 --> 00:13:58.950 the Bronx. And he's dropping his own albums all 00:13:58.950 --> 00:14:00.889 the while. The sources highlight several key 00:14:00.889 --> 00:14:04.309 releases. King of Sax comes out in 1975 on Studio 00:14:04.309 --> 00:14:06.649 One. Then you have Brighter Shade of Roots in 00:14:06.649 --> 00:14:09.950 1982, produced by Bunny Lee. Both incredible 00:14:09.950 --> 00:14:13.570 records. And Roll On in 1984, which was released 00:14:13.570 --> 00:14:16.429 on the Wacky's label and produced by Lloyd Barnes. 00:14:16.629 --> 00:14:19.029 The Wacky's label is legendary. for its deep, 00:14:19.049 --> 00:14:22.149 dub -heavy New York sound. The fact that Roland 00:14:22.149 --> 00:14:24.309 Alfonso was laying down horn tracks for Lloyd 00:14:24.309 --> 00:14:27.389 Barnes in 1984 proves his absolute versatility. 00:14:27.610 --> 00:14:30.049 He never got stuck in the past. And his home 00:14:30.049 --> 00:14:32.230 country certainly recognized that ongoing cultural 00:14:32.230 --> 00:14:35.610 impact. In 1977, the Jamaican government awards 00:14:35.610 --> 00:14:37.330 him the Officer of the Order of Distinction. 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:39.970 Well -deserved. He wasn't just a popular session 00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:41.669 player anymore. He was officially recognized 00:14:41.669 --> 00:14:44.580 as a national treasure. That institutional recognition 00:14:44.580 --> 00:14:47.100 coincided with a period where he started touring 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:50.100 the U .S. much more frequently. And then, in 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:53.399 1983, a massive full circle moment occurs. Oh, 00:14:53.419 --> 00:14:55.700 this is huge. The Scatolites, the foundational 00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:59.360 band that disbanded back in 1965, finally reform. 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:02.159 For the fans who were following the two -tone 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.740 ska revival in the late 70s and early 80s, having 00:15:05.740 --> 00:15:07.940 the original skatolites back together must have 00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:10.480 been a revelation. It was magic. And they weren't 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.340 just playing as a nostalgia act, right? They 00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:15.220 embarked on constant, rigorous touring all over 00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:18.379 the world. Exactly. And musically, they weren't 00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:20.700 the same young men who recorded at Studio One. 00:15:21.059 --> 00:15:24.080 They brought decades of seasoned jazz chops and 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:27.120 life experience to those reunion shows. The sound 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:29.720 matured. The improvisations were deep. The Interplay 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.460 was more complex. Roland was back with his musical 00:15:32.460 --> 00:15:35.120 family doing what he did best, but with the wisdom 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.039 of an elder statesman. But the reality of a rigorous 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:40.279 touring schedule eventually leads us to the final 00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:43.059 chapter of his story. And it is a chapter that 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:45.779 is both deeply tragic and remarkably poetic. 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:49.700 We are in the late 90s now. Roland is in his 00:15:49.700 --> 00:15:52.440 late 60s, still playing, still touring the globe. 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:56.299 On November 2, 1998, he is doing what he loved 00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:59.419 most. He is on stage during a show at the Key 00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:02.100 Club in Hollywood. And right there. Mid -performance, 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:04.899 he suffers a burst blood vessel in his head. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.659 It's a devastating moment. Following that collapse 00:16:07.659 --> 00:16:09.940 on stage, he was immediately taken to Cedars 00:16:09.940 --> 00:16:12.220 -Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Right. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:14.500 He suffered a second burst blood vessel and spent 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:17.000 four days in a coma. He ultimately passed away 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.789 on November 20, 1998. He was 67 years old. The 00:16:20.789 --> 00:16:22.389 fact that his final moments of consciousness 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:25.590 were spent on stage holding the saxophone speaks 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:28.029 volumes about his dedication. It really does. 00:16:28.210 --> 00:16:30.070 We talked earlier about the immense physical 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:32.330 pressure of playing the horn and how a stroke 00:16:32.330 --> 00:16:35.269 nearly ended his career at 41. To have it ultimately 00:16:35.269 --> 00:16:37.210 catch up to him in the form of a burst blood 00:16:37.210 --> 00:16:39.950 vessel while performing, he quite literally gave 00:16:39.950 --> 00:16:42.409 his life to the music. So, what does this all 00:16:42.409 --> 00:16:45.210 mean? When we look back at the life of the chief 00:16:45.210 --> 00:16:48.730 musician Roland Alfonso, we see a Cuban -born... 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.879 Jamaican -raised prodigy. He took an education 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:54.460 from an industrial school and turned it into 00:16:54.460 --> 00:16:57.519 a globe -spanning, genre -defining legacy. An 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.399 unbelievable legacy. He survived lost master 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:03.659 takes, severe medical emergencies, the constantly 00:17:03.659 --> 00:17:06.319 shifting tides of the music industry, and international 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.619 relocations, simply to keep playing his instrument. 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:12.910 If you synthesize this incredible journey, The 00:17:12.910 --> 00:17:15.250 defining characteristic of his life is profound 00:17:15.250 --> 00:17:18.569 adaptability. Adaptability. He moved effortlessly 00:17:18.569 --> 00:17:21.910 from the polite hotel calypso of the 40s to Jamaican 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:24.630 R &B to driving ska to the lyrical restraint 00:17:24.630 --> 00:17:27.109 of rocksteady and into heavy reggae and dub. 00:17:27.309 --> 00:17:30.049 He played tenor, alto, baritone, and flute across 00:17:30.049 --> 00:17:32.690 dozens of bands, acting as the arranger and the 00:17:32.690 --> 00:17:34.609 quiet architect of the sound. He did it all. 00:17:35.150 --> 00:17:37.329 His life is the ultimate proof that music history 00:17:37.329 --> 00:17:39.309 isn't just driven by the glamorous frontman. 00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:41.670 The real foundation of music history is built 00:17:41.670 --> 00:17:43.890 by the relentless working class session players. 00:17:44.109 --> 00:17:46.509 They are the absolute foundation of the house. 00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:49.589 You might admire the lead singer, but Roland 00:17:49.589 --> 00:17:53.150 Alfonso built the walls, the floor and the roof. 00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:55.490 This raises an important question. I'm listening. 00:17:55.650 --> 00:17:58.009 When you look at the landscape of music creation 00:17:58.009 --> 00:18:02.160 today, we are in an era. dominated by AI -generated 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:05.099 beats, algorithmic loops, and bedroom producers, 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:08.099 where the session musician is practically a laptop. 00:18:08.380 --> 00:18:10.299 It's a very different world. But it makes you 00:18:10.299 --> 00:18:13.180 wonder, will we ever have another architectural 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:17.339 genius like the chief musician? Or has the era 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:20.640 of the working -class physical horn player sweating 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:23.700 it out in a sweltering studio to invent a new 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:27.150 genre officially been retired? That is a fascinating 00:18:27.150 --> 00:18:29.630 and slightly haunting thought to leave on. Are 00:18:29.630 --> 00:18:31.490 we losing the human architecture of music? I 00:18:31.490 --> 00:18:33.289 highly encourage you, the listener, to mull that 00:18:33.289 --> 00:18:35.470 over next time you hear a synthesized horn section 00:18:35.470 --> 00:18:37.750 on a track. Thank you so much for joining us 00:18:37.750 --> 00:18:39.589 on this deep dive into the incredible life of 00:18:39.589 --> 00:18:41.809 Roland Alfonso. Keep seeking out those hidden 00:18:41.809 --> 00:18:43.710 stories, keep listening for the background notes, 00:18:43.809 --> 00:18:46.069 and most importantly, stay insanely curious.