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Avila Featuring Ernest Ranglin

by Ernest Ranglin

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Legendary Ska/Reggae Guitarist Ernest Ranglin
    Shines on Avila, Backed by an International Band
    Featuring Drummer Inx Herman (Hamsa Lila, Paul Simon),
    Bassist Yossi Fine (Ex-Centric Soundsystem, David Bowie. Lou Reed)
    and Keyboard Ace Jonathan Korty (Vinyl, Electric Apricot)

    Ranglin’s Signature Sound Was the Backbone
    of Hits by Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff,
    Toots and The Maytals and The Skatalites

    Ranglin’s Guitar Work Is Featured on the #1 Hit “Sing”
    Written by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Weber
    to Celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

    Avila will be released on Avila Street Records on May 2012

    When legendary guitarist Ernest Ranglin came to play the High Sierra Music Festival in July of 2011, Tony Mindel decided to put together a band to provide sympathetic backing for his appearance. “Ernest has an incredible musical ear and a work ethic and stamina that’s amazing,” Mindel says. “I decided to put together a dream band with Inx Herman from South Africa, Yossi Fine from Israel and Jonathan Korty from California. They clicked on stage; we decided to see if we could capture that same magic in the studio.”

    Ranglin was in California for less than a week, so the band had to work fast. Avila was recorded live in the studio in three days, sandwiched between shows at the High Sierra Festival and Healdsburg Jazz Festival. The result is a collection that combines bedrock grooves with Ranglin’s free flowing brilliance. “Ernest showed up with beautiful charts written out, note for note, but he allowed the other players to add their own color and style,” Mindel says. “They sound like they’ve been playing together for years.” The band rehearsed on Avila Street in San Francisco, in the house Mindel grew up in. The basement has a listening room designed by his father. It made a perfect rehearsal space, so they borrowed the name for the band and the album.

    Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Manenberg” opens the album with a lilting rock steady beat. Korty’s sparkling piano and Fine’s deep bass support Ranglin’s mellow, muted solo. “Memories of Senegal” first appeared on Modern Answers to Old Problems, Ranglin’s Afro-beat album. The tune is played simultaneously in 6/8 and 4/4. It took Ranglin a while to explain the concept to the horn players, but the result is a smooth combination of R&B and Afro-beat, with Ranglin’s chiming chords and Alexis Rezon’s percussion accents set off by Korty’s smoky Hammond B-3. Ranglin’s swinging “Ska Rango” bubbles along with an arrangement that suggests a meeting of Count Basie and Prince Buster. Ranglin’s permutations of tempo and melody incorporate his expertise with jazz, reggae and diverse African styles.

    On the funky side, there’s Fine’s “Ernossi,” with an arrangement that nods toward Bob Marley’s early hits to compliment Ranglin’s rippling single note runs and Korty’s mellow “Uncle Funky,” a late night groove played with a bluesy, urban feel. Mindel co-produced the album with Ranglin, Yossi Fine and Jonathan Chi. “It was a life changing experience,” Mindel says. “Ernest is a generous soul and perhaps the greatest living guitar player. Working with him has been a career high and the greatest honor of my life.” Ranglin shares Mindel’s enthusiasm for the sessions. “I love playing with young musicians,” he says. “I’m still learning and everyone I meet has something to teach me. I always play my best and try to make each session a pleasing experience. Good vibes just follow me every time I play.”

    The Avila sessions went so well, that Ranglin and the band recently returned to the studio to complete another album. released in Fall 2013.

    Ernest Ranglin earned his reputation with a combination of hard work and innate musical prowess. In the late 50s, as guitarist in the Studio One Band, he started adding rhythm accents to the tunes Coxsone Dodd was producing, by playing muted upstrokes on his guitar. That simple, scratchy lick became the characteristic sound of a new groove called ska. His playing also laid the foundation for reggae’s relaxed rhythm, ensuring Ranglin’s place in the pantheon of innovative guitarists.

    After years of studio work in Jamaica, including Bob Marley’s first recording date, Ranglin moved to London. He played in the Island Records studio band and backed up artists like Cannonball Adderley at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Soho. His jazz inflected approach to playing and arranging was featured on countless records, including Millie Small’s “My Boy Lollipop,” the first world wide ska hit, Toots and the Maytals’ “54-46 Was My Number” and The Melodians’ classic “Rivers of Babylon.”

    Ranglin played with jazz pianists Monty Alexander and Randy Weston in the ‘70s. His fluid bend of jazz, world music and reggae fit perfectly with their ideas about music without boundaries and brought his playing to the attention of an international audience. His deceptively simple rhythms and sinuous leads created reggae jazz, showcased on albums like Below the Bassline, Memories of Barber Mac and In Search of the Lost Riddim, recorded in Senegal with Baaba Maal and his band.

    Ranglin turns 80 this year and his fretwork is still marked by a playful sensibility that conceals his jaw-dropping virtuosity, qualities that are evident on every track of Avila. Ranglin’s guitar work is currently featured on the #1 hit “Sing,” written by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Weber to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Avila Featuring Ernest Ranglin via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

1.
Manenebrg 06:57
2.
3.
Ernossi 03:55
4.
Ska Rango 06:13
5.
Uncle Funky 03:41
6.
Swaziland 05:20
7.
8.

about

Eighty-year-old Jazz-reggae guitarist, Ernest Ranglin, is considered the father of ska -- often regarded as the foundation to modern reggae. Ernest has played and continues to play with some of the reggae greats - - like Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Monty Alexander, Sly and Robbie. He is brilliant guitarist with a recognizable style all of his own. When you watch Ranglin play you will have a sense that you are truly experiencing a living legend.

Ranglin shows no signs of slowing down and he continues to unselfishly give himself to the music, his fans and his collaborators, including the band he played and recorded in the summer of 2011, named Avila. Their music blends Ranglin’s beautiful ska reggae energy with an expansive new sound created by the younger members of the band.

In the Summer of 2011, guitar sensation, Ernest Ranglin and this All Star band felt an instant chemistry when they headlined the High Sierra Music Festival in July 2011. Producer Tony Mindel watched Ranglin’s commanding presence and audience’s response that afternoon and he just knew that this group had something special. Their music was infectious and the audience could not get enough. The next morning they packed up their vans and headed south to Sonoma County. The band spent the next week in the studio capturing their debut album.

Producer Tony Mindel describes working with Ernest Ranglin on this new album; “Ernie came to California last summer with open energy, graciousness, and a collaborative spirit. He is a gentleman with very quick wit and his vibe and humor are infectious. Having the chance to work with Ernest Ranglin is a true honor for me.”

Mindel describes the new album; “This album is an innovative arrangement of jazz and reggae -- perfect for a hot summer evening.“ Avila’s debut album includes original songs composed by each member in the band, including three original songs by Ernest Ranglin. It also includes an inspiring cover written by the South African piano legend Abdullah Ibrahim. Abdullah Ibrahim's "Manenberg" opens the album with a lilting rock steady beat. Korty's sparkling piano and Fine's deep bass support Ranglin's mellow, muted solo. "Memories of Senegal" first appeared on Modern Answers to Old Problems, Ranglin's Afrobeat album. The tune is played simultaneously in 6/8 and 4/4. It took Ranglin a while to explain the concept to the horn players, but the result is a smooth combination of R&B and Afrobeat, with Ranglin's chiming chords and Alexis Rezon's percussion accents set off by Korty's smoky Hammond B-3. Ranglin's swinging "Ska Rango" bubbles along with an arrangement that suggests a meeting of Count Basie and Prince Buster. Ranglin's permutations of tempo and melody incorporate his expertise with jazz, reggae and diverse African styles.
On the funky side, there's Fine's "Ernossi," with an arrangement that nods toward Bob Marley's early hits to compliment Ranglin's rippling single note runs and Korty's mellow "Uncle Funky," a late night groove played with a bluesy, urban feel. The title track “Avila”(Oscar’s tune) is a beautiful tribute to producers Mindel’s newly born son with Ranglin’s guitar notes soaring in this lovely lullaby. Knowing they had it right from the start, the album closes with “Return To Manenberg,” offering even more of a good thing. Throughout, Ranglin’s sublime guitar reigns.

credits

released May 1, 2012

Produced by Tony MIndel
Featuring Yossi Fine - Bass, Jonathan Korty - Keys, Inx Herman - Drums, Ryan Scott - Trumpet, Alex Baky - Saxaphone

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Ernest Ranglin Ocho Rios, Jamaica

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