Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

RICO

(b Rico Emmanuel Rodriguez, 17 Oct. '34, Kingston, Jamaica). Jamaican composer and trombonist. With Don Drummond, Rico was the most notable trombonist to come out of post-war Jamaica; like his mentor Drummond, Tommy McCook and many of the country's most popular musicians, he attended the Alpha Boys' School in Kingston; from late '50s he worked as a ska and reggae backing musician for virtually every major producer in Jamaica up to '61; he cut singles under his own name but was usually found as an uncredited sideman and in Jamaica's booming dance hall scene. When he asked for more flat fees he was dropped by producers Coxsone and Duke Reid, and left Jamaica, arriving in Britain early '62, falling in with the British soul and R&B scene, playing with Georgie Fame's Blue Flames and J. J. Jackson and as a session hand. Although he had played on sessions such as the Skatalites' Skatalites Plus for Treasure Island, he made his reputation as a session musician in Britain. As 'Reco Rodreguez' he appeared as one of Joe's All Stars on Brixton Cat on Trojan '69; other All Stars were credited as Joe Mansano and Hopeton Reid. Man From Wareika under Rico's own name '77 on Island also appeared in a separate, limited edition dub version (Wareika Dub) on Island's Black Swan subsidiary; it was notable for its strong melodies and accomplished, jazzy playing, long a hallmark of Jamaica's best post-war music. Wareika referred to the hills outside Kingston where the Rastafarian drummer Count Ossie had been based, a society that Rico lived in as early as '53. As a member of the Undivided, backing visiting headliners, he was at the forefront of the ska revival which occurred late '70s-- early '80s, guesting on the Specials' debut '79 on 2-Tone; his own debut for that label That Man Is Forward '81 incl. anthem 'Ganja'. Jama Rico '82 found him in the company of Sly and Robbie, Tommy McCook and Ansel Collins; Jerry Dammers also guested on 'Destroy Them' and 'Easter Island'. Anthology This Are Two Tone '83 incl. Rico's 'Jungle Music', aptly described in Adrian Thrills's sleeve notes as 'languid jungle music'. Moved back to Jamaica early '80s and did not record again until early '90 when he worked on demos for a new album in London. Examples of his session work incl. Pauline Walker's Is There A Place In Your Heart For Me; Rising In The East '94 on Jove Music did not recapture Man From Wareika, but it was very good, made in Tokyo with the Kuubo and the Rare Riddim Crew. Clich‚s about the Japanese copying rather than creating were brought to mind but the Crew did remarkably well emulating the distinctive keyboard sound of the Pioneers on 'Soul Serenade'; other cuts incl. Theophilus Beckford's Jamaican anthem 'Easy Snappin' ' and Jamaicanized cover of Don Azpiazu's '30s hit 'The Peanut Vendor'. Man From Wareika formed part of Roots To The Bone, an overview of Rico's career on Mango '95; when Rico's credits ranged from working with the British-based Jazz Jamaica group to Jools Holland and the former Madness vocalist Suggs: diversity had always been his forte.