For lovers of classic reggae/roots reggae, the years since Bob Marley's passing have seen a gradual winnowing of great artists....with mainly the old guard carrying on the inspirational mode. But now and then a new light has appeared...Garnett Silk in the early Nineties inspired a new wave of roots-oriented artists...in the wake of his untimely death, Luciano stepped forward with some powerful recordings. Ironically African artists such as Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy have perhaps been major torchbearers of classic reggae. In recent years there have been a few artists--I-Wayne, Tarrus Riley, Queen -Ifrica and others-- trying to step up in that space with varying degrees of success. They've all had their moments but none have really been consistently impressive.Until now along comes Duane Stephenson.
I first heard Duane Stephenson on a cut called "August Town" a couple years back; it was a really strong piece of social commentary inspired by a real event, when police shot up a dance in Jamaica. Impressed as I was by that track, I didn't pick up on his first album. But did get his second one, BLACK GOLD, recently released on VP Records. It is a revelation, a presentation of quality in every respect from start to finish, a nice, varied set that plays through as a well-rounded album, unlike so many recent albums where it is just the same thing cut after cut.
There are a couple different producers involved with BLACK GOLD but the bulk of tracks were produced by Dean Fraser in conjunction with Duane Stephenson, no surprise because Dean Fraser, Jamaica's iconic saxophonist, has been involved in some of the highest quality productions of the past several years, including Tarrus' Riley's breakthrough effort. Duane's voice is most often a wistful tenor but sometimes moving into resonant baritone. His phrasing is smooth, lyrical, with no waste motion, not a powerhouse voice but beguiling.
The album ranges across a spectrum of styles. It opens with the heavy classic roots riddim of "Nah Play", a pointed commentary about the reality of "police and thieves in the street" and the accompanying violence, then shifts into a polished classic reggae backdrop for a grown-up love song on "Fire In Me." But the next cut, which philosophically addresses political leaders (with an intro from dub poet Mutabaruka!!) over a pretty bed of acoustic guitar and strings. "Deception", the succeeding track, also leads with acoustic guitar-led ballad about self-deception. Other songs deal celebrating the virtues of a good woman, the conflict in the Middle East, a young girl-gone-bad, love, and daily tribulation. He displays his lyrical originality on "Sufferer's Heights", which begins by detailing the frustrations of a middle-class worker but then contrasts those frustrations with the more profound deprivation of a poor person. On cut after cut he ranges far beyond Rasta cliches or, indeed cliches of any kind. His writing shows thought, reflection, considered development. He does really a fine version of Dennis Brown's "Stay At Home", the afore-mentioned "young girl-gone-bad" song; his version, featuring a little rap by Queen Ifrica, rivals the Crown Prince's version.And he does a version of blues artist Bobby Bland's early Eighties hit "Members Only", which was popular in Jamaica. Clearly Duane Stephenson follows his muse wherever it leads and that's a beautiful thing. How many artists of any genre are doing that today?
In this era of one or two good tracks on an album, Duane Stephenson's "Black Gold" is a fresh breeze, a reminder of what an artist can be in the hands of a true artist. Though I can't say he's broken new ground he has certainly shown that reggae is still a vital avenue for artistic expression. A pleasant looking dread who looks to be in his thirties, he's neither a heart-throb nor flamboyant in his personal style. He's just very real, very appealing, very solid. And in this day and time, that is a wonderful thing. It is too early to say if he has what it takes to capture audiences globally. He has yet to come up with a true breakthrough, signature hit. Until then, though, I am for one am going to enjoy "Black Gold" repeatedly.
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