WATCH THIS: Christopher Ellis “Willow Tree”

Fresh Sounds From Christopher, Son Of The Late Great Alton Ellis

“My dad did a lot for music, but he didn’t really boast about it like he could have,” said Alton Ellis’s 23-year-old son Christopher shortly after his death in 2008. “He’s got a lot of respect, and his name is really big, but financially he’s been robbed over the years. He told me, ‘Son, do not let them rob you like they robbed me.’ ” But weep not. Christopher Ellis is making music with the Ghetto Youths International family, and that’s a very good thing. Stephen Marley and Salaam Remi produced this crispy remake of the Chuck Jackson tune that was so memorably covered by father Alton himself back in the rock steady era. Run that…

Total niceness. Sounds like the future is in good hands. And do remember that my Scorpio sistren Sharon Gordon will be reasoning live with Christopher Ellis tomorrow, Saturday Feb 26th from 6pm to 9pm EST, on her crucial internet talk show “Reggae Calling” You can find the show on the Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music website, which you should have bookmarked by now anyway…

Now just in case this left you longing to hear Alton’s version of the tune, see it here. Boom!

(That little keyboard triplet kills me every time… doo-doo-doop!) And while we’re at it, let’s check out Chuck Jackson’s version (if only to appreciate how the Ellis family improved upon the original)? Not that I’m mad at the xylophone solo!

Ok that’s it for now. Don’t worry, we won’t be playing any Willow Smith—at least not on this post!