Boomshots

Tag: Dean Fraser

  • Macka Diamond: Diamonds Are Forever

    Macka Diamond: Diamonds Are Forever

     Macka Diamond Keeps Getting Better With Time

    Dancehall artist Macka Diamond plans to take her career to the next level in 2017.  With the release of a new single, “25 inches,” her signature high-pitched, breathy vocals sound more fierce than ever. The dancehall arena is for the survival of the fittest and Macka shows that she is fully equipped with promotional photographs in full body paint. Collaborating with the best producers, she aspires to drop a one drop album and embark on a U.S. Tour. This diamond shows clearly shows that she is cut by a cloth of longevity. We spoke to Macka Diamond about how she became an empowered woman in dancehall. Interview After The Jump

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  • HEAR THIS: Ricky Blaze ft. Mr. Easy & Dean Fraser “Dance”

    HEAR THIS: Ricky Blaze ft. Mr. Easy & Dean Fraser “Dance”

    What A Way The Tune Rest Pon Mi Mind!

    Sometimes you hear a song that you just want to share with others. That’s all this is. I stumbled across “Dance,” taken from Ricky Blaze’s latest album, Conquer The Moment, and all that’s been on my mind since hearing it for the first time is that I have to share it. (Patois translation: “What a way the tune rest pon mi mind!”) I’ve been on a texting, and Facebook messaging and Tweeting frenzy over the past couple days to every possible member of my reggae family, trying to make sure this song doesn’t slip through the cracks. Brooklyn-based producer Ricky Blaze has been one of the more creative and consistent talents in the modern reggae and dancehall scene (need we mention Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh”?) and this song perfectly captures his knack for cultivating a unique reggae sound with the aid of influences from a multitude of other genres. The song “Dance” features BK veteran Mr. Easy and saxophone master Dean Fraser. The song doesn’t try too hard. It’s easy, it’s breezy, it’s light, yet it’s sophisticated. If joy could be captured in sonic form, I think that sound would be this song. My only task is to make sure the Boomshots crew, receives that message. Riddim up! Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Jah9: Jazz on Dub

    Jah9: Jazz on Dub

    Roots Reggae Queen, Jah9 is all set and ready to deliver a Holistic Dub Experience to her New York fans at Milk River Restaurant & Lounge tonight!

    Jazz and Dub blends together for a musical massage with an extraordinary sound. The slow sound waves of dub, allow the lyrics to ride over the beat, in a synchronized fashion. This speed enables the listener to focus on the lyrics, so it comes as no surprise that, Janine “Jah9” Cunningham, entitled her East Coast Tour, “Jazz on Dub.” The tour to promote her debut album, “New Name” hits Brooklyn, New York tonight. More After The Jump…

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  • Boomshots Cosign: Why Beres Hammond Should Win Best Reggae Album Grammy And Why He Probably Won’t

    Boomshots Cosign: Why Beres Hammond Should Win Best Reggae Album Grammy And Why He Probably Won’t

    The soulful voice of Beres Hammond, the “Otis Redding of Reggae,” has captured our full attention since his 1976 Willie Lindo produced debut “Soul Reggae.” Now, with his 26th studio album, One Love, One Life (VP records), nominated for a “Best Reggae Album” Grammy (the second nomination of his remarkable career), Beres provides the ultimate love experience with 20 skillfully crafted songs for music lovers to enjoy. Taking the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top 10 Reggae Albums chart, and being noted by Rolling Stone as “one of the best albums of a four-decade-long career,” Beres’ latest album proves this artist continues to hone his craft, getting better with time. However will this album receive the Grammy it so richly deserves during today’s ceremony in Los Angeles? Beres faces some tough competition this year. However the final decision rests in the hands of the Grammy Voting Committee and as a member of this Committee, the Recording Academy and expert in music, Rob Kenner breaks down how the process works in Complex Magazine’s “Hate Me Now: What Its Like To Be A Grammy Voter.” In this article he bravely reveals the secrets that make it less likely that such a strong album will  be selected. Story Continues After The Jump…

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  • Johnny Osbourne & Tarrus Riley Rock Miss Lily’s Variety Anniversary Bash

    Last Night Come In Like A Stage Show

    Last night Miss Lily’s Variety and Melvin’s Juice Box celebrated its first anniversary in fine style with an all-day party that was broadcast live on RadioLily.com. The place was packed with reggae royalty from early out. Dean Fraser and Tarrus Riley mingled with Clive Chin and Carol Dodd, who blessed the place with some amazing never-before-heard Studio One rarities (including “In My Fathers House” and “Ungodly King” by Dennis Brown, a new version of “Gorgon” by Cornell Campbell, “Mix It Up” by J.D. Smoothe, and the original “Shank-I-Sheck” instrumental by Roy Burroughs). Noel Alphonso, son of the late great Roland Alphonso (whose birthday was also last night) was in the place along with the whole Miss Lily’s family to enjoy one-of-a-kind live performances by the one and only Johnny Osbourne and Tarrus Riley—up close and personal with DJ Max Glazer at the controls. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning With Monty Alexander

    The Grammy-Nominated Jamaican Jazz Master Nices Up The Blue Note

    With 50 years of making music and some 70 records under his belt, the Jamaican-born and world-renowned pianist Monty Alexander has finally received his first Grammy nomination. His live album Harlem-Kingston Express got the nod for the Best Reggae Album this year. Alexander is considered a first-rate pianist in international jazz circles, yet he got his start sitting in with mento bands on accordion, or recording for Coxsone Dodd and Randy Chin. He went on to play with Dizzy Gillespie, record with Quincy Jones, and accompany Frank Sinatra when he passed through Jilly’s on West 52nd Street. In other words—Monty bust big a farin’. Yet instead of turning his back on the Jamaican music that shaped him, he took it back to the foundation and found ways to blend the two with one sound coming through pure and true. That’s just what Monty has been doing during his two-week residency at NYC’s Blue Note, inviting 50 years’ worth of friends from the worlds of jazz and reggae to jam side by side, giving his lucky listeners “The Full Monty.”
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  • WATCH THIS: Tarrus Riley “Contagious” Showcase

    Singy Singy Reasons About His New Album. The Future of Reggae is Now.

    Tarrus Riley’s third album Contagious is both his strongest release to date and one of the best reggae records of the past decade. (more…)

  • Sumfest 2009 Highlights

    Boomshots.com bubbling backstage in MoBay… Keep it locked.

    Here’s a little taste of what I caught on the FlipCam…. Tarrus Riley onstage mashing it up right now. Toni Braxton plus Junior Gong and Nas tonight. Much more to come.