The Roots

Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae Music

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
November 25, 2021

You're in for a pre-Thanksgiving treat. Yesterday, I posted on a 1964 Jamaican mini documentary on ska, the island's dominant dance music of the early 1960s. Today. I found a high-resolution print of Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae Music (2009). It followed ska by slowing ska down and adding a soulful groove in the mid-1960s, setting the stage for reggae's political-themed emergence in the early 1970s. I love rocksteady. It's soft, gentle and hypnotic. And I love rocksteady covers of ...
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"Real Feels": The Roots of Success for John Raymond

Source: JazzINK by Andrea Canter
January 21, 2016

"I feel like the album captures the seed of something on its way to becoming more honest and beautiful, and I think there's a certain “magic" to that that makes it special to me." —John Raymond “Electrifyingly new and strangely familiar at the same time…with his mix of modern sounds and old-fashioned feeling, Raymond is steering jazz in the right direction.” —Downbeat Magazine Few young musicians truly find success when they spread their wings in the Big Apple. That Twin ...
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The Roots: New Album

Source: JamBase
October 18, 2011

NEW ALBUM UNDUN SET FOR RELEASE 12/6 Amidst The Roots' busy schedule, from performing as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to recently fronting a Pre-Emmy Awards jam session, the legendary crew has returned with their latest musical creation, a new album entitled undun (Island Def Jam). Set for release on December 6, 2011, undun marks the first conceptually-based album from The Roots. The album's first single, “Make My" featuring Big K.R.I.T. is set for release November ...
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Jazz Singer Celebrates Black Music Month with The Roots of Jazz Baltimore Exhibit at The Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Branch

Source: Tamm E Hunt
June 10, 2011

Baltimore, MD—"The Roots of Jazz Baltimore The Movers, Shakers and Music Makers" an exhibit curated by Jazz singer/author/historian Tamm E Hunt celebrates Black Music Month and provides glimpses of Baltimore's historic Jazz life from the 1920's through the present day. The exhibit is hosted by Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Branch, in the Annex corridor, 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD from April 1 through the summer of 2011. The display can be accessed during the library's hours: Mon-Wed 10 am-7 ...
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PT. 2 Fab 5 Freddy: Jazz Upbringing @ The Roots of Hip Hop

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
May 19, 2011

In part one (scroll down or check the archives) of our lively conversation with Fab 5 Freddy, the graffiti artist who was one of the pioneers of what has become the global pop phenomenon known as hip hop we discussed the heavy jazz influence on young Fred’s Brooklyn upbringing, which included the significant influence of his godfather NEA Jazz Master Max Roach. One course correction: the crib Fab described in pt. 1 as Max Roach’s home on Gates Avenue, where ...
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Jazz Influence @ The Roots of Hip Hop

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
May 5, 2011

Back in the early 80s, when hip hop was in its nascent stage, a young man who grew up in Brooklyn—definitely one of the root beds of the form—named Fred Brathwaite, Jr. was making his moves that cutting edge. Originally an aspiring graffitti artist, young Fred immersed himself in those early experiments, basment-rapping with an aspiring DJ friend in the rawest sense of what became hip hop. According to Freddy Brathwaite’s Wikipedia entry: “As a teen in the 70s he ...
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Kenny Wayne Shepherd To Guest With The Roots On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Source: Roadrunner Records
November 7, 2010

On Wednesday, November 10th, Kenny Wayne Shepherd will be joining The Roots for a special Hendrix-themed sit-in on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Kenny will be playing the same white Fender Stratocaster guitar that Jimi Hendrix played on the morning of August 18, 1969 at the Woodstock Festival. It's the same instrument on which Hendrix played “The Star Spangled Banner," the recording of which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. Kenny's performance with The Roots ...
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Rally to Restore Sanity: Tweedy and Staples, the Roots, Sheryl Crow

Source: JamBase
October 29, 2010

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 AT NOON; SEVERAL UNANNOUNCED MUSICAL GUESTS On Saturday, October 30, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will hold their “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" in Washington D.C. The National Park Service only approved the permit for the rally today, and the 60- page-plus document reveals some information regarding the musical guests. The festivities kick off at Noon with a 40 minute performance by The Roots. After entrances from Stewart and Colbert and readings from actors Sam Waterston ...
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10 Ft. Ganja Plant Deliver The Roots on "10 Deadly Shots, Vol 1"

Source: Chris M. Slawecki
July 6, 2010

10 Ft. Ganja Plant brings the sound of roots, rocksteady and dub from the smokey hills and rough streets of Jamaica to the ears of their rabid fans around the globe. On 10 Deadly Shots, the mysterious reggae collective captures the vibe of classic reggae and distills it down to it's essence--without vocals. The tracks were mastered directly to vinyl with the digital / CD parts cut from the vinyl lacquer. This unique process lets these 10 gems breathe with ...
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The Roots: New Album Details Free MP3 Download

Source: JamBase
May 27, 2010

HOW I GOT OVER OUT JUNE 22

The Roots will be dropping their long-awaited new full-length album on June 22, titled How I Got Over. The album will feature Jim James, Joanna Newsom, members of the Dirty Projectors, Patty Crash, John Legend and Blu, as well as members of the Legendary Roots Crew.

Download the MP3 of “Dear God 2.0" for free here.

How I Got Over Tracklisting Interlude 1 feat. ...
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