Noel Ellis revisits his father’s classics
The post Noel Ellis revisits his father’s classics appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
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Noel Ellis revisits his father’s classics
Whenever Noel Ellis is in Jamaica, the first place he usually visits is Trench Town. Like his father Alton, he was born in that famed community. It is also where he recorded most of ‘My Father’s Art’, his second album which will be released on June 30.
The 12-song set comprises covers of songs recorded by his father during the 1960s. Those tracks made Alton Ellis a reggae legend and arguably its most influential vocalist.
Ellis senior died in 2008 at age 70.
‘My Father’s Art’ is co-produced by Fitzroy Green and Courick Clarke. Most of its recording sessions took place at JaMin Studio in Trench Town, with the remainder masterminded by Australian Gregory Quaill at Fifty Fifty Records in Sydney, Australia.
“The selection was very personal. I chose many of my favourite songs that were originally recorded by my father. These are songs I’ve loved all my life, and I wanted to reinterpret them while staying true to the spirit and emotion that made them classics,” said Noel Ellis.
Some of those classics are ‘Willow Tree’, ‘You Make me So Very Happy’, ‘Breaking up Is Hard to Do’, ‘Let Him Try’ and ‘I’m Still in Love With You’.
In addition to Green, who played drums, and Clarke, saxophonist Dean Fraser, bassist Danny “Axeman” Thompson, Leebert “Gibby” Morrison and an Australian orchestra played on ‘My Father’s Art’, which will be released 43 years after Ellis’ self-titled debut.
That album was produced by Jerry Brown, a Jamaican producer who lived in Toronto, Canada where Noel Ellis has lived since 1974. While he recorded some of his earliest songs in that city, his career started at one of reggae’s most famous facilities.
“My very first recording happened at Channel One studios, just after it had opened. They were testing their recording equipment while my father was doing a session there,” Ellis recalled. “He brought me along and encouraged me to record a song. That moment sparked a lifelong passion for music, and I’ve never looked back.”
Noel Ellis was raised in Trench Town among people now considered reggae royalty. His aunt, Hortense Ellis, The Wailers, The Heptones, Delroy Wilson and Stranger Cole were just some of the artistes who lived there.
Recording a tribute album to Alton Ellis is a career highlight for his son.
“I want to thank every musician, engineer, supporter, family member and friend who contributed in any way. ‘My Father’s Art’ is much more than an album — it’s a labour of love, a celebration of my father’s legacy, and a testament to what can be achieved when talented people come together with one common purpose,” he said.
(Photo contributed)
The post Noel Ellis revisits his father’s classics appeared first on Reggae Vibes.
