Which of the following pairs does not belong? A. Memphis and blues. B. New Orleans and jazz. C. Missouri and reggae. If you said C then you are most definitely…wrong. That’s not true, you say! You’ve been to Beale Street, to BB King’s place. You’ve been to JazzFest. Both A and B obviously are correct pairings of region and musical genre, so the answer would have to be C, right? Well, if you show up at Brew Dog’s pub on Oct. 18 when the guys from Jah Roots come to town you’ll realize that Missouri and reggae go together just fine, thank you. So it was a trick question. Sometimes in life, there are no right or wrong answers.
If the guys in Jah Roots worried about other people’s perceptions of right and wrong as pertaining to true reggae music, they might have simply stuck to the safe formula that so many up-and-coming musicians adhere to. It would have been easy to play cover tunes, even in the early jam band incarnation that founding members Josh Heinrichs and Mike Hulsey played during the mid-nineties. Cover bands draw the best crowds and make the most money, except for those lucky few bands that are able to write and play originals strong enough to attract and build a fan base. But Heinrichs and Hulsey didn’t just ignore the conventional thinking regarding cover bands, they turned convention on its ear by not only writing and performing their own songs, but by assembling a group of musician friends into a reggae band that sounds like they just moved to Springfield from Jamaica.
Perhaps oddly, Heinrichs only discovered his love for reggae a relatively short time ago, in 1999, when he first heard Bob Marley and the Wailers’ classic album, Natty Dread. The effect was almost immediate, and soon the jam band he and Hulsey were in had recruited percussionist Josh Nail, bassist Steve Washburn and drummer Eric Groves and began learning and playing reggae tunes. In a short time the band was developing a fan base and earning raves for its eclectic and energetic live shows. In 2002 they released their independent debut album, Stepping out of Babylon, which featured heavy reggae and ska influences with their original jam band sound. The band gave away copies of the cd free to fans at their live shows. Their positive sound and “One Love” philosophy was proving a winner, and as they grew together, the band developed into one of the most requested acts on reggae radio shows across the country.
The band has continued touring and recording, releasing More Herbs for the Youth and Babylon Weak Heart in 2005 and their breakthrough album, Crucial, in 2006. They’ve been regulars on the festival circuit, performing at various festivals like The Reggae on the Riverfront in Illinois and numerous NORML events. They have also opened for a number of heavy-hitters like Damian Marley, Bunny Wailer and the godfather of funk, George Clinton.
If you haven’t heard the band yet, check out their fan site at http://goodhighs.com and follow the links and you’ll be able to download their first three albums for free. But if you’re familiar with the band, you probably knew that and already have the songs on your iPod. Either way, if you’re a fan of reggae, or just a fan of the reggae life-style, you won’t want to miss when Jah Roots make their way into our neck of the woods. They band will be playing songs from their latest album, Joy, which features Junior Marvin, former lead guitarist for Bob Marley joining the band for a couple of songs. Both Joy and Crucial are available at iTunes, but select songs are also available as free downloads on the band’s myspace page. Go to www.myspace.com/jahroots and you can listen to and download songs like “Good Highs,” “Joy” and “Ganja Weed.” So just in case you still didn’t believe that Springfield, Missouri could yield a true reggae band, these songs will probably put your skepticism to rest.
So whether you’re a fan of reggae, ska, hip-hop or quality live music in general, you’ll want to stop by Brewdog’s on Saturday, Oct. 18 when the guys from Jah Roots put their own spin on “living green.” They’ll be spreading the love, bringing the peace and proving that a bunch of white boys from Missouri can play true reggae music with a positive vibe and political slant that would make Bob Marley proud. Doors open at 8pm and the band takes the stage at 10pm. If the parking lot at Brewdog’s looks like a used van dealership, you’ll know you’re in the right place. For more details on this show and upcoming shows at Brewdog’s check out www.myspace.com/brewdogsbar.
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