Entertainment

Musicians pay tribute to Jackie Mittoo

Musician Gladstone Alexander, singer Bunny Brown, Clive Davidson and Winston 'Merritone' Blake share a light moment during the launch of a tribute album to Keyboardist Jackie Mittoo. - Winston Sill Photos

SOME OF JAMAICA'S LEADING musicians have combined their talents in a tribute to Jackie Mittoo, the man dubbed as 'Jamaica's Keyboard King'.

Their efforts take the form of an album, titled 'Interpretations and Improvisations', which was launched on Tuesday night at Waterfalls in Liguanea.

Although not the first album dedicated to Mittoo, this tribute album is being distributed by VP Records, and features a roster loaded with Jamaica's top musicians.

Among the ranks are Dean Fraser who doubles as the album's producer, Monty Alexander, Ibo Cooper, Wycliffe 'Steely' Johnson and Cleveland 'Clevie' Browne, and Mallory Williams among several others.

Speaking at the launch, the album's co-executive producer Clive Davidson, said that the contributions made by Mittoo and several other musicians are critical to understanding Jamaica's musical history, and young people tend to ignore its importance.

"We only hope we can enhance the history of the music that so many young people take for granted. They just don't understand, and we hope the media can help with this as well," he noted.

Special thanks were also given by Mittoo's 15-year-old daughter Crystal, and his girlfriend Carol Brown.

Jackie Mittoo rose to prominence in the '60's as a child genius, first at Kingston College, where he was on the school choir, then at Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd's Studio One label, where he arranged and helped to produce some of the biggest names in Jamaica's music.

He migrated to Canada during the '70's where he died in 1990 of lung cancer at the age of 48.