To mark sixty years of Jamaican independence in 2022, Soul Revivers’ Nick Manasseh and David Hill decided to rework one of their all-time favourite independence-era Ska tunes.
Produced by Coxsone Dodd in 1963 and originally released as ‘Passing Through’ by Roland Alphonso and The Skata-lites, the track was re-released in 1973 on Iron Side, a Studio One imprint, this time credited to The Skatalites and re-titled as ‘Coconut Rock’. In the decades that have followed, this what the tune has become known as. 'Coconut Rock' is itself an interpretation of Mongo Santamaria’s hit Latin dancer, ‘Get the Money’, also from 1963.
The Soul Revivers version maintains the drive of The Skatalites cut but moves it away from Ska to up-tempo jazz-led roots territory. Once again enlisting the talents of Sheila Maurice-Grey on lead trumpet, and this time her Kokoroko bandmate Anoushka Nanguy on lead trombone, who solo in tight conversation, swirling around the Soul Revivers section horns of Lucas Petter (trombone) Dougal Caston (saxophone) and Dave Fullwood (trumpet). Fizzing drums are courtesy of Adrian McKenzie, who has played on all Soul Revivers tracks to date.
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