Bob Marley songs – ISLAND HEAD reggae band New music out now!

Island Head Band Live on SiriusXM The Joint

Island Head band has been on SiriusXM reggae satellite radio station “The Joint” channel 42. Hear the exclusive performance by Island Head musicians and program director Pay McKay’s interview with bandleader Billy Messinetti and the band. The band plays new live versions of “Burnin and Lootin’, “So Much Trouble In The World”, which continues to air on the reggae channel and the title cut from the band’s album “Punky Reggae Party”. All three songs were written by Bob Marley and performed by The Wailers. Also, check out the band’s original single called “Reggae Island” here on iTunes.

Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung tells how he has recorded with and/or performed live with just about every Jamaican musician including Buju Banton, Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru and Peter Tosh. Andy Bassford speaks of the years he spent with reggae greats Toots and The Maytals, Yellowman, Super Cat and Dennis Brown. Sax player Timmy Cappello spent 15 years with Tina Turner and trumpeter James Smith is no stranger to reggae. James spent 22 years with Burning Spear and recorded with Stephen Marley and Damian Marley.

More details and pics here

Island Head exclusive on SiriusXM The Joint TODAY!

Tune-in today Thursday to SiriusXM reggae satellite radio station “The Joint” channel 42 at 2:00pm EST/11:00am PST. Hear the exclusive performance by Island Head and hear program director Pay McKay interview the musicians. The band played new versions of “Burnin and Lootin’, “So Much Trouble In The World”, which continues to air on the reggae channel and the title cut from the band’s album “Punky Reggae Party”. All three songs were written by Bob Marley. Also, check out the band’s original single called “Reggae Island” here on iTunes.

More details and pics here

“So Much Trouble In The World” by Island Head (musicians)

If you have been hearing the instrumental version of “So Much Trouble In The World” on SiriusXM channel 42 “The Joint” (reggae channel) then, you have found the right place.

Thanks to Program Director Pat McKay, “So Much Trouble In The World”, written by the legend Bob Marley, has been airing in regular rotation. Be sure to come to the live Island Head show at New York City’s The Cutting Room. The musicians will be coming into town on July 24, 2013. Summer’s here and the time is right to reggae!!

Stay tuned for more exciting news coming that day – to be announced!

Click here for tickets to The Cutting Room show. Get your tickets early because it will SELL OUT!

Tags: reggae music, Island Head musicians, Island Head reggae, Bob Marley songs music

“So Much Trouble In The World” by Island Head musicians

ISLAND HEAD musicians “So Much Trouble In The World” continues to be added reggae radio playlists throughout the world. This unique version of the Bob Marley classic song has resonated with reggae music fans and Wailers fans. The album “PUNKY REGGAE PARTY” hit #100 on the iTunes reggae albums chart.

Reggae – jam band – jazz – island music – are all terms used to describe the instrumental debut album by Island Head. Below are the Bob Marley songs from the album along with “Reggae Island”, written by Billy Messinetti and Don Harris.

1 – I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley)

2 – So Much Trouble In The World (Bob Marley)

3 – Reggae Island (Billy Messinetti & Don Harris)

4 – Wake Up And Live (Bob Marley)

5 – Get Up Stand Up (Bob Marley & Peter Tosh)

6 – Punky Reggae Party (Bob Marley & Lee “Scratch” Perry)

7 – Burnin’ and Lootin’ (Bob Marley)

click on ‘MUSICIANS LINK’ to read bios of Island Head musicians

Island Head musicians

ISLAND HEAD – “PUNKY REGGAE PARTY”

reggae – jam band – jazz – island music – are all terms used to describe the instrumental debut album by Island Head. Below are the songs from the album written by Bob Marley except for “Reggae Island”, the single.

1 – I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley)

2 – So Much Trouble In The World (Bob Marley)

3 – Reggae Island (Billy Messinetti & Don Harris)

4 – Wake Up And Live (Bob Marley)

5 – Get Up Stand Up (Bob Marley & Peter Tosh)

6 – Punky Reggae Party (Bob Marley & Lee “Scratch” Perry)

7 – Burnin’ and Lootin’ (Bob Marley)

click on ‘MUSICIANS LINK’ to read bios of Island Head musicians

Radio Adds for Island Head’s “Punky Reggae Party”

Island Head music on the radio started with SiriusXM The Joint Program Director Pat McKay playing “So Much Trouble In The World”, a Bob Marley cover. All three of the station’s DJs continue to play Island Head – Jabba, Dermot Hussey and Pat McKay herself. Sounds of the Caribbean with Keith Rowe & Selecta Jerry jumped at the chance to add the album to their radio playlist. Keith even uses various cuts from the album as “bumper” music for his announcements. “Jaybird” Varga from Endless Boundaries Jam Radio on the same radio station heard Island Head on Keith’s show. He liked the “jamband” aspect of the album so much that he started his very next show with “Burnin’ and Lootin'”, another Marley song. Both Keith’s and “Jaybird’s” shows can be heard on Burlington County College 88.9 FM in S. Jersey & Philadelphia (stream here Radio Z889).

Dan the Cableman has a show on Centenary College Radio called Reggae & World Rhythms 91.9 FM in Central New Jersey that streams on www.wnti.org. Andy Bassford and Billy Messinetti, guitarist and drummer, respectively, were interviewed and guest DJ’ed while the Cableman played “Reggae Island”, the single from the album, “I Shot The Sheriff” and the title cut “Punky Reggae Party”.

Chuck Foster from radio KPFK 90.7 FM UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) has a show called Reggae Central who has added Island Head to the playlist. If you are in the Tampa Florida area you can listen to WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio (stream at www.wmnf.org). In Upstate New York we are on WVKR 91.3 FM Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. One of their shows is “Splinters & Candy” World Music with Alex Brown. Our newest addition today is Radio CUH Chaminade University Hawaii. If you are off the island you can listen here http://radiocuh.org.

Island Head would like to thank all these stations for their continued support. Big Up from all the Island Head musicians!! Maximum Respect!!!

Island Head – “Punky Reggae Party”

ISLAND HEAD – “PUNKY REGGAE PARTY”

1 – I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley)

2 – So Much Trouble In The World (Bob Marley)

3 – Reggae Island (Billy Messinetti & Don Harris)

4 – Wake Up And Live (Bob Marley)

5 – Get Up Stand Up (Bob Marley & Peter Tosh)

6 – Punky Reggae Party (Bob Marley & Lee “Scratch” Perry)

7 – Burnin’ and Lootin’ (Bob Marley)

click on ‘musicians’ link in the menu to read bios of Island Head musicians

Dermot Hussey interviews Billy Messinetti from Island Head

Legendary Jamaican radio personality Dermot Hussey’s interview with drummer/producer Billy Messinetti will air Friday February 8, 2013 on the Jamaican radio station Newstalk 93 (www.newstalk.com.jm) at 7:00 PM.

Dermot’s rise to fame was fueled by his famous interview with Bob Marley.

The interview includes a discussion about the making of the album “Punky Reggae Party’, Island Head musicians, Bob Marley, reggae music of today and yesterday and how the Island Head musicians got together. Find out why this jamband chose to make instrumental versions of Bob Marley songs.

If you do not live in Jamaica you can stream it online with this link: www.newstalk.com.jm

If you miss it you can listen here: interview link

SiriusXM Satellite Radio plays Island Head

SiriusXM Satellite Radio station “The Joint” is the quintessential reggae radio station. The station recently started playing “So Much Trouble In The World” from the Island Head album “Punky Reggae Party”. The station’s program director Pat McKay said; “I feel so especially blessed to share this brilliant work with our audience.”

Pat has been part of the reggae world for many years. Before coming to SiriusXM she hosted the first ever all reggae “big radio show” in the USA on WBLS-FM called “The WBLS Reggae House Party”. Ms. McKay has pioneered the promotion of reggae and other Jamaican music styles. Well, it is an honor and we feel especially blessed that “The Joint” is playing Island Head. Much Respect!

You can find The Joint on SiriusXM channel 42. Pat McKay’s show is on from 9 AM to 3 PM.

http://www.siriusxm.com/thejoint

NOTE: This band is sometimes referred to as Island Head Musicians or Islandhead musicians.

Punky Reggae Party album review

The reggae jamband Island Head, is getting a lot attention for their debut album “Punky Reggae Party”. Bob Marley songs are re-worked into instrumentals that are destined to make these songs classics, again.

Track 1: “I Shot The Sheriff” has a groove that crosses dancehall and rock with strong rock guitars and jazzy saxophone. Sax player Tim Cappello, of Tina Turner fame, plays his butt off (plain and simple). He has a fat tenor sound with tons of expression and excitement!

Track 2: “So Much Trouble In The World” takes the bass line from the original and pushes it further with a backbeat on the drums. Bass player extraordinaire, Neil Jason pays tribute to the original bass player on the Survival album, Val Douglas. Val, of the famous Skatalites, was scheduled to play on the album. Due to his touring schedule with the Skatalites he could not make any of the band’s sessions. When the track gets to Andy Bassford’s guitar solo the song is lifted to new heights. Andy is well-known for playing with Toots & The Maytals for 23 years.

Track 3: The single, “Reggae Island” is a pop/top 40 sounding instrumental that just makes the listener feel good. This is the only one not penned by Marley.

track 4: “Wake Up and Live”, also from Marley’s Survival album appears on the Island Head record. This is where the band’s funk influence comes out. Trumpet player Don Harris used to tour with Tower of Power and brought out some TOP in his arrangements.

Track 5: “Get Up Stand Up” sounds like Miles Davis got together with Bob Marley. Harris’ muted trumpet is sultry, sexy and relaxing. Miles would be proud because his influence is very apparent.

Track 6: The title track combines Jamaican Rocksteady with synth-dance music. The synthesizer sounds played by one of the most famous synth players in the world, David Frank of The System.

Track 7: “Burnin’ and Lootin'” is the final track which is more traditional roots reggae. The groove is deadly and “dirty funky”! Andy Bassford does some finger-picking melodies in the second verse that are complex and interesting. The track ends with Andy and Tim weaving in and out of each other’s licks.

Mickey “Mao” Chung, famous for his tenure with Peter Tosh of the Wailers plays incredible melodies throughout the entire album. Mikey also played with Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards when Keith used to live in Jamaica. Keith also mentions Mikey in his biography, “Life”. Producer Billy Messinetti says; Mikey added a Jamaican authenticity to the album. The combination of the guitar playing of Andy Bassford and Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung is one of the things that makes this album so interesting to listen to. When Pat McKay, program director for SiriusXM’s reggae station The Joint, heard about this collaboration she said; I know both Andy and Mikey, they are geniuses!

You can find this very interesting musical hybrid here: Island Head on iTunes

Twitter page @Islandheadband is getting followers from all over the world.