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Artist
Jazz Jamaica All Stars
12+ albums
jazzskaska-jazzreggaeska jazz
about
In 1991, inspired by the rhythms of traditional Jamaican music and the largely improvisational nature of jazz, original Jazz Warrior, and veteran jazz double bassist, Gary Crosby turned a musical concept into a joyful reality. Gary’s concept was to create a quintessential fusion of mento, ska, reggae and jazz, playing classic and modern jazz standards alongside Jamaican folksongs. To achieve this, he gathered together a group of musicians drawn from the jazz and reggae circuits, each of whom is a distinguished musician in his own right. The result was Jazz Jamaica ... a wonderful 9-piece dance band. Over the next 8 years, Gary successfully developed the Jazz Jamiaca concept by introducing a stream of talented young jazz musicians, so increasing the size of the pool of "Jazz Jamaicans", and enabling him to extend the boundaries of the music played. Collectively, Gary and his musicians represent the finest exponents of this unique musical fusion known as skazz, a fusion loved and appreciated by everyone, of all ages and colours around the globe. After recording four great albums with Jazz Jamaica, Gary was ready to move to the next stage. In March 1999 he took his concept further by expanding the core lineup of Jazz Jamaica to formal big band status adding a raft of guest soloists. The result is the Jazz Jamaica All Stars, a 20-piece band featuring three generations of musicians of all colours between the ages of 24 and 72, drawn from diverse sectors of the jazz community.
