“Deadly” Headley Bennett :: “35 Years From Alpha” - On-U Sound
Hailing from the holy land of Kingston, Jamaica, Bennett began attending the Alpha Boys School as a youth, where he quickly picked up the iconic instrument that would not only change the course of his life, but that of the culture and community of reggae/dub, while wielding the mighty Saxophone high above a volcano of preposterous volume. But prior to his cosmic conquering of the saxophone, the musician took up photography for a couple of years in a far lesser known detail to most. Having participated in some of Bob Marley’s earliest recordings as well as performing and recording with The Shrieks, Lynn Taitt’s The Jets, Prince Far I, Creation Rebel, the incredibly influential Revolutionaries and countless other eclectic entities across his half-century-long career, Bennett became a master in poetic politics and spoke of the prolific importance of his land in a language that can only be felt as it transcends past our ears and into the fleshy depths of our harmonious hearts.
Though his career, as a whole, is almost impossible to pin down and ultimately explore via the many singles, countless collaborations and galactic guest spots on hundreds of various recordings, Bennett’s 1982 masterpiece, “35 Years From Alpha”, is not only a calculated start for most of his listeners, both and new, but for anyone looking for an iconic introduction into the late musician’s luscious labyrinth of sound, texture and complex composition, it's simply a doorway to the other side. The album’s bottomless oasis of perfection is one for the ages as it can effortlessly teleport its seduced subjects into a mellow-flavored drama of reflected riches across a legendary landscape of gorgeous gospel and its telling of peace, hope and love. One of the many exciting and esoteric elements of Bennett’s career is that he was strictly a session, or studio musician and hardly ever, if at all, recorded under his own name. “35 Years From Alpha'' unties the kinetic knots for the significant soundscape of the album to universal unveil the sonic secrets of an electrified era that has since culturally captivated multiple generations and inspired endless boundaries in its world renowned wake.
“A war between the horn players…You have to be tough.”
Released on the monumental UK-based label, On-U Sound, during the genre's most tragic decade, the 1980s saw the devastating deaths of such legends as Marley, Peter Tosh and Keith Hudson as the years continued to unravel towards a historical horizon. While assembling a collection of tonal talents such as Tim Sherman, Lizard Logan, Style Scott and Crucial Tony, producer Adrian Sherwood helped bridge a dynamical gap between Bennett’s communal talents and the economical efforts by bottlenecking the musician’s mastery into a full-fledged army of atmospheric attitude and sonic sorcery by showcasing just what these artists had to offer under one magically manifested roof. With numbers like “Headley's Medley”, “The Danger”, “Two From Alpha” and, of course, the album’s sublime title track, capturing the critical consciousness of their audience, “35 Years From Alpha'' stands as perhaps, one of the late musician’s most mesmerizing moments throughout the melodic mosaic of his definitive career. Set for release on the 11th of November, this retro reissue of a Renaissance in reggae culture will feature, for the very first time, exclusive bonus tracks as well as detailed liner notes and photos from a tremendous time and place that was deeply documented in high regard as representing a sacred section in not only human history, but that of musical majesty.
