A new name with well-known protagonists from the sound systemDub-Around the west London neighborhoods of Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. This is where the cover photo was taken in the late 70s, this is where Nick Manasseh has his studio The Yard, where he founded the Soul Revivers with David Hill. Both are more into the left wing of Jamaican music and love the roots of the 70s. One was a Steppaz influencer from the very beginning and played with Sound Iration, the other became a consultant for labels like Soul Jazz or Auralux after his time with the Ballistic Brothers. Manasseh and Hill im Yard produced the album with musicians from the local jazz and reggae scene "On The Grove", a collection of vocal and instrumental tunes. Among others, the guitarist and founder of the band Galliano and the Ruff Cut drummer Adrian McKenzie, whose filigree, virtuosic playing builds the stylistic bridge to the present in the Retro & Roots set, are involved. Half of the songs are instrumentals with a touch of jazz, two of which serve as templates for improvisations by guitarist Ernest Ranglin. An opulent wind section is cast with veterans like Henry Tenyue, who was already on Aswad's "Live & Direct", and young stars of the scene. Among them the trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, whose afro-jazz band Kokoroko is currently sweeping London. She plays the solo on the instrumental version of Earl 16's Where The River. The vocal tunes all come from prominent artists. Earl 16 has a second tune based on his 1976 song "Changing World" recorded for Augustus Pablo. The song is resurrected here as "Got To Live" and is now blessed with a brass theme for eternity. Jamaican singer Devon Russel, who died in 1997 and was recorded by Manasseh shortly before his death, sings Curtis Mayfield's "Underground". The Heptones' old Studio One backing track "Tripe Girl" is refreshed for a new song by soul singer Alexia Coley. And Ken Boothe contributes a tune about which David Rodigan says, "Believe me, in time 'Tell Me Why' will be considered one of his greatest tracks." It was clear this album needed one Dub-pendant. And it was equally clear that the Dubs had to be created analogously on the mixing console. “In times when music is created entirely on the computer,” says Nick Manasseh, “mixing remains Dub an area where old-school mixers, filter, reverb, and echo gear are irreplaceable for the organic feel of Dub.” Where the recordings of “On The Grove” were made, Manasseh also has "Grove Dub" mixed. From the music behind the chants, he created filigree, never coarse mixes, over which a network of picturesque echoes stretches. Already the prelude “Meanwhile Dub“ celebrates them DubArt as a dynamic interplay between offbeat, trombone fills and drum'n'bass parts. The subtle charm of the unobtrusive opener continues in the other titles, where the original singers and instrumentalists only deliver splashes of color. Something else would have been created on the computer, Manasseh is sure of that, his mixes stand for the moment in which they happen: "Dub is spontaneous. You decide on the fly and it takes as long as the tune runs. Three minutes thirty and you have one Dub.” The release of both albums on the renowned Acid Jazz label shows the high status of both records, which are just as shaped by the NuJazz hype of London as by the golden years of the Dread & Roots era.

3 Replies to “Soul Revivers: Grove Dub"
You rarely review Helmut here, but if you do, then you're going to bang one out ;-)
I often had goosebumps while reading because it gave me something like a deep inner satisfaction in many places. Nick Manasseh's views on the production of Dub speak to me 1000 and 1 percent deep from the soul. And if someone like him says something like that and, above all, means it, then it has a lot more meaning than if I keep stammering this out to myself. I often just wanted to read "lemmi, you're absolutely right" but there were and are other opinions (which is okay...). It's from a real one DubI just think it's great to read producers. And for me Nick Manasseh is also one of the greats in the "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". Dub Club Members". The drummer is probably also a real master. For me he plays a – if not the – supporting role, especially on the DubDisc. In addition, the drums are seasoned with fantastic effects and I don't even miss Sly Dunbar or Style Scott. (You can also keep some thoughts to yourself, lemmi).
Yes, and then David Ridigan comes along and says straight out of my head, "Believe me, over time 'Tell Me Why' will be considered one of his greatest tracks." This tune is also a WORLD HIT in my opinion! I love this tune the most out of all the tunes I've gotten to know over the last few years.
First class cream with whipped cream and Piedmont cherry on top! I miss the (right) words ….
What comes next should stay between us, because I don't want the soul singer to hear anything about it. It's not her fault that my nerves for singing (the twisted letter stays because it fits) are very limited. In any case, I have to keep skipping her (blare) on, otherwise I'll get angry. Here I would like to negotiate with Nick Manasseh about the possibility of recording the vocals quieter and more in tune with the music.
It's often too penetrating for my delicate ears. This crap was ramped up to the unbearable throughout the New Roots phase. From Capleton to Sizzla and Buju Banton to Duane Steffenson and Ethana, it was produced especially in Jamaica and culminated (for me) with the screamer Chuck Norris or Chuck Fender. The only thing missing was Mariah Carry ("the daughter of satan") with her arias, which could drive even the healthiest mind insane. As if music consisted only of singing and/or bawling. A bit of the riddim ran in the background as background music, but it probably didn't have much meaning at the time.
But you can't do that with us here. We know better! We want the riddim!!! Stripped to the bone and refined with effects, amplified and ins
Hyper Consciousness Transferred!!! How now? Don't you have hyperconsciousness? I mean the "blank" area of the brain unused by ordinary people. Where there is a lot of teacher space. Where there is no stress, where there is no lovesickness, where freedom seems limitless and where there is a lot of space for Dub at a hunt.
I think I've got it now …………………….. lemmi
When reading my comment, I inevitably had to think of the film "The Clou". My favorite scene - the poker game on the train - came back to me.
There were many names that Paul Newman (Henry Gondorff) came up with for the villain. That went from Lonneman to Lonnehan to Linneman and it still throws me on the floor laughing to this day.
This went on until the villain pulled him over the table by the collar because his collar burst. "My name is Lonnegan!" he said and Henry Gondorff had every effort to suppress his inner laughter. Splendid ! It's a pity that neither I nor anyone else can produce such classics these days. But I don't want to talk about the fizz and poof movies of today. And I would rather not write anything about the anime films out of consideration for Rene's passion, but I wouldn't blame David Rodigan if he also ripped me off to tell me, my name is Rodigan, not Ridigan!
Ok, I can't write anything more about my other mistakes, otherwise I won't be able to go to bed today...... lemmi
Oyoyoy, yes, this pearl just slipped under my radar in 2022 and I should actually include it in my top 5 afterwards... I have to anticipate it right away.
Simply a masterpiece and Nick Manasseh is a well-known jack of all trades whose work has (almost) always appealed to me in the past... I have nothing to add to what Helmut already mentioned and with lemmi I'm full when it comes to the singing and completely on the same wavelength... on the other hand, I am sure that there are also freaks and producers who are very cool and extremely organic with digital and programmed effects Dubs, some of which I appreciate just as much as the live mixing of the reverb, delays, echoes and various filter FX, which Manasseh and lemmi highly praised...
In that regard I'm not a purist if the bottom line is right and overall I don't judge anything as better, more legitimate or worse or whatever...there's supposed to be room for both, it's just a completely different approach and philosophy...while still being human the digital plugins served and no AI and no algorithm... it ends somewhere! Hm!