Cleveland Watkiss Presents: The Great Jamaican Songbook

March 2022 marks the launch of ‘The Great Jamaican Songbook’ album and tour, the new
project by multidisciplinary artist Cleveland Watkiss MBE. A truly inspirational figure in UK
music and recent winner of the 2021 Ivors Composer Award For Innovation, Watkiss’
impact and legacy is felt strongly across an extremely broad spectrum of musical genres.

In jazz, he is known as the co-founder of the hugely influential Jazz Warriors big band, as well
as his work with the pianist and composer Julian Joseph and as a much-respected solo artist,
regularly performing at leading venues both in the UK and internationally. As a drum and
bass vocalist and MC, Watkiss became the voice of Goldie’s legendary Metalheadz label
nights at The Blue Note, a relationship that would lead to residencies and mic duties at
some of the world’s biggest and best dance music events, not to mention his work alongside
US drum innovator Marque “the innamost” Gilmore and cut master DJ La Rouge, as a key
member of the first ever live drum and bass band, Project 23.

There genuinely is no other musician who has made a similar contribution or embarked on
such a unique journey throughout their career as Cleveland Watkiss – achieving this by
trusting instincts and refusing to be defined, pigeon-holed or to ‘fit the mould’. The proof of
this is evident in his work, resulting in a veritable cornucopia of compelling and successful
endeavors across these aforementioned genres and much more. Now Cleveland returns
with a project that is close to his heart – a roots-reggae orientated showcase, interpreted
and presented in a way in which only an artist with such extensive musical knowledge and
experience could ever create.

The Great Jamaican Songbook guides listeners through the origins and development of
Jamaican music and culture, beginning with the legacy of The Alpha Boys school and under
tutelage of ‘The Nun’ Sister Mary Ignatius Davis and expanding outward in a poignant tale of
the life and times of many of the island’s most inspirational figures. Both the stories behind
the work and the music itself enhance each other, culminating in a compelling experience
destined to stimulate all senses. Recorded at Zak Starkey’s studio, The Great Jamaican
Songbook features iconic songs from the greats such as Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and
Burning Spear, but also shines a light on rare hidden gems from labels such as Studio One,
Coxsone Dodd and TuffGong, producers like King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, music
from singers such as Delroy Wilson, Prince Lincoln and many more artists who receive less
international recognition than they deserve. This ideal balance means that audiences can
enjoy familiar music while discovering many other songs and stories for the first time.
The band that Watkiss has recruited for The Great Jamaican Songbook are a who’s who of
celebrated UK jazz, pop, reggae and funk legends, each with their own strong reputation
both within these scenes and way beyond. Names such as multi-instrumentalist Orphy
Robinson MBE, revered trumpeter Byron Wallen and Jamaican saxophonist Ray Carless,
provide further indication of the high quality of both the album and live show.

Cleveland Watkiss has enhanced the projects of many of his musical colleagues, including
artists and organisations as varied as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Dusseldorf
Symphony Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Bob Dylan, Jackie Mittoo, Keith Richards, The James
Taylor Quartet, Art Blakey, Sly & Robbie, Abdullah Ibrahim, Stevie Wonder, Talvin Singh,
Bjork and many, many more. The perception of Cleveland Watkiss as a valuable collaborator
to so many successful endeavors further fortifies Watkiss’ status as an artist at the top of
his game. The Great Jamaican Songbook is an important and essential edition to 2022’s
musical calendar: a recording and event not to be missed.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Link

The Great Jamaican Songbook Band Members Are:

Orphy Robinson – Keys
Robinson is an award winning musician. The winner of the 2017 Jazz FM Awards “Live
Performance of the year’ for his Bobby Hutcherson Songbook project. Orphy Robinson is an
award-winning multi-instrumentalist. Known Primarily as a Vibraphonist. Robinson, also plays
the saxophone, trumpet, drums, piano, marimba and steel pans. Orphy (an in demand and
versatile composer) has written music for television, film, theatre, opera and contemporary
classical music. Orphy is from London, UK – an acclaimed soloist who consistently works
across a variety of eclectic musical forms (e.g. jazz, free jazz, free improvisation, jazz fusion,
and funk music).

Byron Wallen – Trumpet
Wallen studied trumpet with Peter Ruderforth in London and with Jimmy Owens, Donald
Byrd and Jon Faddis in New York in the mid to late 80s. He has collaborated in various
contexts with jazz and pop artists, sometimes on record, such as George Benson, Charles
Earland, Incognito, Chaka Khan, Ingrid Laubrock, Ronnie Laws, Mulatu Astatke, Hugh
Masekela, Courtney Pine, Lonnie Liston Smith, Style Council and Jack Dejohnette. In 2003,
he won the BBC’s Innovation In Jazz award for his album Indigo. For his fourth album,
Meeting Ground (2007), he received nominations for Best Band and Best Album in the 2007
BBC Jazz Awards and Best Jazz Act in the 2007 MOBO Awards.

Ray Carless – Tenor Sax
Ray Carless is a Jamaican saxophonist whose musical career spans almost 40 years. He
started out on his musical journey working with a wide variety of pop jazz reggae funk and
African bands. Groups like Cymande, ABC, Incognito, Elvin Jones, Jazz Warriors, Jazz
Jamaica, Maxi Priest, Billy Ocean, Vin Gordon, Black Roots, Bhundu Boys, Hugh Masakela
and Manu Dibango, too many to mention here but more recently with Adele on her massive
Grammy winning ’21’ album.

Delroy Murray – Bass
The Delroy Murray Band, created in 1990, supports many major events and artists such as
The Four Tops, Janet Kay, Jocelyn Brown Rose Royce, Carroll Thompson, Ken Boothe,
Alton Ellis and many other top Jamaican and American acts. His relationship with Cleveland
started at childhood with intertwined families and a strong connection for music. Writing
songs together made a natural progression to the Jamaican Songbook. Along with writing
and producing Delroy supports and engages with young people of all backgrounds with
workshops focusing on current issues using music as the catalyst to teach and motivate. He
admits that Cleveland has been an inspiration to him and knowing him was just a magical
bonus.

Phil Ramacon – Keys
Ramacon is a singer songwriter keyboard player from Hackney, east London, with a Classical
/ Jazz / Pop background. He started playing in bands while he was at Art school. One of
these bands featured a prominent Jamaican trombonist called Rico Rodriguez. He was a very
influential musician and had the respect of more famous artists and bands like Squeeze, Steve
Winwood, John Martyn, Bob Marley, Lee Scracth Perry, and many others. The Rico band
supported Bob Marley and the Wailers across Europe when they were promoting
their Exodus album in 1977. Consequently, Ramacon was invited to play on two new Bob
Marley songs in the studio; Punky Reggae Party and Keep on Moving. In the following years, he
worked with Jimmy Cliff, both on tour and in the programme I am The Living. He arranged,
composed and played with famous session musicians like Denise Williams, Gene Page, Tom
Scott, Abraham Laboriel, Paulinho Da Costa and many others. Since then, he has worked
with artists and bands such as Talk Talk, King Sunny Adé, Mark Hollis and Neneh Cherry.

Alan Nolan Weekes – Guitar
Born in London of Bajan Parents, Alan Weekes is a trained musician with a Music Degree
(Guildhall School of Music & Drama – 1987). His guitar style has been an important and
influential part of the international and UK music stage since 1975 having been featured at
some of the most prestigious festivals and concert venues worldwide. In the early eighties he
was involved with the British reggae scene and played on numerous studio sessions –
particularly in the ‘Lovers Rock’. He has also appeared on countless television, radio and
highly acclaimed recordings. His recording credits as a session artist include music legends
like Art Blakey, Jimmy Cliff, Jazz Jamaica, Damian Marley, Jackie Mitto, Courtney Pine and
Ernest Ranglin. Collaborated with Jean Adebambo, Aswad, Pete Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Sandra
Cross, Pee Wee Ellis, Victor Romero Evans, Gregory Issacs, Jamelia, Clifford Jarvis, Janet
Kay, Wynton Marsalis, Sugar Minott, Maxi Priest, Alan Weekes Quartet, Rico
Rodriguez, Skatronics, Dick Heckstall-Smith (DHSS Band), Joss Stone, Caroll Thompson, Jazz
Warriors, Trevor Walters, Jamie Callum, Luciano Drifters, Barrington Levy, John Holt, Boy
George and many more.

Carl Robinson – Drums
Started playing music from the age of ten. Did his first recording at sixteen. Since then Carl
has gone in to play with Exiles Intac. He worked in the theatre with R J C where he
performed playing drums on Captured and Crazy Spirit. He has been member of Finley Qauy
for eleven years where he toured America and Europe extensively. Carl has also worked
alongside Lewis Taylor, and through Lewis Taylor he worked with Gnarls Barkley and
Spooks. All this was done while playing reggae music nationally and internationally. Reggae
and R&B acts that Carl Robinson has worked with are; Gregory, John Holt, Eric Donaldson,
Owen Grey, Tony Rebel, LUSH, Freddie McGregor, Frankie Paul, Mikal Rose, Spooks,
Deborah Glasgow, Sandra Cross, Earl 16, Pat Kelly, Buju, Buchaneer, General Levi, Beres
Hammond, Shaka Demus & Pliers.