Imagine a Jamaican mento band singing the Amy Winehouse hit “Rehab”. Believe it! Listen to The Jolly Boys who’ve created their new music genre called- modern mento.

With an average age of 70, dressed to the nines and singing with passion, these three guys may remind you of the Buena Vista Social Club from Cuba, yet their style and passionate spin on this song is all their own.

Check where they’ll be performing next in Europe at http://jollyboysmusic.com/tours.php

Music video by the Jolly Boys performing Rehab. From their forthcoming album Great Expectation, (C) 2010 Geejam Recordings. For more information, please visit www.jollyboysmusic.com.

Dave Switch - Wikipaedia link

Nordia Witter – Myspace

Dale “Dizzle Virgo – Website link

Check out the links, Bless….

By christopher walsh

Publication: Billboard

Date: Saturday, May 25 2002

Source
Like the collision of cultures that so defines Jamaica, Gee Street Records founder Jon Baker’s new ventures offer an exciting blend of diverse talent and style. With the April 30 release in France of the eponymous debut from Adelante (Forward Recordings)—an appealing blend of rhythms and musical sensibilities—Baker, executive producer of the project, returns to the international scene. Though his Forward label operates from offices in New York, London, and Paris, it is GeeJam Studios, located in the beautiful hideaway of Jamaica’s Port Antonio, that serves as the creative hub of Baker’s current endeavors.

Baker founded Gee Street in 1986 in London after spending several years in New York, where he had developed a passion for the emerging hip-hop culture. He returned to New York in 1990, when Island purchased 50% of the label, and Gee Street scored its first No. 1 a year later, with P.M. Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” (from the stylistically disparate Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross). More successful releases, including the Stereo MC’s Connected, followed. The relationship between Gee Street and Island ultimately faltered, though, and in 1996 Baker established a joint venture with Richard Branson and the V2 label, allowing Gee Street to proceed as a stand-alone entity.

During the past decade, Baker also strengthened his ties to Jamaica, from which Bob Marley’s “One Love” spirit continues to emanate. As GeeJam Studios’ reputation grows, the cozy, private, residential facility is attracting artists from around the world, including No Doubt, Gorillaz, Sly & Robbie, and India.Arie, along with the aforementioned Adelante, which features Marley’s son, Kymani.

“From an economic standpoint,” Baker explains, “the label and studio enhance each other. We have some dance projects coming and a solo album by Alberto [D'Ascola, of Adelante]. Forward is world-music-oriented but with a crossover edge.”

GeeJam is a Pro Tools-based studio, engineer/programmer Tkae Mendez explains. “We have a full-blown MIXplus system with ProControl,” he says, “and tons of plug-ins. There’s an Otari [MTR 90] 2-inch, a tried and trusted Jamaican favorite, but we rarely use it nowadays. Particularly in Jamaica, they keep tracking until they get it right when they do it on 2-inch. When producers realize they can bypass that, get one performance down, and then move things as they prefer, almost 100% of them convert [to Pro Tools].”

Construction of a second control room is in progress, Mendez adds. “The main room is probably going to be a [Pro Tools] HD room, and downstairs is going to be a MIXplus room—we’re going to swap the systems that are there now, but the whole studio will be linked.”

With 31/2 acres of lush, exotic surroundings—rivers, waterfalls, beaches, and coves—and the area’s history of such glamorous devotees as Errol Flynn, J.P. Morgan, and Ginger Rogers, it might seem difficult to complete any recordings. Gorillaz and No Doubt’s Rock Steady, however, belie such a notion. “Our motto,” Baker says, “is ‘Work and play, seriously.’ “

Drake’s new Single “Over”, is gonna be released tonight at midnight, the single was produced by Boi-1da and Noah “40″ Shebib, and was mixed by 40 in Geejam Studios.

Lyrics

I know way too many people here right now
That I didnt know last year, who the fuck are yall?
I swear it feels like the last few nights
We been everywhere, back
But I just cant remember it all

What am I doin’? What am I doin’?
Oh, yeah, thats right, Im doin me
Im doin me
Im livin life right now, mayne

And this what Ima do til its over
Til its over
But its far from over

Bottles on me, long as someone drink it
Never drop the ball, fuck are yall thinkin?
Makin sure the Young Money ship is never sinkin
Bout to set it off in this bitch, Jada Pinkett
I shouldnt’ve drove, tell me how Im gettin home
You too fine to be layin down in bed alone
I could teach you how to speak my language, Rosetta Stone
I swear this life is like the sweetest thing Ive ever known
Bout to go Thriller Mike Jackson on these niggas
All I needs a fucking red jacket with some zippers
Super good smiddoke, a package of the swishers
I did it overnight, it couldnt happen any quicker
Yall know them? Well, fuck it, me either
But point the biggest skeptic out, Ill make him a believer
It wouldnt be the first time I done it, throwin hundreds
When I should be throwin ones, bitch, I run it Ahhhh!

I know way too many people here right now
That I didnt know last year, who the fuck are yall?
I swear it feels like the last few nights
We been everywhere, back
But I just cant remember it all

What am I doin? What am I doin?
Oh, yeah, thats right, Im doin me
Im doin me
Im livin life right now, mayne

And this what Ima do til its over
Til its over
But its far from over

One thing bout music, when it hits you feel no pain
And I swear I got that shit that make these bitches go insane
So they tell me that they love me, I know better than that, its just game
Its just what comes with the fame, and Im ready for that, Im just sayin
But I really cant complain, everything is kosher
Two thumbs up, Ebert and Roeper
I really cant see the end getting any closer
But I prolly still be the man when everything is over
So Im riding through the city with my high beams on
Can you see me? Can you see me? Get your Visine on
Yall just do not fit the picture, turn your widescreen on
If you thinkin Ima quit before I die, dream on
Man, they treat me like a legend, am I really this cold?
Im really too young to be feelin this old
Its about time you admit it, who you kiddin, man?
Man, nobodys never done it like I did it Ahh!

I know way too many people here right now
That I didnt know last year, who the fuck are yall?
I swear it feels like the last few nights
We been everywhere, back
But I just cant remember it all

What am I doin? What am I doin?
Oh, yeah, thats right, Im doin me
Im doin me
Im livin life right now, mayne

And this what Ima do til its over
Til its over
But its far from over

Yeah, thats right, Im doin me
Im doin me
Im livin life right now, mayne

And this what Ima do til its over
Til its over
But its far from over

Laying a 6/8 timing in the studio for Jolly boys Project.

Alborosie – Kingston Town

Album: Soul Pirate

Label: Forward Recordings

Check out www.alborosiemusic.com for more information on Alborosie and Soul Pirate Album

Alborosie – Herbalist

Label: Forward Recordings

Check out www.alborosiemusic.com for more information on Alborosie and Soul Pirate Album

Alborosie – Talk To Them

Label: Forward Recordings

Check out www.alborosiemusic.com for more information on Alborosie and Soul Pirate Album

Albert Minott talking about Mento and Linstead Market SONG…. Kewll….

It’s all work AND all play at Geejam this year.  Although the line between the two maybe be fuzzy, the creative energy being generated, is not.

The start of 2010 saw the completion of French Reggae singjay Charly B’s album “Forever.”  And in-house songstress Nordia Witter is on the brink of releasing material from her forthcoming album, with a wicked video of the new single “Nice & Slow” ready to drop.

Since the completion of these Geejam projects, the studio doors haven’t stopped swinging.  The UK’s own mega-darling Amy Winehouse held a two-week long studio vibe with Salaam Remi and platinum album mixer, Gmajor2.

Philly’s golden son Diplo – remember his sonic masterminding behind M.I.A. – came through with new wave starlet Santigold, as well as mad professors John Hill and Switch.  The crew kept the energy going with a writing session that would make club kids everywhere spin their collective heads off.  The revolving doors hit maximum on Drake’s arrival for his album-completing sessions with engineer/producer 40.  Remember this kid hasn’t even dropped his first album and he’s already left his mark in the industry.  His tunes “Best I Ever Had” and “Say What’s Real” have built him a fan base worthy of a hero’s homecoming.

Geejam is honored to be a part of these groundbreaking projects.  Like all energy, it continues to flow… so let’s keep the link, you never know what to expect!