Jativa

Saxophonist/keyboardist/vocalist/composer/producer/instructor Jativa Is A Busy Guy. He Leads College Jazz Ensembles Teaches Music To Grade School Kids And Plays Sax For The English Beat. And Yet He Finds Time To Stay Active In The California Reggae Scene Having Collaborated With Soul Majestic The Fully Fullwood Band And Many Others. His Own Label And Band Are Aptly Named Roots Generation And There Are Roots Aplenty On Crucial Selections A Collection Of His Works Recorded Between 2000 And 2007. The Disc Kicks Off With That Old Chestnut "Satta Massagana" Rendered In Fine Style With Corresponding Dub Before Proceeding Through A Set Of Original Material. Jativa's Musical Predilections Are Evident In The Way The Instrumental Interplay Topping The Reggae Riddims Is Decidedly Jazz-Like. Many Of The Songs Have An Understated Feel Even As The Rich Arrangements Reveal Layers Of Guitars Keys Horns And Percussion Weaving In And Out Of The Drums And Bass With Perfect Ease. I Guess It Doesn't Hurt That The Musicians Include Such Veteran Masters As Tony Chin Fully Fullwood And Haile Maskell Or That There's Plenty Of Dub And Instrumental Tracks That Give Additional Niceness To Songs Sung Mainly In English Along With A Couple In Spanish. Love Unity And The Most High Are All Edified Without A Trace Of Slackness Or Anything Less Than Total Commitment. Continued Blessings To Jativa As He Pursues His Bread-And-Butter Gigs Just So Long As He Still Sets Aside Time To Make Reggae As Good As This. read less