Rico Rodriguez: Blow Your Horn

The instrumental imperatives of Jamaican music before the ska era, based largely on religious motifs, really assured that the playing of Rico Rodriguez matured at a more than respectable rate. Born as Emmanuel Rodriguez on October 17, 1934, Rico soon recognized that music was to be at the center of his life.

As another attendee of the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, Rico found himself playing alongside those that would eventually make up the Skatalites. One of his early, and most important teachers, was the troubled Don Drummond.

Leaving Jamaica just before ska became a force unto itself, but after the independence of the island, Rodriguez moved to London in order to work as a session and touring player for jazz as well as RnB groups of the time. Even as he spent his time in England, a number of high profile producers, including the likes of Duke Reid and Coxsonne Dodd, would fly him back and forth to participate in recording sessions.

Perhaps his most important work, in Jamaica at least, came in the form of his relationship with Count Ossie. While the rest of the world sees Rastafarians as an exotic religious group, most Jamaicans saw them as bizarre and were something short of nervous about this group of folks living amongst them. Perhaps this relationship between the larger culture and Rastafarians can account for groups of them moving into the outskirts of civilization and making a place for themselves in nature. But whatever the reason, the overtly religious drummer Count Ossie and Rodriquez, who converted to Rastafarianism during the ‘50s, produced some entrancing roots music that would lay the ground work for the coming popularity of reggae music.

Outside of the island, Rico contributed to music in a very international manner after recording “Message to You Rudy” with Dandy Livingstone. Of course the version that is best known throughout the world is that of the Specials. The British group, knowing the background of not just that song, but Jamaican music as a whole, recruited Rico to take that trombone solo on the band’s re-make of the classic. That association eventually led to Rico becoming a permanent member of the band. With some confirmed dates of the reconstituted Specials coming up this year, Rico’s participation really hasn’t been addressed. But it would seem that mounting a tour without the most famous member of your band would be a misstep, to say the least.

Since contributing to the classic sessions of the Specials, Rico has maintained constant work in the world of music. After the third album by Squeeze, keyboardist/pianist Jools Holland decided to make a go of it as a solo artist. Instead of the high strung pop music that his previous band produced, Holland has chosen to have a go at Rnb and Soul music. And there really is no better horn player to have behind you than Rico. Since the mid ‘90s the two have worked together on a rather frequent basis. But Rico’s ability to play in this different musical context points out his immense talent - it’s a talent that you should be familiar with.