ANDRÉS COTTER & BEBE FERREYRA - TRIBUTE TO RICO RODRIGUEZ BIG BAND (7")

Argentine musicians Andres Cotter and Bebe Ferreyra shaped this project released on vinyl, an EP of four versions of classics from the repertoire of maestro Rico with the sound of a powerful big band and the wrapping of Txarly Brown.

Tracklist
A1. Don't Stay Out Late
A2. Fu Manchu

B1. Niyah Man
B2. Blackberry Brandy

Emmanuel Rodriguez (Rico), born in Havana, Cuba, on October 17, 1934. He was one of Jamaica's most important trombonists.

He learned to play the trombone at Alpha Boys School, a true breeding ground for great Jamaican musicians like Johnny Moore, Yellowman, Lester Sterling, and Roland Alphonso. His tutor was another student, Don Drummond, who went on to become one of the greats of ska.

Rico continued his musical training at the Stoney Hill Music School and joined the Wareika Hills Rastafari movement alongside drummer Count Ossie.

The influence of jazz was decisive in Rico's style, as was Cuban music of the 1950s. In 1961 he moved to the United Kingdom where he continued playing in reggae bands. In 1976 he recorded his most important album, Man from Wareika, with Island Records.

In the 1970s, he embraced the new 2 Tone style, joining The Specials. From 1996, in addition to other commitments, he regularly played with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

In August 2015, at the age of 80, Rico Rodriguez was hospitalized in London in serious condition. He finally passed away on the morning of Friday, September 4, 2015, at almost 81 years old.

Andrés 'Ska Beat' Cotter is a renowned bassist and music producer, born in Buenos Aires in 1971. He has been playing Ska and Reggae since he was 17, and is the founder of bands such as Riddim, Satélite Kingston and Ska Beat City.

In this work, Andrés Cotter, along with arrangements by the renowned trombonist Bebe Ferreyra, pays tribute to the great Rico Rodriguez in a Big Band format. They have selected four songs and leading musicians of the genre, resulting in fifteen minutes of soaring music and an irresistible invitation to dance.

Forever Rico!

Tribute to Rico Rodriguez Big Band!