from the LP Scientist & Jammy Strike Back, Trojan Records, 1982Being a session musician is, often times, a rather thankless job: you play your ass off while whomever your backing gets all the acclaim, and it’s a damn shame too, because the Roots Radics Band have been at the center of so many heady musicians’ universes that they deserve to be a household name. Headed by founders Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt (bass) and Eric ‘Bingy Bunny’ Lamont, the Radics have managed to prove adept at every style that emerged from Jamaica, be that backing roots reggae luminaries like Bunny Wailer, providing musical inspiration for that early dancehall sound behind Eek-A-Mouse, or exploring the outer-reaches of dub & getting freaked here by masters like Scientist & Prince Jammy. They can currently be found touring behind Israel Vibration, a gig they’ve held down for over a decade now and, in my humble opinion, a perfect union---I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you ever get the chance to see Izzy Vibe, by all means, go!
