SoulVendors.com: Roland Alphonso part 3

Brian (Bassie) Atkinson Leader: Soul Vendors

Booking Kit

Rolando Alphonso 1931-1998: A Remembrance of The Chief Musician...
written by: Brian Keyo, www.skatalites.com .

Part 3

The Liberation tour paved the way for The Skatalites own headlining US tour in January and February 1990. The Skatalites first European tour was in 1991, and the band's first Japanese shows in April 1992. The extensive touring allowed Roland to meet with young musicians that knew his work, but never thought they'd see him and The Skatalites perform it. This contact led Roland to record as a special guest with notable bands such as Jump With Joey in America and The Ska Flames in Japan.

The Skatalites 1994 and '96 releases, Hi Bop Ska and Greetings From Skamania, were both nominated for the Grammy award for Best Reggae Recording. Despite two losses in that capricious contest, Roland proudly wore his nomination medals. In 1996, Roland was a guest on Ernest Ranglin's Below The Bassline; the debut release on Chris Blackwell's short-lived Island Jamaica Jazz label. Roland blew soprano and tenor saxophones on Ranglin's version of "Ball Of Fire", which was made famous by The Skatalites in 1964.

The final recording that Roland made with the Skatalites was also for the Island Jamaica Jazz label. Titled Ball of Fire, it was done in Manhattan in March 1997 with special guest and old friend Ranglin joining the band on all 10 tracks. Unfortunately, Island executive producer Trevor Wyatt, who only wanted remakes of certain Studio One and Treasure Isle hits, stifled the band's creativity.

The remakes of "Occupation" and Eastern Standard Time", (original versions are on The Skatalites Foundation Ska HB 185-86), and "James Bond", the master of which can be heard here for the first time on CD, resulted in disappointing sales. It was in promotion of the Ball of Fire release that Roland played on his final tour with The Skatalites.

Conclusion
The past five years have seen The Skatalites endure an arduous touring schedule that would exhaust anyone. For someone past the age of retirement, Roland's fortitude was admirable. Despite the burdens he bore as a result of his strokes, he never complained and in fact was as kind a soul as one could hope to meet in this life.

On November 2, 1998, during the second song of the Skatalites set, Roland was stricken onstage at The Key Club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Just as he finished a solo, Roland fell over backwards and struck his head on the stage. He was promptly attended to and within minutes was about to board an ambulance when according to the band, he began to speak, declaring, "I'm alright, I don't want to go." He soon realized that he should at least get checked out and went along. They found that during a brief seizure, he suffered a burst blood vessel in his head.

Roland's recovery began almost immediately and he spoke to his family each day from the hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. On November 17th, Roland was to begin physical therapy, when, according to his daughter Michele, he suffered another burst vessel and slipped into a coma from the hemorrhaging. After he was nonresponsive for three days, the family made the decision to terminate life support and Rolando Alphonso, 67, AKA the Chief Musician, Flats, passed on.

Roland leaves his wife Hermine and children Barry, Pauline, Dennis, Noel, Rolando Jr. and Michele, thirty-three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

There was a tremendous Home Going Celebration for Roland on November 27, 1998 at the Trinity C.M.E. church on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn that saw an overflow crowd pack in to hear tributes to The Chief Musician. The singing of Doreen Shaffer, Anthony "Rocky" Ellis, and JD Smoothe inspired us and there were musical performances by Lester Sterling and Will Clark and by Jerry Johnson, Kevin Batchelor and Clarke Gayton. Remarks by Lloyd Brevett, Mickey O'Bryan and others moved us to tears and laughter.

Thanks to Michele and Hermine Alphonso, Coxson Dodd, Lloyd Knibb, Chris Wilson, Mickey O'Bryan, Dro, Richard Fletcher, Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett, Jah Jerry Haynes, Lyn Taitt, Dizzy Johnny Moore, Greg Lawson, and Rachel Racine. Respect to all who've paid tribute to Rolando, especially Dana Alphonso, Noel Alphonso, Dermot Hussey, Bunny Goodison, Vinnette Pryce, Howard Campbell, Brad Stein and Albino Brown. Big up to Jon Pareles for the New York Times obituary.

Players Of Instruments