ROOTZ SHARE THE FRUITS @ RED BONES

Teb years in the evolution of any orgnaiztion is significant, particulalry a group like Rootz Underground in Jamaica.
In a recorded and live music soundscape mined with banalities (whether dancehall's callous profanity and materialism or the by-the-numbers wailing of some 'conscious' reggae pretenders0, the group have consistently honed and moulded their sound, proud exponents of a sort of progressive roots music that - like jazz - embraces many other musical flavours without losing its own distinctive bite.

Last Friday's show at red bones the Blues Cafe (one of their formative stomping grounds) offered an oppportunity to share that evolutionary growth with a sizeable and enthusiastic audience, who cameto hear the 'old' favourites as well as to willingly participate in the road testing of new material from their forthcoming sophomore disc, Gravity.

Furhter proof of the evolutionary quest came i nthe addiiton of the excellent young horn man tafane (on soprano and tenor) and a percusiionist whom I beleieve was introduced only as "Allan".

Added to the already rock-solid lineup, the Red Bones combo weaved some interesting textures into Rootz trademark densely layered yet joyous brand of rock-reggae, enlivening numbers like "Herb Field" (there's something to be said for a band that can make a 'weed' song appealing to a non-smoker) and "Time Is An Illusion". There were great new material from the Gravity album as well, including love song's such as "Waiting For You" Jeffrey Moss-Solomon's tribute to wife Gail.
And there was a heavy dose of the familiar - the radio hit (backed by an excellent video that somehow got slept on in the awards rush) "Hammer" which segued directly into the familiar staccato drum-and-bass figures that introduced "Victims of the System"

Rootz, which is already making a name for itself on both US coasts and will also head to Europe this summer, demonstrated emphatically that maturation does not mean stillness nor corrosion - the music and the attitude of those playing was as fresh and free of hang-ups as when they first started.

The fruits are in the Rootz, and on Friday night, they made for sweet music indeed.