Rico Rodriguez was born Emmanuel Rodriguez on October 17, 1934 in Kingston, Jamaika). As a trombonist and composer he is among the founding figures of the Jamaican popular music.
Rico in 2002
With roots in jazz as well as in the sound of African rooted burru drumming and so-called Rasta-chants Rico took part in developing Jamaican music from rhythm & blues to ska and reggae. Within this process he developed his own style, a combination of ska, reggae and jazz which reached an artistic peak with his album Man From Wareika in 1976. Jazz trumpeter Don Cherry once asked Rico: "How can you play like that ... To play like you I had to go to Africa to learn." (quoted by Hanafusa, 1998)
Rico performed worldwide and dedicated himself more and more to play with musicians from all over the world.
Childhood and youth: 1940 - 1954[]
Rico Rodriguez was pupil at the now famous Alpha Boys Cottage School, an institut led by catholic nuns in Kingston mainly attracking children from unmarried women who could not give enough attention to their children. In this school, where musical and instrumental education was of great importance Rico Rodriguez learned to play trombone. According to the pedagogical concept of the school an older pupil tutored Rico's instrumental lessons. It was Don Drummond who would eventually become Jamaica's most famous trombone player of the 20th century. From 1952 to 1954 Rico followed an aprenticeship as a mechanic.
First professional experience - musician in Jamaica : 1954 - 1961[]
From 1954 to 1957 Rico continued with his musical education at Stoney Hill Music School. In those years he names popular US-jazz trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding as his musical influences.
It was the time of his first engagements as a studio musician: Rico participated in Coxsone Dodd's very first session in 1956, when they recorded with Clue J And The Blues Blasters several tracks among them the popular "Easy Snappin" by Theo Beckford.
As a member of Eric Deans Orchestra and with prizes at Vere John's Opportunity Hour Rico Rodriguez became well known in the local music scene. But he also has a living standard on the lowest level without any sufficient income. He joined a Rasta community in Wareika hills near Kingston lead by percussionist Count Ossie On his meeting with Count Ossie's group he said years later: "They're more developed, mentally and musically, than the average musician. When you play with them you can really explore. Most of what I know I learned from playing with them." (Williams 1981)
Within the spirit of this movement Rico Rodriguez played his trombone for food. 1973 he told in an interview: "Because you were poor and had to eat, you stay down where the fishermen draw their nets, so you'd have food every day. Fishermen always give you fish, they like to hear you playing." (from an interview in 1973, quoted by Cane-Honeysett, 1995)
"Clement "Coxsone" Dodd leads a early rehersal of the Skatalites. Don Drummond and Rico Rodriguez are both on trombones" Cover of Heartbeat CD HB 86/87
Between 1958 and 1961 Rico was more and more engaged. The development of the Jamaican music and entertainment scene was a process away from expensive dance orchestras to mobile discotheques (the well known sound system). While the sounds and their audiences preferred American R'n'B, the disc jockeys had more and more problems to find new material because rock'n'roll took over predominance in the US market. It lead them to start producing their own material, to become more producer tham DJ and to search more studio than live musicians.
Rico Rodriguez was one of those musicians who played for various producers and their bands and soloists. he can be heard with the above mentioned Clue J, with Count Ossie's Group, with Smith All Stars, Drumbago And His All Stars and others. He worked with all important producers, namely Duke Reid, Vincent Chin, Lloyd Daley and Prince Buster. As for Dodd he participated also in first sessions by Reid ( Derrick Morgan's 'Lover Boy')and Chin, what confirmed his excellent reputation.
With Vincent Chin he's got his first opportunity to release a production as featured artist: "Rico Special" was released in 1961 as well in Jamaica as year later in England (on a young label called Island Records. With the release of "Rico Farewell" at the end of 1961 he said good-bye to Jamaica, disappointed by the exploitation of musicians and bad revenues, and emigrated to London.
Establishing in the British music scene: 1962 - 1969[]
As his name was already well know within the Jamaican community in London - his records reached the music market created by emigrants from the West Indies - he was quickly integrated into the London club scene where he played for several months with Georgie Fame's Blue Flames, recorded for Emil Shallitt and Siggy Jackson (Melodisc/Blue Beat). Fantastic solos resulted from productions of that time with Laurel Aitken (listen to "Daniel Saw The Stone") or Prince Buster ("Barrister Pardon").
There was a story around that Rico Rodriguez, who came as a rasta with long hair to London, inspired the Beatles to let grow their hair. Clement Dodd said in an interview that The Beatles used to hang around at so called "West Indian" parties where Rico played and provoked storms of enthusiasm.
At the end of the decade several LPs were released with his name as featured artist on Trojan Records and on Pama. But music did not eive enough for a living - even in England. Casual labour and jobs on the production line were part of his live.
Path to creative independence and first heigh: 1970 - 1977[]
After Jamaican music had completely turned via rock steady to reggae at the end of the 1960s Rico joined a band,The Undivided on whom he said that they were among the most talented reggae musicians in England. His breakthrough finally came, when he was engaged in 1975 by Island Records as studio musician to contribute trombone solos to records by rock and reggae stars, among them Jim Capaldi, Toots And The Maytals and Burning Spear. Soon after he had his own contract with the company to record his own work: Island Records made it happen that he travelled, accomanied by sound engineer and trumpeter Dick Cuthell, to Jamaica. It was his first visit on the island after his departure in late 1961.
In 1976 Man From Wareika was released, an album that remaines a landmark record in Jamaican instrumental music. He created a new relation between reggae and jazz with the result that the work was released by famous jazz label Blue Note in the US.
After the release Rico toured in support of Bob Marley all over Europe. For the first time he was a full time musician!
International success with 2Tone and retreat: 1978-1985[]
In 1979 Rico Rodriguez was famous, even with a very young audience: he's been invited by The Specials to take part in a re-recording of a piece originally recorded by Dandy Livingston in 1968 with a horn solo by Rico himself, "Rudy, A Message To You". What followed was never anticipated. The Specials and their label 2 Tone Records pushed the pop world for three years and established Ska, Reggae and later also African sounds within the sound of British and European pop music.
Together with his friend Dick Cuthell, the former engineer and now flugelhorn, cornett and trumpet player, he formed the horn section of the band, they toured extensively with the band and used his reputation to record two albums, That Man Is Forward and Jama Rico in Kingston and London. Many pop and reggae artists asked him for contributions, among them Linton Kwesi Johnson, Paul Young, Joan Armatrading und Ian Dury.
The 2Tone bands had the best command to combine Jamaikan Ska music with the enegy of punk. Rico Rodriguez added authenticity and soul. His contributions to the records of those days made his music immortal. His solos, e.g. on "Ghost Town", are icons of popular music of the 20th century.
In 1982 Rico retreated to Jamaica.
Return to Europe, cooperation all over the world: since 1988[]
From 1982 to 1988 Rico was missed by many friends of his music. Finally in 1988 a group of Swizz musicians and their producer Fizzé went to Jamaica to ask him to come back to Europe and to support their reggae project, the Heart Beat Band. Reggae and ska had become part of the international music scene; everywhere bands appeared referring to or playing in Jamaican musical traditions. And they searched for experienced and authentic instrumetalists. Rico followed their request, he spent some time in Switzerland and went on to London where he continued to play as a searched for studio musician and as member of several band projects.
His work with Jazz Jamaica, a group led by bassist Gary Crosby and with Jools Holland gave him regular occupation and opened the possibility to realise his own solo projects as well as playing with his own band.
Concerts in Germany and in Argentina have been documented on CD, many recordings have been made in Japan, where he has a big following.
Rico Rodriguez still plays regular gigs on smaller stages.
He lives in London.