Artist Profile
JUNGLE JIM
In 1997 we reviewed the album 'Everything Is Everything' by Sean Johnson, better known as Jungle Jim. We were impressed by the man's effort: "a roots singer with a real good, appealing voice and enough uplifting conscious lyrics... Jungle Jim is truly well worth checking out and hopefully we're going to be hearing a lot of him".
Jungle Jim was born into a musically oriented family and while attending the Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica, young Sean started honing his musical skills and was soon broadening his repertoire at Sugar Minott's famous 'Youthman Promotion' studio. This was his introduction to a recording career, that became under the management of Percy Chin and Hyman Wright of Jah Life Records. His solo debut album "Everything Is Everything" was released by Life Time Records for Jah Life Publishing some 13 years ago, and did, despite the promise it contained, unfortunately not lead to cementing a position as a renown roots singer. His albums "Same Way" and the compilation (featuring Gregory Isaacs and Sugar Minott and Blade and Marlon Stewart also featured on the 'You Should Know'-riddim) "Rise" went unnoticed. He also made name as the producer of Junior Kelly's "Better Place" for his own Jungle JiMuzik Global imprint. In 2005 the one riddim album 'You Should Know' was released and got rave reviews from the reggae community. The title track of that album is included on his new album as well.
Here is his new album (although released about a year ago) called "Slave Ship", which is a solid and heartfelt collection of roots tunes and an occasional lovers tune like I Miss You. After the Imperial Speech the music starts with 23rd Psalms, which happens to be a deep roots tune inna nyabinghi style. Next comes the title track, and the tempo goes up! It's a tune with dancehall influences, yet it's an impressive roots tune, with a style reminding us of Damain "Junior Gong" Marley. The songs Same Way and The People are above average efforts and Intelligence Community is a non-standard reggae tune, definitely well worth checking out. Good lyrics too!
The Illuminate tells us about "a system creating chaos and confusion". The next tune -Ahh True You (Because Of You) is a moving political/social song. It's a song about the poor people in our society and the political powers and people which are responsible for that. Poor People Ting deals with the same issues. "Ghetto youths... immigrants... poor people... rastaman... come sound the alarm!". Denying starts with a Spanish guitar intro, and it reminds us of the acoustic 'You Should Know' riddim.
Two Strangers is a decent song with a nice arrangement. Good tune! Good vibes galore on Try A Little Ting a tune with a Michael Rose-a-like intro. The next tune carries dancehall influences, as Jungle Jim demonstrates he knows how to rap across a hard riddim. This song dates from 1996 and was produced by Herman Chin-Loy. The Same Way - Remix is not our cup of tea, although it's certainly not a weak effort. The album closes with an uncredited dancehall/hip hop track called The Zone.
projects completed
jungle jim - jungle jimuzik
His albums "Same Way" and the compilation (featuring Gregory Isaacs and Sugar Minott and Blade and Marlon Stewart also featured on the 'You Should Know'-riddim) "Rise" went unnoticed. Then suddenly last year his name popped up again as the producer of Junior Kelly's "Better Place" for his own Jungle JiMuzik Global imprint. And now an entire album of tunes on that brilliant acoustic (guitar) riddim, composed by Sean 'Jungle Jim' Johnson and laid with the help of Pablove Black ..boards, I-Paul Gauntlett's bass and drum programming, Mark Charlton's violins and Dean Frazer's brass section and arrangement of the beautiful angelic backing vocals by the 1st Eye, a.k.a. the Daffodils: Althea Hamilton, Connie Campbell and Sherida Sharpe, the 'You Should Know' a.k.a. 'Better Place'-riddim, is finally released. With a "Jungle JiMuzik"-intro by one of Jamaica's hottest juggling DJs, Bounty Killer protegé Foota Hype, followed by an excerpt of "Intro - Imperial Speech" by the Coptic Archbishop of Ethiopia from Haile Selassie's coronation, Jungle Jim contributes the first vocal of the album the (and that is meant as a compliment) Marley-esque title-track "You Should Know" why angry faces looking at you, of which Anthony B's you should know why "Angry Faces" looking at you can be regarded as the singjay version. It's Junior Kelly next with the heartfelt i'm looking for a "Better Place", but where these 4 tunes are brilliant, nothing in the world has prepared you for Danny English "Even A Dollar". I've heard (and reviewed) a lot of really great tunes in 2005, but no matter what will be released in the remainder of this year, this superb delivered and lyrically heartfelt slow spoken instead of DJed tune is my favorite of the year (even when it belongs in 2004):
Another heartfelt tune is delivered by Gregory Isaacs, who has been waiting on his lady in her parking lot till it's "Almost 2 O'Clock". It's almost folky, and I've indeed heard a lot of people asking me while playing this album why I wasn't listening reggae, but it's pure, it's acoustic, and it grows on you even more every time you spin this album again. Former mentor Sugar Minott contributes the excellent and equally heartfelt "Bad, Bad Girl" and newcomer Marlon Stewart - son of veteran singer Roman Stewart and forming a duo once with Warrior King - delivers the beautiful ballad "I Apologize". Future & Destroyer (I've stopped wondering about Jamaican artists' monikers long ago) also convince with "Trying To Reach Me", and once more attention should be paid to the excellent job 1st Eye a.k.a. the Daffodils do on all these tunes. Danny English has another great tune on the riddim, and pay attention to his lyrics again on "It's All About". Veteran DJ (and in his - real name - Junior Brammer disguise singer & producer) Trinity delivers the old school DJ lovers tune vibe on his "You And Me" before I-Bar contributes a typical Jamaican kitsch tribute to his mother, followed by Tolerance's fine "Journey" and Blade's convincing "Badmind And Envy". The typical US rap approach of K.B. & Mello works out unexpectedly well on their "Babylon", before the small Tye interlude "Guba Click" propels us into the Jungle Jim acoustic guitar only "You Should Know (Acoustic Instrumental)" with its three-and-a-half minutes showcasing how hypnotizing the riff is, and the "You Should Know (Dub)" named clean version of the riddim. Pure magic, and the most slept-over acoustic riddim of the past 12 months, certainly deserving to be heard (and bought) by everyone now that it's released on CD.
Artist Profile
WRITE UP
FROM
REGGAE-VIBES
JUNGLE JIM
In 1997 we reviewed the album 'Everything Is Everything' by Sean Johnson, better known as Jungle Jim. We were impressed by the man's effort: "a roots singer with a real good, appealing voice and enough uplifting conscious lyrics... Jungle Jim is truly well worth checking out and hopefully we're going to be hearing a lot of him".
Jungle Jim was born into a musically oriented family and while attending the Ardenne High School in Kingston, Jamaica, young Sean started honing his musical skills and was soon broadening his repertoire at Sugar Minott's famous 'Youthman Promotion' studio. This was his introduction to a recording career, that became under the management of Percy Chin and Hyman Wright of Jah Life Records. His solo debut album "Everything Is Everything" was released by Life Time Records for Jah Life Publishing some 13 years ago, and did, despite the promise it contained, unfortunately not lead to cementing a position as a renown roots singer. His albums "Same Way" and the compilation (featuring Gregory Isaacs and Sugar Minott and Blade and Marlon Stewart also featured on the 'You Should Know'-riddim) "Rise" went unnoticed. He also made name as the producer of Junior Kelly's "Better Place" for his own Jungle JiMuzik Global imprint. In 2005 the one riddim album 'You Should Know' was released and got rave reviews from the reggae community. The title track of that album is included on his new album as well.
Here is his new album (although released about a year ago) called "Slave Ship", which is a solid and heartfelt collection of roots tunes and an occasional lovers tune like I Miss You. After the Imperial Speech the music starts with 23rd Psalms, which happens to be a deep roots tune inna nyabinghi style. Next comes the title track, and the tempo goes up! It's a tune with dancehall influences, yet it's an impressive roots tune, with a style reminding us of Damain "Junior Gong" Marley. The songs Same Way and The People are above average efforts and Intelligence Community is a non-standard reggae tune, definitely well worth checking out. Good lyrics too!
The Illuminate tells us about "a system creating chaos and confusion". The next tune -Ahh True You (Because Of You) is a moving political/social song. It's a song about the poor people in our society and the political powers and people which are responsible for that. Poor People Ting deals with the same issues. "Ghetto youths... immigrants... poor people... rastaman... come sound the alarm!". Denying starts with a Spanish guitar intro, and it reminds us of the acoustic 'You Should Know' riddim.
Two Strangers is a decent song with a nice arrangement. Good tune! Good vibes galore on Try A Little Ting a tune with a Michael Rose-a-like intro. The next tune carries dancehall influences, as Jungle Jim demonstrates he knows how to rap across a hard riddim. This song dates from 1996 and was produced by Herman Chin-Loy. The Same Way - Remix is not our cup of tea, although it's certainly not a weak effort. The album closes with an uncredited dancehall/hip hop track called The Zone.
projects completed
jungle jim - jungle jimuzik
His albums "Same Way" and the compilation (featuring Gregory Isaacs and Sugar Minott and Blade and Marlon Stewart also featured on the 'You Should Know'-riddim) "Rise" went unnoticed. Then suddenly last year his name popped up again as the producer of Junior Kelly's "Better Place" for his own Jungle JiMuzik Global imprint. And now an entire album of tunes on that brilliant acoustic (guitar) riddim, composed by Sean 'Jungle Jim' Johnson and laid with the help of Pablove Black ..boards, I-Paul Gauntlett's bass and drum programming, Mark Charlton's violins and Dean Frazer's brass section and arrangement of the beautiful angelic backing vocals by the 1st Eye, a.k.a. the Daffodils: Althea Hamilton, Connie Campbell and Sherida Sharpe, the 'You Should Know' a.k.a. 'Better Place'-riddim, is finally released. With a "Jungle JiMuzik"-intro by one of Jamaica's hottest juggling DJs, Bounty Killer protegé Foota Hype, followed by an excerpt of "Intro - Imperial Speech" by the Coptic Archbishop of Ethiopia from Haile Selassie's coronation, Jungle Jim contributes the first vocal of the album the (and that is meant as a compliment) Marley-esque title-track "You Should Know" why angry faces looking at you, of which Anthony B's you should know why "Angry Faces" looking at you can be regarded as the singjay version. It's Junior Kelly next with the heartfelt i'm looking for a "Better Place", but where these 4 tunes are brilliant, nothing in the world has prepared you for Danny English "Even A Dollar". I've heard (and reviewed) a lot of really great tunes in 2005, but no matter what will be released in the remainder of this year, this superb delivered and lyrically heartfelt slow spoken instead of DJed tune is my favorite of the year (even when it belongs in 2004):
Another heartfelt tune is delivered by Gregory Isaacs, who has been waiting on his lady in her parking lot till it's "Almost 2 O'Clock". It's almost folky, and I've indeed heard a lot of people asking me while playing this album why I wasn't listening reggae, but it's pure, it's acoustic, and it grows on you even more every time you spin this album again. Former mentor Sugar Minott contributes the excellent and equally heartfelt "Bad, Bad Girl" and newcomer Marlon Stewart - son of veteran singer Roman Stewart and forming a duo once with Warrior King - delivers the beautiful ballad "I Apologize". Future & Destroyer (I've stopped wondering about Jamaican artists' monikers long ago) also convince with "Trying To Reach Me", and once more attention should be paid to the excellent job 1st Eye a.k.a. the Daffodils do on all these tunes. Danny English has another great tune on the riddim, and pay attention to his lyrics again on "It's All About". Veteran DJ (and in his - real name - Junior Brammer disguise singer & producer) Trinity delivers the old school DJ lovers tune vibe on his "You And Me" before I-Bar contributes a typical Jamaican kitsch tribute to his mother, followed by Tolerance's fine "Journey" and Blade's convincing "Badmind And Envy". The typical US rap approach of K.B. & Mello works out unexpectedly well on their "Babylon", before the small Tye interlude "Guba Click" propels us into the Jungle Jim acoustic guitar only "You Should Know (Acoustic Instrumental)" with its three-and-a-half minutes showcasing how hypnotizing the riff is, and the "You Should Know (Dub)" named clean version of the riddim. Pure magic, and the most slept-over acoustic riddim of the past 12 months, certainly deserving to be heard (and bought) by everyone now that it's released on CD.
Artist Profile
WRITE UP
FROM
REGGAE-VIBES
Reggae