Funk 'n Waffles -- Eat Up, Get Down.

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Discussing ska & reggae in Upstate New York
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 Post subject: Jammyland 1993-2008
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:54 am 
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Upstate NY Reggae
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 7:34 am
Posts: 3268
Location: Cuse
NOTHING LASTS


So goes the prankster maxim.What started as 2 young men's Love for all things
BASS heavy,reggae,DUB,DANCEHALL ,world music,Funk and soul has finally seen it's gentrified conclusion.
With rent spiraling out of control in the L.E.S ,a drift in partnership,absentee ownership/management and not changing with the times as well as strong competion,two ends of time are neatly tied in a conclusion that most likely should have happened years ago.
JAMMYLAND was NYC's first all reggae music store.Mostly selling repress copies of impossible to find roots/dub classics as well as new dancehall releases and a healthy dose of world music it was more than just a record store from my vantage.
Thru the years JAMMYLAND played host to many instore apperances and performances from such luminaries as -
MAD PROFESSOR,SAMMY DREAD,CONGO ROY ASHANTI,SISTER NANCY,BULLWACKIES,SISTER CAROL,MIKEY DREAD,DEREK HARRIOTT,JOHNNY OSBOURNE,CORNEL CAMPBELL,GLENN BROWN,LEROY SMART,RANKING JOE,LOVEJOY-SONIA and many others that I can't remember right now.

Alliances were formed and massive amounts of good vibes insued.Most in store apperences were accompanied by a keg of guiness,ITAL vegan rasta hot plates, ,fresh natural juices ,and many sparked spliffs in the executive office suite.Records were spun,neighbors had to tolerate and bass would vibrate the small confines.

More than just a record store ,long lost OOP records were reissued,some never heard before culled from tapes that needed to be baked,records were distributed on a worldwide wholesale level and commerce was generated.
Over time the cramped radon filled basement became home to a a small 24 track recording studio playing host to the slackers,KING CHANGO, and countless remixes/dubs were made by visiting musicians.This space also served as a rehersal /pre production space.
Clive Chin for instance re -released JAVA JAVA the Augustus Pablo classic thru JAMMYLAND.In total there are at least 25-30 releases or reissues that the store was involved in,bearing the name JAMMYLAND.

I was fortunate to be there from the start and gained a massive amount of knowledge for life from the store.
The walls were originally sprayed by some of NYC's finest graf artists which eventually had to be covered up with pegboard to accomodate more records.

Tee shirts ,magazines,cds,bass and guitar strings and jewlery were also sold.
[nowhere else to get bass or guitar strings late on a saturday night!!}
I copped the first issues of GRAND ROYAL and BIG DADDY here.

In the early days the cops from the 9th precinct would send "undercover" porky's into the store to try and buy weed -but we didn't sell weed ,only heavy bass ...thank you.Like all good cops their shiny shoes and stiff demeanor always gave them away.Fools suffer **** ...BABYLON be GONE!!!!!

JAMMYLAND sponsored countless live shows in and around the tri state area.The house band the JAMMYLAND ALLSTARS have backed up many many reggae luminaries and will continue to do so.
JAMMYLAND provided fuel for the NYC illbient scene and the NYC ragga/drum and bass circles respectively.WE,BADAWI,DB,DJ DARA,LIMINAL,LIQUID SKY, and countless others shopped for records,accapellas for remixes and re rubs in "modern" forms.
Celebrites also patronized the shop,WALTER BECKER,ZZ TOP,MATT DILLON,JERU,were customers.
The owners of JAMMYLAND frequently made record buying trips to jamaica,of which I was lucky to accompany on a few.Going to sir coxsane dodd's pressing plant and not being able to open the front door due to all the wax stacked up,meeting Augustus Pablo,shopping for wax on record row in kingston are just a few of the cherished memories that I am lucky enough to have.

The Boss Finding Sylford Walker selling Box Drinks on a corner in trenchtown,so happy to be bought some new pants and shoes and some crisp JA dollars stuffed in his pocket,estatic to the point of tears that someone remembered who he was ,pushing his skull up against my brethren's saying "so we shall escape this BABYLON mon",flapping arms as wings to fly away from 3rd world misery and strife.


A cultural center second to none ....you will be missed and the void not easily filled.

I raise the spilff and DRAGON STOUT high and salute,
"chalice to chalice no fuss no fight ,chalice to chalice everything allright"

R.I.P

we might be back
ya never know what can happen mon

RESPECT

_________________
https://www.facebook.com/rasadam12


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