259:) to become The Soul Vendors in 1967. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Alphonso led the Ruinaires, the resident band at Ruins restaurant/nightclub, this coming to an end when he suffered a stroke at the age of 41. He recovered quickly from this setback, and relocated to the United States in late 1972, soon returning to performing and recording. He released the first album under his name in 1973 on the
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by the
Jamaican government in 1977, and started to tour more often in the US. He took part in the reformation of the Skatalites in 1983, with whom he toured and recorded constantly until he suffered a burst blood vessel in his head during a show at the Key Club in Hollywood on 2 November 1998. He
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and King
Edwards, as well as continuing to work for Dodd, contributing alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, and flute to recordings. During this period he played in many different bands, such as The Alley Cats, The City Slickers, and
208:'s "Robin Hood" was one of highlights of the act. Following this, Clement Dodd and Duke Reid made him a regular member of their in-house band of session musicians. In 1959 he joined the band of
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161:"The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998) was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of
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In 1948 he left school to join Eric Deans' orchestra and soon passed through other bands in the hotel circuit and first
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at the age of two with his
Jamaican mother, and started to learn saxophone at the Stony Hill Industrial School.
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196:'s group in 1952, going on to record frequently as a session musician. In 1956 he first recorded for
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in Los
Angeles, after suffering a second burst blood vessel, and spending four days in a coma.
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615:
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517:
Caribbean
Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall
8:
593:
359:
Max's
Skansas City (Lost Recordings from the N.Y.C. Club) - Jungle Records (Compilation)
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When the
Skatalites disbanded by August 1965, Alphonso formed the Soul Brothers (with
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Perrone, Pierre, "Obituary: Roland
Alphonso", The Independent: 26 November 1998 p.7.
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band at Dodd's newly opened recording studio. This band soon adopted the name of
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308:(with The Originals Orchestra), 1968 – Gayfeet/High Note – produced by
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style. He also acted as arranger at many of Dodd's recording sessions.
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240:, he took part in the creation of The Studio One Orchestra, the first
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and backed many of Dodd's recording sessions in a typical
Jamaican
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During the 1970s, ′80s, and ′90s, he kept on playing on numerous
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236:& The Dew Droppers. In 1963, after a few months spent in
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By 1960, he was recording for many other producers such as
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270:coming out from Jamaican studios, especially for
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483:Kevin O'Brien Chang & Wayne Chen (1998),
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485:Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music
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333:, 1982 – Imperial – produced by Bunny Lee
497:Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton (2004),
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356:(compilation) – produced by Coxsone Dodd
321:(compilation) – produced by Coxsone Dodd
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671:Officers of the Order of Distinction
499:The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.
13:
14:
697:
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651:Cuban people of Jamaican descent
631:Jamaican people of Cuban descent
350:Something Special: Ska Hot Shots
686:Gay Feet (record label) artists
214:Clue J & His Blues Blasters
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277:He was awarded Officer of the
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531:Reggae & Caribbean Music
515:Moskowitz, David V. (2006),
315:The Best of Rolando Alphonso
282:died on 20 November 1998 at
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7:
681:20th-century male musicians
284:Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
10:
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302:– produced by Coxsone Dodd
676:20th-century saxophonists
636:Jamaican reggae musicians
553:, Macrovision Corporation
545:Roland Alphonso Biography
487:, Ian Randle Publishers,
229:Lloyd "The Matador" Daley
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50:
30:
23:
587:18 December 2005 at the
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331:Brighter Shade of Roots
666:Island Records artists
661:The Skatalites members
641:Jamaican ska musicians
529:Dave Thompson (2002),
296:I Cover The Waterfront
198:Clement "Coxsone" Dodd
646:Jamaican saxophonists
626:Musicians from Havana
543:Richie Unterberger, "
279:Order of Distinction
253:Johnny "Dizzy" Moore
16:Jamaican saxophonist
566:, 24 November 1988.
519:, Greenwood Press,
181:, Alphonso came to
533:, Backbeat Books,
103:baritone saxophone
656:Male saxophonists
458:Moskowitz, p. 10.
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115:Late 1940s – 1998
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600:Rolando Alphonso
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156:Rolando Alphonso
138:The Soul Vendors
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64:20 November 1998
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310:Sonia Pottinger
306:ABC Rock Steady
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238:Nassau, Bahamas
192:as a member of
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149:Roland Alphonso
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99:tenor saxophone
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41:12 January 1931
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25:Roland Alphonso
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558:Really Randoms
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440:Barrow, p. 37.
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431:Barrow, p. 24.
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343:– produced by
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263:record label.
246:The Skatalites
210:Cluett Johnson
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163:the Skatalites
145:Musical artist
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134:The Skatalites
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95:Alto saxophone
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68:(aged 67)
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563:Rolling Stone
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91:Instrument(s)
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577:Complete bio
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503:Rough Guides
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404:Unterberger.
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345:Lloyd Barnes
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234:Aubrey Adams
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111:Years active
66:(1998-11-20)
18:
621:1998 deaths
616:1931 births
602:at Bandcamp
325:King of Sax
290:Discography
206:Louis Prima
202:Bim and Bam
130:Formerly of
610:Categories
596:at Discogs
478:References
319:Studio One
261:Studio One
81:Rocksteady
37:1931-01-12
354:Heartbeat
352:, 2000 –
339:, 1984 –
317:, 1973 –
298:, 1962 –
272:Bunny Lee
225:Duke Reid
169:Biography
585:Archived
582:Obituary
550:Allmusic
190:recorded
173:Born in
124:Gay Feet
341:Wackies
337:Roll On
268:records
242:session
218:R&B
183:Jamaica
105:, flute
55:Jamaica
537:
523:
509:
491:
255:, and
212:named
175:Havana
159:a.k.a.
120:Labels
85:Reggae
73:Genres
51:Origin
46:, Cuba
44:Havana
364:Notes
535:ISBN
521:ISBN
507:ISBN
489:ISBN
179:Cuba
61:Died
31:Born
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547:",
154:or
77:Ska
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505:,
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152:OD
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83:,
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39:)
35:(
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