This unofficial page is maintained by John Baldy - the 'Baldhead Selector' in order to give the Alpha Boys School a presence on MySpace (and hopefully raise a little money for them) until such a time as they might choose to do so officially.
If you would like to donate to the Alpha Boys School or buy some of the nice things they have for sale you can do so at: http://www.alphaboysschool.com/
For your interest:
There are some potted biographies of Alpha's graduates below - and some more in-depth features above in the blog.
I have recently set up a 'Friends of the Alpha Boys School' group on Facebook - and you will be welcome! Just click the Facebook logo to view or join up :-)
Respect
Baldy
------

Sister Ignatius Coaster Set for sale

These coasters feature replications of twelve different record labels found in the amazing collection of Sister Ignatius . This colorful parade of labels highlights the finest in Jamaican music from the ska, rock steady and reggae eras. The set includes Don Drummond's classic "Eastern Standard Time" on Treasure Isle Records, the all-time favorite of Sister Ignatius, as well as many others which bear her handwritten "ABS" insignia. Among the other labels emblazoning these sturdy coasters are Studio One, Success, Rockers and Weed Beat.
In what has been a six-decade tradition under the leadership of Sister Ignatius, the Alpha Boys' School continues to produce top-flight performers today. Funds derived from the sale of this coaster set will be used to purchase musical instruments at Alpha, extending the school's musical legacy far into the future. Upward and Onward.
All proceeds go directly to the Alpha Boys School.

Click here to buy the Sister Ignatius Coaster Set

__________________________________________________________
The music playing is 'Come Dance With Me' by the Alpha Boys Band with special guest, and Alpha Boys School graduate, Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore of the Skatalites on trumpet solo.
It is taken from 'Come Dance With Me' - the new CD from the present day Alpha Boys' Band. Given the long and storied history of the school's band program, it's almost hard to believe that this is the boys' first full-length recording. Thankfully, it was completed mere weeks prior to the death of Sister Ignatius, and will stand as a lasting tribute to her never-failing support and promotion of the band, school and Jamaican music.
The music was recorded at the original Studio One facility on Brentford Road in Kingston, with Clement "Coxson" Dodd helming the production. Adding to the deeply historical nature of this recording is the presence of many Alpha "old boys," including founding Skatalite-member Johnny "Dizzy" Moore and current Alpha Bandmaster Winston "Sparrow" Martin. Best of all, Sister Ignatius can be heard introducing a number of the songs, and making dedications.
All proceeds go directly to the Alpha Boys School.

Click here to buy the CD

It is astonishing that just this one school produced all of these musicians:
David Madden , is quite simply one of reggae's most sought after and prolific trumpet players. His delightful horns can be heard on records as diverse as those from Zap Pow, Alpha Blondy and Culture. He said the following in tribute to Sister Ignatius at the Alpha Boys School
"Sister always wanted us to do the best and be the best. Even when you left the school she wanted to know if you were on the right path."
Albert Malawi came to Alpha Boys School in 1966. He attended the school alongside Fish Clarke (Johnny Clarke's brother), Leroy Smart & Lennie Hibbert and he learned to play drums there. By demand of Sister Ignatius, he also became selector of the Alpha sound system for 3 years (Please check the DC Soundclash article in the blog for more about the Alpha sound system). He was nicknamed Turbit (after the fish with hard bones). He left Alpha on May, 13th 1969, and thanks to his education, was able to secure the job of librarian at the university of The West Indies.
He went on to play drums for, among others, reggae royalty like Sugar Minott, Augustus Pablo and Dennis Brown.
This information and the picture comes courtesy of 'Natty Dread' magazine and through the patience and perseverance of Jerome - Thank you :-)
Lennie Hibbert O.D. went to Alpha Boys' School at the age of eight and after some time joined the school band where he played the drums. After leaving school in 1944 he played in several small orchestras and finally joined the Military Band in 1946. It was during his time in the Military Band that he taught himself the Vibes. He returned to Alpha and was Band Master there in the late fifties, where Floyd Lloyd and Vin Gordon were among his students. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Distinction (O.D.) for his contribution to music on the island and for his work among the youth. He was tirelessly helpful to young people, getting them involved in music, dance, acting, and organized sport.
Text taken from: www.tropicmusic.com/lennie_hibbert.html
Rico Rodriguez , also known as Reco or El Reco (born Emmanuel Rodriguez, 17 October 1934, Kingston, Jamaica), is a ska and reggae trombonist. He has recorded with many producers, including Prince Buster and Lloyd 'Matador' Daley. Rodriguez was taught to play the trombone by his slightly older schoolmate Don Drummond at the Alpha Boys School in Jamaica, which was run by nuns. In the 1950s, he became a Rasta and became closely musically related to rasta drummer, Count Ossie. In 1961, he moved to the UK and started to play in reggae bands in England. In 1976, he recorded the album, Man From Wareika under contract with Island Records . In the late 1970s, with the arrival of the 2 Tone genre, he played with ska revival bands such as The Specials. One of his most notable performances was on The Specials' song, "A Message to You, Rudy". Since 1996, amongst other engagements, he has played with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra & he also performs at various ska festivals throughout Euope with his own band. He was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace on 12 July 2007.
Text taken from: http://www.myspace.com/emmanuelricorodriguez
Winston "Sparrow" Martin has been the school's bandleader for the past 18 years, having also worked with artists from Otis Redding to Bob Marley.
"I was one of the boys who used to try to escape practice," Martin says, laughing. "There was a tree they used to have by the name of the monkey puzzle tree, and I climbed up this tree, hid up this tree."
"Rain was falling when Sister Ignatius found me and said, 'Come out the tree, you naughty little sparrow. What will your mother do if you stay there and drown?' From that day until now, that name is mine - 'sparrow'."
Text extracted from: www.telegraph.co.uk/
Tommy McCook , leader of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 70s.
Don Drummond , the legendary trombonist whose minor-key arrangements and solos brought greater fame to the Skatalites. Their influence was incalculable. Their 1964 debut Ska Authentic ruled Jamaican airwaves throughout the year, and in addition to leading sessions with all of the island's top solo artists, they also helped launch the careers of newcomers including Delroy Wilson, the Wailers, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Ken Boothe.
Johnny 'Dizzy' Moore , brilliant trumpet player and founder member of the Skatalites who remains with the band today and has retained links with Alpha.
Vin Gordon aka Don Drummond Junior was Bob Marley 's trombonist during the period 1962-1978 and he played for every major artist such as Burning Spear, Aswad, Culture, Max Romeo, Justin Hinds and The Migthy Diamonds writing and creating famous horn melodies for numerous bands. He features large in the current line-up of the legendary Skatalites.
Winston Francis , with his lovely, soulful voice has benefitted the work of such notables as Derrick Harriott, Boris Gardiner, Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Bob Andy, Dennis Bovell and Linton Kwesi Johnson amongst others. This is as well as having hits in his own right, particularly in the UK with his 'Mr Fix It' album.
Joe Harriott. "Parker? There's them over here can play a few aces too." Measuring himself alongside his mentor Charlie Parker, Jamaican alto saxophonist Joe Harriott had no doubts about his talent and abilities - and with good reason. A brilliant instrumentalist and a visionary in the development of jazz, Harriott gained legions of admirers for his fiery playing in Britain and beyond before embarking on a quest to extend the limits of the music. His unique conception of free form, evolved independently of American developments, heralded the emergence of contemporary European jazz. Later, with John Mayer, he pioneered cross-cultural fusions of jazz and Indian music. Neglected in his lifetime by an unappreciative arts establishment, Harriott produced a body of recorded work that is increasingly influential and widely acclaimed.
Text taken from: www.jazzscript.co.uk/books/harriottrobertson.htm
Jo Jo Bennett played as lead trumpeter with the Jamaica Military Band for quite a while after graduation from Alpha. He went on to join Byron Lee & The Dragonnaires, recording several albums with them before staying in Canada after the groups show there at Expo 67.
In 1970, back in Jamaica, Bennett released his first and only album "Groovey Joe" while performing live and doing studio work for numerous record companies.
He returned to Canada in the late seventies and registered his music label "BUNJO". JO-JO Bennett is currently the leader of the Toronto based Pop-Reggae band "The Sattalites"
Text edited from: http://bunjo.technodread.net/jojo.htm
Yellowman , Jamaica's first dancehall superstar, ushered in a new era in reggae music following Bob Marley's death. His early-'80s success brought the popularity of toasting to a whole new level, and helped establish dancehall as the wave of the future. He also epitomized dancehall's penchant for "slack" lyrics -- that is, casual violence, sexism, homophobia, and general rudeness reaching levels of explicitness previously unheard in Jamaica. Yellowman was one of the most verbally nimble toasters of his time, with a loose, easy flow, a talent for improvisation, and a definite wit in his wordplay. Plus, all the boasting about his prowess on the mic or in the bedroom had to be over the top to be convincing: true to his stage name, Yellowman was an albino, which carries a tremendous social stigma in Jamaica. His rise to stardom was unlikely enough, but his transformation from untouchable outcast into sex symbol was staggering -- and may not even have taken place without his trademark lewdness. Shocking though it could be, it affirmed him as a sexual being just like his listeners, and was delivered with enough humor to let the audience know that he wasn't taking himself too seriously. Bouts with cancer pushed him into more thoughtful, socially conscious territory in the '90s, but his initial style remains the most influential, paving the way for countless dancehall toasters to follow.
Wilton 'Bogey' Gaynair (b.1927) began his professional career playing in the clubs of Kingston, backing such notable visitors as George Shearing and Carmen McRae before travelling to Europe in 1955, deciding to base himself in Germany because of the plentiful live work on offer. He recorded very seldom, only three times as a bandleader in his lifetime. Two of those recordings came during visits to England, 1959’s Blue Bogey on Tempo Records and 1960’s Africa Calling, also recorded for Tempo but unreleased until 2005 on account of that label’s demise...
Soon after recording these sessions, he returned to Germany, where he remained based for the rest of his life. He concentrated on live performance with such bands as the Kurt Edelhagen Radio Orchestra - including playing at the opening ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympics, also taking much anonymous session work. He only recorded one more jazz album under his own name, 1982’s Alpharian. Other artists he played with included Gil Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Shirley Bassey, Manhattan Transfer, Horace Parlan, Bob Brookmeyer, Mel Lewis and many others. In September 1983 he suffered a stroke during a concert, and from that time until his death in 1995 he was unable to play the saxophone.
Thanks to Wikipedia and and HOY KOKONG! for the text.
Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace , star of Ted Bafaloukos' 1978 film: 'Rockers' and possibly reggae's most prolific drummer. He has recorded with such notables as Augustus Pablo, Beres Hammond, Frankie Paul, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, The Abyssinnians, Prince Far-I and Sugar Minott.
Headley Bennett aka Deadly Headly , superb saxophonist has recorded with the majority of Jamaica’s top reggae artists such as Mikey Dread, Bob Andy, Delroy Wilson, Gregory Issacs, King Yellow Man, Bunny Wailer, Rita Marley, Junior Reid, Jimmy Cliff, Lee Perry and Bob Marley. Headley also produced three solo albums: 'Thirty Five Years From Alpha', 'Poolside Reggae' and 'Victory'.
Dizzy Reece was placed in Alpha Boys School “because I was bad. I used to run the streets during the revolution and such, so I was wayward in that sense.” But being a smart kid, Reece also had an ulterior motive for going to Alpha: “My thing was to get a trumpet.”
Reece’s style was so striking that it even impressed Miles Davis, who started to recommend him to anyone who would listen. Sonny Rollins was also a fan, and with these two titans propping Reece it was only a matter of time before Blue Note came calling. Reece soon moved to New York and recorded for Alfred Lion for the next three years. Reece was in Paris in the late '60s, working with Hank Mobley and John Gilmore, before returning to New York in the '70s. He has recorded somewhat less since that time, though there were stints with Clifford Jordan and the Paris Reunion Band
Dr Leslie Thompson PhD (born 1901) left Alpha as a multi-instrumentalist at the age of sixteen to join the West India Regiment. After a stint in their army band he left for England to study at The Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall.
He is reputed to have been the first black man to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra. However the LSO archivist was unable to confirm or deny this, and other sources suggest that this distinction may have gone to Rudolph Dunbar, a Guyanese man who did not attend the Alpha Boys School.
Lester Sterling O.D. aka Mr Versatile began his career as a trumpet player for Val Bennett's band in 1957 and was also a member of Byron Lee's Dragonaries. He was awarded the Order of Distinction on November 16, 1998 in Kingston. A founding member of the Skatalites, he remains in their line up today on alto saxophone and trumpet.
Leroy Smart. A master of love songs and roots material, Leroy Smart has been on the reggae scene since the early '70s. He was raised in Kingston's Alpha Catholic Boys Home and began recording in the early '70s. Smart worked with such producers as Gussie Clarke, Jo Jo Hookim, and Bunny Lee while gaining fame for a flamboyant performance style, exceptionally anguished delivery, and penetrating vocal manner. Smart's smashing voice often seemed about to collapse from anxiety and earnestness mid-song. He has continued to maintain his popularity, never scoring any crossover or international hits, but retaining his pull with the notoriously fickle Jamaican audience. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Floyd Lloyd Seivright. is the founder and owner of Tropic Entertainment & Recording Enterprises.
As a teenager he attended Alpha Boys School. It was no time at all before Floyd was writing his own songs and at the ripe age of fifteen performed on Jamaica's only TV station.One such song written by Floyd became popular and in 1969 he left for England to pursue a career in music following interest from The Beatles.
Floyd stayed in England for twenty-five years, establishing himself as a singer-songwriter and music publisher. He continued working with his mentors, writing for Derrick Morgan, playing with Tommy McCook, touring and recording with Laurel Aitkin and producing live albums with Justin Hinds and Rico Rodriguez. In the seventies, he worked with the Jamaican band called, "Red Cloud" in London, creating a unique rock-reggae fusion.
Text edited from: www.tropicmusic.com/floyd.html
Tony Greene. "ran away [from the Alpha Boys School] the first day but was escorted back the very next day, against his will as you may well imagine. He was ordered 12 lashes - sounds barbaric docs it not? Then again - for running away, but then stepped in the lady who seems to be the Jamaican musical equivalent to Mother Theresa - Sister Ignatius. Who took pity on the brat and sent him to bed. The next morning he watched the famous school band playing, leading to one of those life-changing moments one always hears about. Sister Ignatius saw him watching and asked if Greene liked what he heard. On receiving an affirmative answer, she called up bandmasters Kenny <[i>sic] Hibbert and Ron Wilson ";..it was a Friday afternoon," said the man who seems to have an incredible memory "...I remember clearly the next Monday morning I went to band practice and Mr. Hibbert asked me what instrument 1 wanted to play," Greene related. He had no idea and was therefore stuck in the clarinet section."
He went on to play clarinet and saxophone for producers like King Tubby, Aquarius and Harry J; and with artists such as Culture, Roots Radics and Ijahman.
Quote taken from The Sunday Gleaner 9/3/2003 (Thanks to the Professor for the article).
Raymond Harper, was cited in the Jamaica Observer, by fellow Alpha Boys School graduate: Bobby Ellis, as his biggest influence: “He taught me how to blow, back in those days at Alpha it was someone older who taught yuh how to blow, not the bandmaster. Then yuh get some tests to see if you are ready for the senior band.”
At one stage Harper played in Coburn’s Orchestra at ‘The Bournemouth’ alongside Don Drummond, Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso. He went on to play with the Carib-Beats, and also became Prince Buster’s no.1 choice of trumpeter on record. He can often be recognised on record by his use of vibrato. It is reported that died in obscurity, huddled over by blankets of newspapers.
Bob Brooks kindly reported the following story:
"I was fortunate enough to meet him in the mid-nineties with my great friend the late Justin Yap (Top-Deck). Raymond was living, albeit in a chicken shack, in Constant Spring Road, Kingston. Justin and I arrived to a very warm greeting from Raymond. He duly laid newspaper on his veranda (well wooden plank that was part of the structure) for both of us to sit upon. He them drew out his Trumpet and gave one of the most awe inspiring solo's from the Lord Creator - "Holding On". Justin and myself and the whole neighbourhood were treated to a seriously loud and "note perfect" rendition. That moment will live for me forever. Raymond continued for what seemed an eternity but in honesty must have lasted 10 minutes. After a lot of laughter and chat we both left. Raymond sadly passed away some time afterwards. Both Justin and I were very saddened that this wonderfully talented man had gone almost without being formally recognised as one of the true genius's of Jamaica. Sadly, I never took any pictures. We were friends arriving and not tourists…. Incidentally, his Trumpet had no keys....and he was AWESOME R.I.P. Mister Raymond Harper
Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton. Born in 1932, he found himself at The Alpha Boys School where the “jazz nun”, Sister Ignatius, was his inspirational guide and teacher.
After several years in the emerging jazz scene of Germany, Tan Tan arrived in London, where his extraordinary talent was quickly recognised. For producers and big-name rock musicians of the sixties and seventies his became the most sought-after trumpet of the era .His recording and performing credits include The Beatles, Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, Boney M, Georgie Fame and his all-time favourite, Jimi Hendrix, while he continued to play in between times with top jazz, ska and reggae names (Aswad ,Rico Rodriguez etc.).
More recently he has feautured in the horn section anchors of the Jools Holland Band, as well as Jazz Jamaica, the Jazz Warriors and friends of this site: No.1 Station and Ska Cubano. At 73, are his lip, his wind, his technique and his imagination still great? Just listen to his many wild, witty solos and believe.
Text edited from: www.ritmoartists.com/SkaCubano/SkaCubano.htm
Owen Gray was Jamaica's first home-grown singing star, and the first Jamaican singer to achieve recognition (and stardom) doing something other than calypso music. Gray's breakthrough came in 1960 when he recorded "Please Don't Let Me Go" with the Caribs for Chris Blackwell. Released in Jamaica, it hit the top chart spot on the island, and the record also sold well in England. Back in Kingston, Gray found himself in high demand, and his voice quickly captured -- working in idioms from rock 'n' roll to American-style r&b -- on tape by producers Leslie Kong, Prince Buster, Duke Reid and, most importantly, Coxson Dodd, who was just starting up his legendary Studio One label at the time; Gray's "On The Beach" (featuring Don Drummond) was among the very earliest releases on that label. It was also a group of sides that he cut for Coxson Dodd that resulted in Gray's becoming the first solo Jamaican artist to have an LP of Jamaican popular music (as opposed to calypso music and folk songs) released in England: 'Owen Gray Sings'. He went on to work for Melodisc, Island Records, Sir Clancy Collins, Pama and Bunny Lee.
Text edited from the writing by Bruce Eder for the All Music Guide: www.answers.com/topic/owen-gray
Bobby Ellis was taught the trumpet at the Alpha Boys School by older pupil, Raymond Harper. After leaving the school he played in Kingston's clubs until 'Deadly' Headley Bennett told him that the now legendary Coxsone Dodd wanted a horn arranger at Studio One. Ellis spent around three years with Coxsone, working with the likes of Joe Higgs, Bob Andy and The Wailers. After leaving Studio One he joined Lyn Taitt's band, The Jets for a time. He has gone on to work with a host of reggae notables, including such luminaries as Augustus Pablo (King Tubby meets the Rockers Uptown), Bunny Wailer (Black Heart Man) and Burning Spear (Marcus Garvey).
Cedric 'Im' Brooks , tenor saxophonist, is one of Jamaica's most adventuresome musicians. Born in 1943 in Kingston, Brooks has the heart of a bop jazzman beating to a reggae rhythm, and his experiments with ancient rasta nyahbinghi drum patterns has led him to fuse elements of calypso, rhumba, jazz, Afro-beat, funk, Latin, and soul into a totally unique, Sun Ra-like synthesis. His first notable recordings were done with trumpeter David Madden in the late '60s for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd. Brooks soon became a mainstay at Dodd's Studio One recording facility in Kingston, joining with fellow Jamaican jazz musicians like Ernest Ranglin, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, and Vin Gordon to form a loose confederation of players that constituted the greatest house band in Jamaican musical history. Their various Studio One backing tracks have been versioned repeatedly and form the very backbone of the island's musical heritage. Brooks released a marvelous album called Im Flash Forward playing sax over some of these famous tracks in 1977. He teamed with nyahbinghi drummer and bandleader Count Ossie for two groundbreaking albums that fused rasta drumming with jazz overtones: Grounation and Tales of Mozambique. With his own orchestra, Brooks released The Light of Saba in 1974 and the multi-layered, big-band masterpiece United Africa in 1978. Combining traditional African and Jamaican approaches with what comes closest to free jazz, Brooks has continually given himself no limits, and his body of work is as fascinating and indispensable as any other musician on the island.
Text edited from the writing by Steve Leggett for the All Music Guide: www.answers.com/topic/cedric-brooks
Desmond Dekker , was orphaned as a teenager and moved to Kingston, finishing his education at the Alpha Boys School. He went on to apprentice as a welder where his workmates (including a young Bob Marley) noticed his talent as he sang along to the radio. They encouraged him to audition at Kingston's studios and eventually his talent was recognised by Derrick Morgan at Leslie Kong's studio after he forced his way into the studio and demanded an audition there.
Domestically, he went on to score hit record after hit record but he will be best remembered as the singer of reggae's first international hit: 'Israelites', paving the way for the success of Bob Marley and others.
Charlie Mus'come aka Eskimo Fox , is a veteran of Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound label, drumming for Creation Rebel, The New Age Steppers and African Head Charge.
"Everything started for me in the Alpha home - Alpha home is inside me. I still have the Nuns feeling, and this is where I got my spiritual vibes, which still maintain me in my musical life to this day.
As soon as I woke up in the Alpha home, I would hear the hornsmen blowing, the drummer man doing his thing, the Nuns chanting, so immediately, you'd wake up with this feeling,"what is that beautiful sound? Where is it coming from?" So I grew up with it, I grew up in it. I was around sound and intense vibes every day."
Quote taken from the interview at: www.uncarved.org/dub/onu/eskimo.html
More information on these artists soon come:
Nicholas Laraque
Harold McNair
Karl 'Cannonball' Bryan
Dalton Browne
Leslie Samuels
Winston (Bo Pee) Bowen
Bertie King
Dudley Farrier
Harold 'Little G' Gaynair
Ron Wilson
Sammy Walker
Tony Gregory
Jackie Willacy
_____________________________