Jah-D

           
Jah D

“Geniuses are born not created” this adage becomes so true and evident when one encounters with a rare pearl among the oysters of this musical sea. Often times we hear of musicians that paved the way for what the world has come to know and love as Reggae music and not being able to see them because of the hustling in the music business which some times leave true talent hidden. But without a foundation a house cannot stand and that is exactly what Dennis “Jah D” Fearon is, a foundation within this musical sphere. This Rastafarian elder is one of the most enamored reggae musician within Jamaica and worldwide simply because he makes music and great music in fact.

Known the world over as one of Jamaica’s finest piano tuners and ‘melody’ musician, Jah D has allowed himself to not become apart of the crazy and materialistic world which his parents brought him into. Dennis “Jah D” Fearon was born Marched 19, 1949 in the Drumilly District of Benison in the parish that Jamaica’s first National Heroes and world renowned Pan-Africanist, Marcus Garvey and Reggae Great Bob Marley, St. Ann, Jamaica. His parents moved with him to Kingston at age 2 to Slipe road and thus began his musical journey. From there, they moved again to Pink Lane in the now volatile West Kingston area, and then his father bought a place at 53 Wellington Street. At age 8 they finally decided to move to Grants Pen and settle there. While living there, he, at the tender age of nine (9), seem to have heard his calling and like a humble servant, as Samuel, he answered to the Creator. He bought himself a mouth organ (which he eventually lost in the Hope River) and was determine enough to teach himself how to play it and that he did. On Holidays such as Christmas he would play the mouth organ at concerts in Grants Pen, much to the delight of listeners. When asked “did you go to school for this?” His reply was that he “never got tutoring from any special person, but in fact, was influenced.” With his favorite tune to play on the mouth organ, back then, being “Easy Snapping”, one can only imaging his list of favorites. As he began to be more in tuned with the sound of his mouth organ, it opened up a craving that had to be served.

He began normal schooling at the North Street Congregational School, and then when he moved to Grants Pen, he attended the Lyford Preparatory (where New Day is now), and he finished school at age fourteen (14). Soon after, he began to beseech his parents to let him learn how to play the piano. They took him to the piano shop and he was told by the owner “if you can learn to fix it then you will learn to play it,” and he was obliged and proceeded to realize his calling on earth; from then the rest is his story. Being in the piano shop made it easier for him to interact with talented people like himself. Many musicians would come into the shop and there began his full fledged journey into music. As he grew, his mother became more of a father and a mother to him since seeing his father was only on special occasions or when his father would come and visit since he had his own family to deal with.  From the piano shop to the studio, became the daily route for this easy-going man of Jah. With such Christ-Like mannerism, Jah D has a spiritual energy that just flows out into the very music that he creates.

This ‘musical Guru’ has probably become one of Jamaica’s and Reggae music best kept secret; he has worked with numerous artistes: from Horace Andy, Johnny Osborne, Culture, Crown Prince of Reggae Dennis Emmanuel Brown, The Cool Ruler: Gregory Isaacs, Half Pint, Stanley and the Turbines, the Ethiopians, Mae tones, Ken Boothe. He has also graced the tracks of the younger generation, such as Fire Man Capleton, Buju Banton, Luciano, Anthony B, and Admiral Tibet. He has done work with producer extraordinaire as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, The late Great Sir Coxsone, Rhythm Twins Sly and Robbie and when working with producer Joe Gibbs he would do “about ten (10) songs or rhythm a day.” This is where he also worked with Leo Graham on his reggae classic: ‘Win Dem.’, and has also done jobs with his bands The Mighty Cloud and Lloyd Park’s We the People band. When asked about the amount of artist he has worked with, he just gave a chuckle and a sigh, followed by “’bout five hundred or so.” And has played songs for Jackie Paris- “Run for your Life” and Lascelles Evans. Kind of a rarity compared to what many so called musicians can say for themselves.

As for touring, he has done it all, he has ventured into parts of East and West Germany, Marseilles-France, Holland, England, numerous states in the US, small islands such as Bermuda and The Cayman Islands. Now a more reclusive man, Jah D has reserved himself from touring the world and has decided to ‘experiment again’, becoming the more of a musician for his people. When asked why he stopped touring, an answer more profound one could not expect, he says he stopped touring because while out there he realized that “white people a lift me up and every good Black man, white people tek dem weh. So I decided that I must can put my talent to better use for the upliftment of my Black race. The amount of Black man me help, if dem did tek me, me couldn’t help nobody. To me blessings flow more than riches.” And indeed it has, Jah D is blessed with a beautiful family that has kept him growing from strength to strength. With a wife that he describes as his friend and children that are multitalented in their own ways, including two musicians- his name sake Dennis “Def Shade” now in Canada and Diavallan “Music Addict” doing his thing in Jamaica; Jah D has little to worry about his legacy in this world and that is just about his greatest accomplishment.

As a Reggae man, he has never thought of himself being a replica of someone else, and has never tried to be someone else, like a jazz or a souls musician. He simply is a Reggae Man that has been influenced by the sounds of other musical greats such as Jackie Metto, Booker T, and Jimmy Smith. “The Most High has made us with an individual nature, so we don’t have to follow each other,” and this has been the means by which Jah D has made his music over the years, using this ‘individual nature’ that he possess within. Therefore, his songs and melodies cannot be mistaken for someone else’s. His unique combination of chords and innovative formulation of melody chains has made him a stance as an “originalist” within the music fraternity. As for the younger musicians, it is always a pleasure to work with Jah D and it comes with so much knowledge musically and reality wise. You will never leave his studio without learning a thing or two about the way he lives his life and why- the influence of His Imperial Majesty or his family on the way he lives his life and makes his music. He looks into other people’s lives and see the mistakes and where they have failed and has obviously not failed like them. With his positive outlook on life and His Imperial Majesty’s exemplary living, and his wife and children being his heroes, Jah D has made his life a true testimony of Christ-Like living. He says he lives his life this way so he could be an example for his children to follow.

His melodies are like different lullabies; he makes music so soothing, thus, creating this quiet and peaceful space within the mind that one seems to act it out in reality. His own style of “Special Rastafari Music’ has led him to make classics such as My Dooley, Reggae De La Te No, Rising Conscience, Filling the Gap, Even Just for a Day, Nation Builder, Black Tears, Skaggae just to name a few. For a forty two (42) year span within the music, Jah D has for each and every day turned the devil away and has developed this peaceful environment physically around him and within him and his music. Never getting the true and full recognition that he deserves from society has never been a problem for Jah D “cause I nah work for the people dem fi see me.” But inside, he works at living free, free from all social labels but has freely given of himself to others for their recognition from society. What he does is, at his best, is to live a life of music, works when music is working, and while in the studio he has to think as a musician and the piano great that he his. But on the flip side he does not want to become a slave of the music, he only wishes to abolish all forms of slavery, so he deals with music only when it is ready for him. He notes that he is a musician and a civilian and knowing the difference between the two is of utmost importance. What he does is he uses his “talent to achieve this and his life to achieve that. Life is a mind thing, you have to use your mind right and make the difference.”

It is always easy to look on the way others have lived their lives and follow them and always aim to get popularity like many musicians but Jah D tries to achieve a Reggae standard, where he would just plays and not think about the pay, that is just the best achievement for him. The only thing on his mind is to make “The Tune” even today he still seeks to make that one tune. “Like it is lingering in the air waiting for me to play it, that one special tune, a tune that creates hopes. You see everything is in the making.”As for the many obstacles that he has to face he says that he “has faced the ones that I don’t tek on. See the perfection of the mind (which is what he always aims for) will be tested by humans but it my duty not to let them befall me with their failure. So I follow the Christ-Like nature that His Majesty displays.” He views his life as an “experiment”, never living this life before, he has taken different lanes and avenues within his life, never knowing where it would reach but having such positive outlook on life this is where it has brought him. He is one of the best piano tuners and players of his time and ours. Because of his experimental nature, one can only wonder if not music what would Jah D be doing? Well “growing up in music one never thinks of anything else.” He has done a whole lot of things but he is “not a master not even at music.” This humble natured man is one of the most sought after pianist there is, to have Jah D grace your track is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself musically and spiritually. If not music, he says, “I would just live. Within this world, there is nothing new, everything has been done already, so I could just live like a bird.” And who wouldn’t, but being the hard working man he is, living for others through his music is what he does all the time.

This spiritual human being is faithful and good and sees it fitting to be good to humans- to share more and develop consciously to get along with self and his fellow man. What distinguish this “Musical Guru” from others is that he sees himself as a “tree”. “As long as nobody nuh cut yuh down, you will continue to grow and bear fruits and be beneficial to their people.” As for the next ten years, he will just continue to live the same way “a try fi mek that one Tune.” Whether physically or spiritually through his children and their children, Jah D’s legacy will not be remised as he has put his magical fingers on those piano keys to create that peaceful environment around and within him. Jah D is a true definition of ‘deciding one’s destiny’.