Original Skatalites drummer Lloyd Knibb is dead

BY BASIL WALTERS Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, May 14, 2011

LLOYD Knibb, the veteran drummer who was a founding member of the Skatalites, died on Thursday evening at his family home in Kingston. He was 80.

Knibb, who succumbed to cancer of the liver, died in the company of friends and loved ones in keeping with his final wish.

According to a well-informed source, Knibb — after being told by doctors in Boston, USA that he had three days to live — asked to be flown home to Jamaica. He arrived in the island at midnight on Wednesday.

With his passing, only two of the original instrumentalists of the legendary musical aggregation that started approximately 50 years ago are now left alive. They are bassist Lloyd Brivette and alto saxophonist Lester Sterling.

The other members of the original Skatalites to have passed are Don Drummond, Jackie Mittoo, Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Jerome 'Jah Jerry' Hinds and Johnny 'Dizzy Johnny' Moore.

Yesterday, members of the music fraternity hailed Knibb as the greatest Jamaican drummer ever.

"Lloyd Knibb is a very, very important musician when it comes to the unfolding of Jamaican music because he was really into the whole tradition of the music," said Herbie Miller, director of the Jamaica Music Museum.

"Knibb made himself a student of the great Donald Jarrett. He heard Mr Jarrett play the drum and decided that he wanted to play like that and learned all the rhythms of the Caribbean," Miller said, adding that Knibb was "the most important trap-drummer we have produced".

Musicologist and broadcaster Bunny Goodison described Knibb as the father of the drums.

"From all accounts, he was the best at what he did. He is the father of pop drumming in Jamaica. He claimed credit, paternity for creating the ska beat. Sly (Dunbar) and others learned at his feet. Remember, it (the drum) is the linchpin of the ska beat around which all the other musicians revolved. He was the cornerstone of the music," said Goodison.

Veteran bandleader Lloyd Parks also spoke glowingly about his senior musical colleague. "He was one of the greatest drummers Jamaica has ever seen," said Parkes. "I am sure Sly (Dunbar) would tell you the same thing. All when the man reached 70 him a kick-up same way, yu nuh. He was truly extraordinary."

Pioneer reggae singer Jimmy Riley said, "Lloyd Knibb is the greatest drummer who ever walked this earth. I am just amazed by his genius. Mi rate him to the max."