Few artistes can make a one-hour wait worthwhile, but after our marathon endurance (not his fault as it turned out) Freddie McGregor emerges as the kind of artiste that one could willingly allocate half the day to - and one who is equally willing to share from his insights, experiences, joys and rants amassed over the course of more than four decades as a performing and recording artiste.

MCGREGOR... we could do more but the way promoters work out here I really can't work with that

McGregor, who has been a touring musician since 1975, says he enjoys the haul of touring even more now than then, and adds that he favours the immediacy of standing and delivering before an audience to the relative perfectionism of the studio. "When you are on stage everything is 'here and now' you don't get an opportunity to leave it and come back when you feel more in the mood."

That said, a fair portion of Freddie's joy may well come from his limited exposure to Jamaican audiences in Jamaica, a situation he says is by choice, but not of his own making.

"We could do more but the way promoters work out here I really can't work with that. If I'm doing a show, it must be with my band, otherwise I'm selling my work-and the people who really appreciate my work - short. Look at a guy like Jimmy Cliff. You think you can bring Jimmy Cliff on a stage and tell him 'bout is any and everybody that you hire goin back him? Him don't have to work in Jamaica and him not goin' tek dat."

Moreover, Freddie says, the Jamaican performing scene does not compare favourably with what awaits him overseas "We don't have a really culturally relevant, exceptionally produced reggae show in Jamaica, and you can quote me on that," he states.

Nevertheless, he's looking forward to stepping up his touring, which was hampered by the poor weather attendant with the recent record-setting hurricane season.

Recently he performed at 'Pass De Baton', a tribute to Jamaican Olympic pioneer Herb McKenley at the new stadium site in his honour in May Pen. A son of Clarendon, it was at least 12 years, by his recollection, since he last performed there.
Many of his upcoming appearances will be in support of his latest album Coming In Tough, released in August.

It features production work of legendary Bobby Digital whose behind-the-boards wizardry helped propel Shabba Ranks to stardom. "I know Bobby for many years and is lots of times we talk about working together but it just never happened before now.

When I thought about this record, he is the first man I thought about and he agreed to the project and the rest as they say is history. On this occasion, he also worked with the likes of Morgan Heritage, and the evergreen Marcia Griffiths on a cover of the 1970s' soul classic, United We Stand.

Another cover is the Five Stairsteps Ooh Child (famously featured in the gangsta movie classic, Boyz In Da Hood). The album has been getting good responses in the customary Diaspora markets (topping reggae charts in New York, and South Florida) but little or no love within his home shores. That happening, Freddie says is an index of the prevailing attitudes of the Jamaican music community.

"We need to be more focussed to treat the music seriously - as both a business and an art form the way the Americans and the other major markets deal with it. We treat it like is some rubbish you see and walk around on the street," he laments.

"As [Marley archivist] Roger Steffens said to me the other day, there is no music business in Jamaica, and what you are finding is that some people who used to rave about Jamaica and Jamaican music are moving away from the music."

The veteran identifies two main culprits for this: one is lack of advocacy on the part of Jamaica Federation of Musicians. "I'll go on record and [JFM president] Desmond Jones is a man I know long time, talk to him almost every day.

But we have to step up and really get certain issues addressed or it doesn't make any sense we have a JFM." He also points out that several of the industry's larger figures are not JFM members, thus making the situation even more difficult.

But his biggest peeve is radio. "Radio has become the nightclub or dancehall. Where's the balance? A lot of these younger guys going in, they don't really know the music, they don't have the level of appreciation of the earlier generation of guys.

It's just become a money thing." If you going to become known, then become known for programming the best music, not because you have the most man paying you money. It has been going on for a long time but right now, it's killing the business."

"Radio jocks," he adds, "have been made to feel that they are ones causing the artiste to have success but the truth is without the music, they have no work. So is better you run you ting with fairness than try to say, 'well Freddie a drive dis car or dat car; him heavy now and is because a me why him get there.

Time a mek a money off him.' That kinda attitude put a whole heap of pressure on the artiste because truly the radio jock in Jamaica really can't spin your record enough time for it to mek you the money that some of them chargin' plus meet expenses. Is really overseas the records sell."

Despite these challenges, he sails on, and is paying more attention to building other artistes, starting within the family. He built his Big Ship studio (named for his classic late 1980s album)11 years ago and since then, many have passed through its doors. The next generation includes sons Chino (who hit about eight years ago along with Kip Rich on Leggo Di Bwoy) and 15 year-old Stephen, the mastermind behind the dancehall-ruling Cartoon rhythm.

Freddie is also "father" to regular hit-maker Delly Ranx and radio jock turned producer Kurt "Party Animal" Riley.

Musical interests aside, the deeply spiritual Rastaman ("zeal is good but it's not enough; the youths must have understanding") is passionate about refurbishing the Haile Selassie High School, built and presented as a gift to the nation from the Emperor on his famous 1966 visit.

"It hurts my heart to see the school in the condition it's in and along with some others we are definitely going to get it back to proper condition."

With a 42-year career, one can imagine lots of accolades and awards but he most cherishes the recently awarded Order of Distinction. McGregor, however, bemoans the fact that the late great Don Drummond is still to receive a national honour.

"As much as it feels good to be honoured, I'm still conscious of the guys who come before me, like Dr Ernest Ranglin, and the guys who came up with me, like the late Dennis Brown."
And what does he think is his own place in that pantheon? How would he wish to be remembered?

"I want to be remembered not as any superstar or front-runnin' hype kinda guy, but rather as Freddie McGregor, the musician and entertainer who has been an ambassador for this country."

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