RICH Hardesty has been to Jamaica multiple times since his first visit in 1993. The singer/songwriter is so enamoured by the island that he has a tattoo of the Jamaican flag on his back.

He has also recorded light-hearted songs like Mangoed in tribute to reggae land.

On his latest visit, Hardesty is not into recording novelty songs in the mould of Jimmy Buffet, the Margueritaville mogul who has made millions of dollars singing ‘tropicana’ tunes.

“I was hanging out with Capleton and listening to one of my ‘riddims’ and he said, ‘me’d a love do a tune wid yuh’. That really moved me…I flew to Jamaica eight weeks ago and began recording,” Hardesty told the Sunday Observer.

With the assistance of local music insider Kirk ‘Belly Rat’ Thomas and veteran percussionist Bongo Herman, Hardesty assembled a formidable cast of musicians at the Anchor studio in Kingston.

Herman, drummer Sly Dunbar, keyboardist Allah Lloyd, bassist Flabba Holt, guitarist Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen, saxophonist Everton Gayle, trombonist Everal Wray, and trumpeter Vivian Scott took part in the sessions which has so far produced five songs.

One of them, Freedom Revolution, is done with singer Anthony Cruz. It is the lead song from Hardesty’s next album, which he expects to release in early 2016.

“The sessions have been great…a real nice vibe. You can hear that on the songs,” he said.

In his late 40s, Hardesty is from La Porte, Indiana, a farm belt state that has produced pop and rock dynamos like The Jacksons and John Mellencamp. He has 11 albums to his credit — mostly easy-listening rock with a reggae feel.

Growing up in the Midwest, he listened to the soft rock of The Carpenters and James Taylor, and Jim Croce’s hard-hitting folk songs.

Later he discovered reggae.

“I got introduced to the music through the usual stuff…Three Little Birds, Waiting in Vain, No Woman, No Cry. But then I investigated and found Garnet Silk, Dennis Brown, Luciano, Gregory Isaacs. Man, I was just blown away!”

Hardesty hopes the songs from his Anchor sessions will have a similar impact. Freedom Revolution is scheduled to be released in July.