IN celebration of Reggae Month, Kingston-based Harry J Recording Studio has teamed up with New York-based indie label Easy Star Records and Kala Music Brand to host a special acoustic performance of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song .

Redemption Song was originally recorded at Harry J’s in the 1970s.

The performance, which will feature local musicians Hector Lewis, Jerome “Spangy” Small, Nico Groskopf and LaMont “Monty” Savory, is set to premiere on Kala Music Brand’s YouTube page tomorrow at noon.

Lewis will play the cajón, Small on the U•BASS, while both Groskopf and Savory will play the tenor ukulele.

This marks the first occasion that these four Jamaican session musicians have directly collaborated. Individually, they record and perform with the likes of Koffee, Protojé, Lila Iké, Sevanna, and a myriad of other contemporary reggae acts.

Curator of the Redemption Song performance and studio owner of Harry J Studio, Tara Johnson, welcomed the collaboration and thanked Ryan Sullivan from Sully Artist Services who made the collaboration possible.

“I’m grateful that we could be the facilitators to deliver new and unique musical instruments to our talented musicians and it was a no-brainer to choose Redemption Song because it transcends geographical borders and is relatable to all people who have struggled, or are struggling, with oppression or challenging times. It’s Reggae Month, when people look to music for healing; it reminds us that no matter the gravity of the situation, ‘redemption’ will come. And we hope that in this current global crisis we could remind the world of that fact through reggae music,” said Johnson.

In explaining his choice for collaborating with Harry J Recording Studio, Michael Goldwasser of Easy Star Records said:

“We are always looking for ways to collaborate with Jamaican artistes and studios because much of the music that we love came from the many renowned studios in Jamaica. Tara Johnson has made her father’s studio a very relevant place for new Jamaican reggae. So when we had the idea to do this project, Harry J’s seemed like the perfect place to do so.”

As the Kala Music Brand spreads its Reggae Month celebration to Jamaica with the delivery of the instruments, director of artist relations at Kala, Joe DeMars, foresees a seamless combination of the U•BASS and reggae music because of its uniquely round and booming natural tone that it fits into a reggae mix with true ease.

This was supported by Small.

“Bass and low-end is so important and crucial for reggae music. I was really impressed with the pre-amps used on the U-Bass. They do a really amazing job cutting through the mix. More than anything, it was really fun to play,” he said.