Real Life, singer Andrew Bees’ first album in 17 years, is slated for release on July 9 by Law Records out of Southern California.

The set introduces a sound the veteran artiste describes as “Nyabinghi rock and roll”. Hail And Blaze, its lead single, blends rock guitar and roots-reggae.

That mix is not new to Jamaican music, Andrew Bees told the Jamaica Observer.

“Back in di day people like Peter Tosh used to do dem things. A lot of di early reggae artistes used to check fi blues an’ rock,” he noted.

Andrew Bees is known in roots-reggae circles as longtime lead singer for Black Uhuru. Real Life will be his third album; Militant, his first, was released in 1995. Iration, his second, came out in 2005.

He is executive producer for Real Life through his Bees Hive Music company. Andrew Diamond, an American multi-instrumentalist, produced the album.

Recording for his own label has its benefits.

“Yuh have di privilege to put out songs without waiting on anyone. It’s kinda frustrating when a man voice yuh an’ put it down fi years,” said Andrew Bees.

Rock guitarists such as Wayne Perkins, Al Anderson, Donald Kinsey and Junior Marvin enhanced the roots sound of Tosh and Bob Marley. Their blues-influenced riffs gave the music a crossover feel.

It is that fusion, Andrew Bees points out, that has worked for American bands like SOJA and Rebelution.

“In California dat’s what’s going on. It’s like a new vibe,” he said.

Andrew Bees (real name Andrew Beckford) is from Waterhouse, where Black Uhuru formed in the early 1990s. He joined the Grammy-winning group in the late 1990s. In addition to touring he sang on their albums, Unification and Dynasty.