Black Uhuru:
For over 50 years Black Uhuru has remained one of the most popular recognized prolific reggae band from Jamaica. The living legends have earned several achievements in the music industry including winning the first ever Grammy Award for reggae music. They’re long success along with having the highest reggae record sales after Bob Marley & the most songs sampled by other artist over the years has allowed them to become Ambassadors of reggae.

The roots of Black Uhuru formed in Kingston’s “Waterhouse” District in the late 60’s. It is the home of founder & leader Derrick “Duckie” Simpson along with all the rest of the singers from the group. The original Uhuru’s Swahili for “freedom” were Duckie, Don Carlos & Garth Dennis. The first song was a Curtis Mayfield cover of “Folk Song”. They made only a couple more songs before Don left to pursue a solo career & Garth joined Wailing Souls. The two were replaced by Michael Rose & Errol Nelson both from Waterhouse. They recorded the debut album “Love Crises” in 1977 for Prince Jammy later re-released as “Black Sounds of Freedom”. Errol later left the group to join the Jays & was replaced by female singer Puma Jones.

This new line-up is when the band began to collaborate with Sly & Robbie & developed the “classic Uhuru” sound of the 80’s. A unique style full of heavy drum & bass, sharp keys, loud guitar riffs & long instrumentals filled with whirly background effects & the signature “wow oh-oh oh’s” echo. It was during this period they signed with Island Records. They began touring internationally & started receiving worldwide attention. They recorded some of their most popular albums like “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” “Sensimelia” & “Chill Out”. The album “Red” was voted #23 for Rolling Stone Magazine list of 100 greatest albums of the 80’s. And history was made when they won reggae’s first grammy award in 1984 for the album “Anthem”. Shortly after the grammy Michael left the group to go solo.

Another Waterhouse resident named Junior Reid became the new lead singer. Two albums were released “Brutal” nominated for grammy & “Positive” with Ras Records. These albums included popular hits like “Dreadlocks on the Mountain” “Fit You Haffi Fit” & one of the groups first music videos “Great Train Robbery”. Sadly due to ill health Puma passed away in 1990. Around this time Jr. Reid was having visa issues unable to tour.

During the mid 90’s the original members reunited. Four albums were released “Now”, “Iron”, Storm”, “Mystical Truth” & “Strongg” all nominated for grammy. They made an award-winning music video for “Tip of the Iceberg” that featured rap star Ice-T & another video for “One Love” featuring Louie Rankin. They performed live on television for VH1 a cover version of Jimmy Hendrix “Hey Joe”. In 1994 they won the Diamonds Awards for Excellence. Unfortunately, the group began to dispute over band legal rights & went to court in the late 90’s. Duckie won the rights to the name.

As the new millennium approached Duckie found Andrew Bee’s once again from Waterhouse. Bee’s first tour with the band was in 1996 in Brazil. They released two albums “Unification” in 1998 & “Dynasty” in 2001. In 2002 they reunited with Sly & Robbie for an international world tour & released a live album/dvd “Dubbin it Live”. The group resurfaced in 2010 & has been touring extensively throughout Europe, South America & the United States. In 2012 they performed in a Broadway musical in Los Angeles called “Loving the Silent Tears”. In 2013 Duckie was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the IRWMA. In 2017 they released a new single & music video “Jah Guide” a Peter Tosh tribute that featured Bugle.

In 2018 Black Uhuru released “As The World Turns” the newest album after 15 years. It was nominated for “Best Reggae Album” at the 61st Grammy Awards. For the first time it featured Duckie on lead for the entire album. To support the album the band headed on a major US Tour & Hawaii. During the East Coast leg of the tour they appeared live on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series where they performed a new single “I See You” taken from the “Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica Reloaded” album produced by Sean Edwards of Contractor Music. Two music videos "Chalice" & "War Crime" were filmed by Benji Cooper for the album both featured on Reggaeville.

Right before the pandemic Black Uhuru went on a small West Coast Tour with Dylan's Dharma & Etana where they performed at the One Love Festival in Long Beach. During the "lock-down" the band was idle all of 2020. Duckie did one live stream performance for Kumar's Kulture Walk St. Bess live video stream series during reggae month.

In 2021 Black Uhuru released a new single "Jamaica to Here" mixed by Shaquille "Skunga" Kong, "Med Dread" & Mark "Jah Servant" Giles. Early this year in 2022 Black Uhuru just released a new full length album titled "New Day" & music video for "Brand New Day" that features the members of Dylan's Dharma band. Partnering with Law Records the album was produced by King Hopeton at his Double Lion Studio in Helltown California & mixed by Jermaine "Ajang" Forde with Dylan's Dharma band as the Executive Producers.Three music videos were made for the album "Top Ranking", "Gal Next Door" & the title track "New Day" all filmed by King Hopeton.

After the Pandemic Black Uhuru got back on the road in 2022. Starting with a small West Coast US Tour with Dlyan's Dharma in the Spring. Then in the Summer they headlined the Puerto Rico Reggae Festival at the Tito Puente Amphitheater. And finished a major US Tour in the Fall. In 2023 Duckie released a new track titled "Teaching of his Majesty" that features Jah Mason from Boxy Records. Black Uhuru went on one small US West Coast Tour & headlined the Truckee Reggae Fest.

Crimson Rose:
The first band to sell out Garcia's at one of their reunion shows, Crimson Rose's reign as THE Grateful Dead band in Westchester spanned a good part of the 1980's. The boys started their journey young. By the time the band started hitting the club scene in Westchester at the Fore n Aft & Left Bank they were not only too young to drink, they were too young for a learner's permit. Well before they graduated high school they were packing them in, especially at their Tuesday night residency at the Fore n Aft where hundreds of fans religiously caught the band weekly. Towards the end of the 80’s the band fell apart following the death of drummer Ron Sassone.

When members of the band went their separate ways they continued to make music. Multi-instrumentalist Doug Grean toured with Scott Weiland's Wildabouts and was their music director. He's closely worked with STP & Velvet Revolver and is a studio musician and producer who has worked with artists such as Slash, Sheryl Crow, and Glen Campbell. He's shared the stage with Bono and Stevie Wonder on national TV. Doug recently moved back to the New York area and just opened a recording studio in Harlem.

Now living in Florida, Greg Koerner is on perpetual tour with Gent Treadly and has played Bass with DJ Logic, Vince Welnick, Charles Neville, Garth Hudson and others sometimes with twin brother and Crimson Rose guitarist Jonathan Koerner by his side. Jon Koerner has been immersed in Jazz jams with some of the finest muscians in New York branching out to play keyboards along with guitar duties.

Marc Loponte was a long time vocalist with Stella Blue's Band and spent many years with another Fore n Aft favorite High Time in the 90’s. He is still jamming out in several GD tributes.

Drummer Rich Baker has turned up in multiple bands including Connecticut’s long running Grateful Dead tribute Shakedown. Crimson Rose combines music from the Grateful Dead and other hippie anthems, rocking songs old and newer along with a few originals for a unique mix of songs played Crimson Rose style. The band is loose, playful, unscripted with superb musicianship and stellar vocals. Its always a good time