FOR most reggae fans, Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace is one of the music’s premier drummers, a leader of the militant 1970’s Rockers movement.
Wallace, genial star of the 1978 movie Rockers, shows his vocal prowess on The Inspirators, an eight-song album produced by Mathias Liengme of Switzerland.
Released by Liengme’s Fruits Records, the set also showcases the vocal talents of two other veteran session musicians: guitarist Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith and bassist Lloyd Parks, as well as songwriter Anthony ‘Sangie’ Davis.
Liengme, 22, began work on The Inspirators in 2014, one year after first meeting and working with Wallace in Switzerland.
Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace
“I realised how beautiful his voice is. I wanted to give him an opportunity to shine as a star and not just a session musician,” he said.Each artist sings two songs on The Inspirators which was released November in Europe. Wallace, whose hefty resume includes Burning Spear’s Marcus Garveyand Truth And Rights by Johnny Osbourne, leads on This World and Sit Down Pon Your Rump.
Smith, who has recorded with Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Amy Winehouse, sings on Poor People and Give Back to Caesar. No Bother Chuck it Pon Me and Be on The Right Track feature Parks, who started his career in the late 1960’s as a vocalist.
Earl Chinna Smith
Davis, composer of Marley’s Wake up And Live and Girlie Girlie by Sophia George, sings Be Not Envious and Can’t Take It.
Liengme told the Observer that he has been a reggae fan since he was 12 years old, listening to Bob Marley, Third World and singer Errol ‘I Kong’ Kong.
Anthony “Sangie” Davis
He plays keyboards on The Inspirators which was mainly recorded at Harry J Studio in Kingston. In addition to Wallace, Smith and Parks, guitarist Dalton Browne, saxophonist Dean Fraser, trombonists Vin Gordon and Nambo Robinson, played on the album.
The Inspirators is released on vinyl, compact disc and digitally.
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