Review
Publication date : Thursday, November 17th 2005 - 4 451 views
The heptones à Paris
An emblematic group of the Jamaican vocal trio tradition, the Heptones once again celebrated a semi-reunion in Marseille and Paris last weekend. After the departures of Leroy Sibbles in 1978, then Earl Morgan, the name has sheltered several successive line-ups, reshuffled many times. A semi-reunion, then, because although the Heptones appeared with two of their founding members, Leroy Sibbles and Barry Llewellyn, Earl Morgan was still missing.
 Leroy Sibbles, more than ever the leader of the group since Earl Morgan's departure in 1995, announces an anthology-style concert, inviting us to a "History of Heptones". And he goes back over the core of their classics born at Studio One, glossing over their work at Lee Perry's Black Ark. A bubbling Leroy Sibbles launches straight into Mama say and Cool rasta. At his side, Barry Llewellyn seems a little more tired. But even if his voice is less sure on Book of rules, nostalgia is in full swing. The least known of the three original members will remain in the shadow of the author of most of the group's songs, mainly handling the vocal harmonies with Glen Greaves, who has come as reinforcement from London.
 Behind the vocal trio, the band Artikal from Montpellier (who notably backed Natty King this summer) play the oldies riddims with a modernity and a percussion that, while effective, has little to do with the fragility of the Heptones' original sound. Leroy Sibbles makes perfect use of this new sonic bed, improvising deejay passages and unleashing powerful choruses on a memorable version of Garden of life. Love won't come easy is so well received that Leroy Sibbles calls for a pull up after a good minute. Best thing in life follows, with its fine harmonies, ending in dub over its heavy bassline, and then I've got a feeling, interrupted in the middle by a big power cut. Artikal, who had not stopped playing, recover perfectly and the audience forgives immediately as soon as the sound returns. The incident should not jeopardise the release of the concert on CD, as post-production work is already planned, with studio re-recordings in Jamaica.
 After leaving the stage after a good hour, the Heptones return with Pretty Looks, where Leroy Sibbles once again plays with the audience and with deejay passages. Why Must I brings to an end a rather short concert (less than an hour and a half). They will not play their biggest success, Party Time, nor Fattie Fattie, their first hit with Coxsone. Leroy will not pick up the bass to play the lines of Pass The Koutchie and Satta Massagana, of which he is the composer. What we will regret above all is that their repertoire with Lee Perry is not showcased more. All the more so as the set is almost identical from one year to the next, ultimately offering yet another snapshot of a legendary group frozen in time.
Report written by Sébastien Jobart
Photos réalisées par Karl Joseph
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