As Jamaica prepares to commemorate the 60th anniversary of rocksteady music in 2026, the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) will host a landmark gathering of the genre’s surviving architects. The ‘Back 2 Bass-es’ forum, scheduled for February 4 at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in St. Andrew, will feature legendary bassists Boris Gardiner, Jackie Jackson, and Lloyd Parks sharing firsthand accounts of music history.
These instrumental pioneers shaped the distinctive sound that bridged ska and reggae, with Jackson having served as the backbone of producer Duke Reid’s Supersonics band during rocksteady’s golden age (1966-1968). His basslines defined timeless classics including Alton Ellis’s ‘Rock Steady’ and The Wailers’ ‘Thank You Lord.’ Jackson notably expresses profound admiration for fellow panelist Gardiner, whose work at Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s Studio One provided creative inspiration despite the legendary rivalry with Reid’s Treasure Isle label.
Gardiner’s understated yet revolutionary bass techniques powered anthems like The Heptones’ ‘Party Time’ and Marcia Griffiths’s ‘Feel Like Jumping.’ Meanwhile, Parks transitioned from vocalist with The Techniques to becoming one of reggae’s most sought-after bassists during the 1970s, contributing to definitive works by Dennis Brown and Ken Boothe.
The event forms part of JaRIA’s Reggae Month programming, addressing what Jackson identifies as a critical knowledge gap: ’99 percent of aspiring bass players and young musicians have no knowledge of the rocksteady era.’ This living history initiative aims to inspire new generations through direct engagement with the creators who established Jamaica’s musical legacy.
Music historians generally credit Hopeton Lewis’s 1966 recording ‘Take It Easy’ as the first rocksteady composition—a transitional style that replaced ska’s upbeat tempo with slower, bass-heavy rhythms that ultimately catalyzed the global explosion of roots reggae.
