A Life of Sweet Sorrow: A Reflection on the iconic trombonist, DON DRUMMOND
One of the extraordinary pillars of Jamaica's music history lies within the best trombonist in his time; He's a marvel to behold to this day, despite being a "troubled trombonist." The late Don Drummond's life and music continue to be quite the phenomenon. He was largely critical in the emergence and development of Jamaica's popular music. You'll recall our tribute to Sister Ignatius and her relationship with the Alpha Boys School; Well, Don was one such talented product of the Alpha Boys.
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Born March 12, – Don's mother later brought him to the Alpha Boys School in after being unable to control his behavior. Two years later, he was placed in the music band, and taught the most awkward of instruments – the trombone. He was able to master the instrument in nearly no time because it's what he was born to play. It was an unparalleled gift.
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Don's musical talent could not be ignored while he was at Alpha. Upon Don's graduation from the institution in , he was recommended to, and accepted by the famous Eric Deans All Stars band as their trombonist, where he performe
This is a comprehensive biography of a brilliant musician who forever shaped the course of ska, reggae, and popular music worldwide, only to take the life of his lover and in so doing, destroy his career at the age of In his short life Don Drummond created an enduring legacy despite poverty, class separation, mental illness, racial politics, and the exploitation of his work. The words of Drummond&#;s childhood friends, classmates, musicians, medical staff, legal counsel, and teachers enliven this story of his &#;unusual mind.&#;
They recall the early days in the recording studio, playing the instrumental backup for Bob Marley and others, and the nights in the Rasta camps where musicians burned the midnight oil and more. They remember the gyrations of his lover, Margarita, the Rumba Queen, as she tantalized audiences at Club Havana; tell what happened that tragic night when Drummond stabbed Margarita four times; reveal details of the trial (delayed more than a year as Drummond was ruled mentally unfit) and offer insights into Drummond&#;s death in a mental asylum at age
Paperback book
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Back in the early 80s, before I had ever listened to my first Skatalites record, I was aware of Don Drummond's untimely death. Some pop-culture reference book that was kicking around our house contained a list of musicians who had died terribly young, usually in sordid circumstances (Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, etc.), and it had an entry that detailed how in The Skatalites' trombonist Don Drummond had murdered his girlfriend, Anita Mahfood--and after he was tried, found to be criminally insane, and committed to Bellevue Hospital, he died a few years later at age 35, under questionable circumstances. Of course, since this was the pre-internet age, and New York City always has had a large immigrant Jamaican community, I had assumed that Drummond died at the Bellevue Hospital on First Avenue in Manhattan (instead of the one in Kingston, JA). I've since become very familiar with Drummond's and The Skatalites' music (and even had the fantastic opportunity to work a bit with Lester Sterling and Lloyd Brevett during my tenure at Moon Records), but never learned much about the man behind such extrao
Don Drummond&#;s life, art find the page
Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist by Heather Augustyn has been published by McFarland Publishing and is now available.
The book is a comprehensive biography of a brilliant musician and his lover, who forever shaped the course of ska, reggae, and popular music worldwide despite poverty, class separation, mental illness, racial politics, exploitation, and sexism that resulted in murder.
The foreword is written by trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis.
Through the words of Don Drummond's childhood friends classmates, musicians, medical staff, legal counsel, and teachers, comes a story of his "unusual mind".
They recall the early days in the recording studio, playing the instrumental backup for Bob Marley and others, and the nights in the Rasta camps where musicians burned the midnight oil and more. They roam the halls of the primitive and haunting mental hospitals where Drummond reached the lonely depths of his schizophrenia.
They remember the gyrations of his lover, Margarita, the Rumba Queen, as she tantalised audiences at Club Havana. They tell what happened that tragic night when Drummond stabbed Marg
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