Description
We at JUMP UP are so proud to be working with Original SYMARIP keyboardist / singer / songwriter MONTY “Neysmith” MONTGOMERY in 2015! The partnership started at the end of 2014 when we booked him for a Jamaican Oldies show at Mayne Stage, for that gig we called on THE BISHOPS from Omaha, Nebraska to learn the SYMARIP songbook plus some of Monty’s modern moonstomp classics. We figured since everyone was in town, let’s go into the studio and see what happens! Produced by Mike Corcoran of Deal’s Gone Bad at his Legendary studios, the gang went in to re-record two of Monty’s classics from the new millennium – “JUMP” is a midtempo ska groover with great horn hooks and soulful vocals calling you to the dancefloor! The flip is a tribute to the Laurel Aitken – “Laurels For Laurel” thanks the Godfather of Ska for taking a chance on a young group called THE BEES – who would eventually morph into the mighty SYMARIP! It’s also a midtempo ska groover with THE BISHOPS providing excellent backing vocals as well as that steady backbeat.
MONTY MONTGOMERY has been living in Atlanta for decades (unknown to most!) – and that’s only a hop skip and a jump to Nashville Tennessee – the home of SOUL RADICS! We here at JUMP UP figured that those guys all need to link up and make some magic! And magic DID happen during the winter of 2015! “Spirit of 69” is a moonstompin’ uptempo skinhead ska cut, it’s gallops out of the stable with a true UK-style blue beat rhythm – this cut really brought to mind his early ska material with THE BEES (dare I say “Jesse James Rides Again”?). It’s a modern day skinhead anthem of the highest caliber, dedicated to his loyalest fans since the 70s! The flip is a scratchy skinhead reggae vocal duet with DANI full of background harmonies – it’s a mid-tempo rhythm and groover to make you move!
