Heptones return to the Alibi

The Alibi, "Kingston's livest lounge" looks to end August with a bang as the Heptones vocal group swings in to the venue for a return engagement on Wednesday August 30, beginning at 8:00 pm as part of the weekly series, "Jazz and Cocktails." Ozou'ne and the POn Fyah Band will be in the house and, as is customary, several musical luminaries will make impromptu appearances

For nearly two years now, the Alibi has featured some of the best past instrumental and vocal talent around in a free-wheeling, very creative jazz-pop-reggae format that is really not a hostage to any genre but slips in and out between the otherwise rigid lines of category.

Among previous guests are Glen Riccs, Michael "Bammie" Rose (saxophonist) Nina Karle, Asante Amen and  Benji Myaz.

The Alibi is located on the uppermost floor of the Gore Centre, Upper Waterloo Road (next to the Megamart store). Cover charge for this show is $700. Drinks, meals and soup will be available from the Alibi menu.

In general, the Wednesday night outings are free of charge. Donations are however, accepted.

Leroy Sibblies, Earl Morgan and Barry Llewellyn first came together as "The Hep Ones" in 1965 , but they soon changed their name to "The Heptones". The name was reportedly chosen by Morgan after seeing a Heptones Tonic bottle lying in a pile of refuse.

The group recorded for major Jamaican record producers at the time, beginning their career, after one unsuccessful single^, for  the "K Calnek" label, under the watchful eye of the legendary Sir COxsone at Studio One. 

The Heptones enjoyed a fruitful period at Studio One, with hits such as "Fattie Fattie", "Pretty Looks Isn't All", "Get In The Groove", "Be a Man", "Sea of Love" (a cover of the Phil Phillips and the Twilights doo-wop classic), "Ting a Ling", "Party Time", and "I Hold the Handle." now part of the Jamaica pop Songbook.  They were the chief rivals to The Techniques, who recorded for Arthur "Duke" Reid  as the top vocal act of the  rocksteady era.

Sibbles left the group in 1978 (2nd occasion) to start a solo career, having already cut a solo version of "Love Won't Come Easy" for Augustus Pablo.  He was replaced by Dolphin "Naggo" Morris, who had recorded "Su Su Pon Rasta" for Joe Gibbs and "You Should Love Your Brother" for King Jammys. 

 The original trio reunited in 1995, and released Pressure!, produced by  Tappa Zukie. Llewellyn died on 23 November 2011, in Kingston Public Hospital, at the age of 64.

As of 2016, the line-up featured Morgan with Robert Dacres and Carlton Scarlett. This line-up recorded the album Rebel Love,