Lennie Hibbert
Encyclopedia
Lennie Hibbert OD
(born Leonard Aloysius Hibbert, 12 November 1928 - mid 1980s) was a Jamaica
n musician who was bandmaster at the Alpha Cottage School, and also a vibraphone
virtuoso, recording two albums for Studio One.
. He worked as a live musician in jazz groups in the 1960s, and frequently worked with the Sound Dimension band, recording some of the best-known riddim
s for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. He recorded his debut solo album, Creation, for Dodd in 1969, comprising instrumentals featuring Hibbert's vibraphone playing. A single from the album, "Village Soul", has been described as "simply one of the most beautiful instrumentals ever to emerge from Brentford Road". A second album, More Creation, was issued in 1971. Hibbert went on to work with Harry Mudie
, with the "Margaret's Dream" single issued in 1974. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Distinction (O.D.) for his contribution to music on the island and for his youth work. Hibbert died in the early 1980s. He is commemorated at Alpha by the Lennie Hibbert Hall. He received a posthumous "unsung hero" award from the Jamaican Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) in 2009.
Hibbert was the uncle of reggae singer Junior Delgado
.
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
(born Leonard Aloysius Hibbert, 12 November 1928 - mid 1980s) was a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n musician who was bandmaster at the Alpha Cottage School, and also a vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
virtuoso, recording two albums for Studio One.
Biography
Hibbert was born in Mavis Bank, Jamaica in 1928. At the age of eight he began attending the Alpha School, where he joined the school band as a drummer. He left the school in 1944 and played in several small orchestras before joining the Military Band in 1946. While with the Military Band he taught himself to play the vibraphone. In 1955 he returned to Alpha as bandmaster, his students including Floyd Lloyd and Vin GordonVin Gordon
Vin Gordon is a Jamaican trombone player.-Biography:Gordon grew up in Jones Town, Kingston, Jamaica as one of eight children. He went to Kingston's catholic Alpha Boys School where he learned to play trombone and string bass. One of his tutors was Lennie Hibbert...
. He worked as a live musician in jazz groups in the 1960s, and frequently worked with the Sound Dimension band, recording some of the best-known riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
s for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. He recorded his debut solo album, Creation, for Dodd in 1969, comprising instrumentals featuring Hibbert's vibraphone playing. A single from the album, "Village Soul", has been described as "simply one of the most beautiful instrumentals ever to emerge from Brentford Road". A second album, More Creation, was issued in 1971. Hibbert went on to work with Harry Mudie
Harry Mudie
Harry A. Mudie is a Jamaican record producer.-Biography:Harry Mudie attended the St Jago High School. In the mid fifties, he launched his own sound system "Mudies Hi-Fi", before going to the UK to study electronics and photography.Back in Jamaica in the late 1950s, Mudie began producing, mainly...
, with the "Margaret's Dream" single issued in 1974. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Distinction (O.D.) for his contribution to music on the island and for his youth work. Hibbert died in the early 1980s. He is commemorated at Alpha by the Lennie Hibbert Hall. He received a posthumous "unsung hero" award from the Jamaican Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) in 2009.
Hibbert was the uncle of reggae singer Junior Delgado
Junior Delgado
Oscar Hibbert , better known as Junior Delgado, was a reggae singer, famed for his roots style.-Biography:...
.
Albums
- Moon-light Party at the Myrtle Bank Hotel (196?), Beach - The Lennie Hibbert Combo
- Creation (1969), Studio One
- More Creation (1971), Studio One
Singles
- "Pure Sole" (1967), Dr. Bird - Lennie Hibbert & Count OssieCount OssieCount Ossie, born Oswald Williams was a Jamaican drummer and band leader.-Biography:As a young boy Ossie grew up in a rasta community where he learned techniques of vocal chanting and hand drumming under the tutelage of Brother Job...
Band - "Village Soul" (1969), Coxsone
- "Montego Rock" (1971), Studio One
- "Margaret's Dream" (1974), MHA
- "Stick It Up" (1974), Moodisc
- "Ital Vibes" (1974), Moodisc
- "Far Beyond" (2001), Soul Jazz
External links
- Lennie Hibbert at Roots Archives