Lloyd Knibb
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Knibb OD
(8 March 1931 – 12 May 2011) was a Jamaica
n drummer who is primarily known for his contribution to the development of the rhythm of the Ska
era. He played for The Skatalites
(in the 1960s up to his death), and for Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
. Knibb recorded for the producers Lloyd "Matador" Daley
and Duke Reid
.
, Jamaica
in 1931, Knibb, grew up on Bond Street, close to where a local band rehearsed, and he made his own drum kit from a wooden box and paint cans to practice the sounds that he had heard. Like a lot of musicians in the 1940s, he honed his craft in jazz bands. His first professional engagement was with the Val Bennett
band, with whom he played for six years. He also played with Count Ossie
's group, adding burru and nyabinghi to his repertoire, and he regularly accompanied Rastafarian leader Sam Brown at meetings. It was with Eric Dean's band where he gained the technical skills to play many styles. Dean's set list included the big band
music of Glen Miller as well as the popular dances of the day: rumba
, Cha-cha
and bolero
, and his tenure in the band coincided with future major figures in ska such as Tommy McCook
, Baba Brooks, and Lloyd Brevett
. Knibb's technical proficiency and wide knowledge of styles soon led to him being featured on the recordings of Coxsone Dodd
, Prince Buster
, Sonia Pottinger
and Duke Reid
, playing an instrumental part in the development of ska.
Knibb gained his widest audience, however, as the drummer for The Skatalites. They recorded for the Treasure Isle (Duke Reid), Studio One (Clement Dodd) and Top Hat (Phillip Yap) labels, releasing ska music in the 1960s to an audience that responded to a rhythm that was uniquely Jamaican. Knibb, along with the other original Skatalites members, reformed to play the Reggae Sunsplash
concert in Montego Bay, Jamaica in July 1983. The success of the reunion led to the reformation of The Skatalites as a full-time touring band, of which Knibb remained until his death in 2011. He played his last show in Peru
in April 23rd 2011 with local band Vieja Skina as the opening act.
In his later years, Knibb resided in Hull, Massachusetts
with his long time friend and fellow musician, John, and his wife, Adele. His son Dion plays in the Boston
-based ska band Dion Knibb & The Agitators.
Knibb's contribution to Jamaican music was recognized by the Prime Minister's Award, the Order of Distinction
(Officer Class), the Silver Musgrave Medal, and induction into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame.
Knibb was taken ill while on tour in Brazil
. On 12 May 2011, after being ill for some time with liver cancer
and receiving treatment in the USA, he was told by doctors that he only had days to live. Knibb traveled back to his home in St. Andrew, Jamaica, to be among his family and friends. Later that day, Knibb died aged 80.
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"....
(8 March 1931 – 12 May 2011) 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 drummer who is primarily known for his contribution to the development of the rhythm of the Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
era. He played for The Skatalites
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
(in the 1960s up to his death), and for Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
. Knibb recorded for the producers Lloyd "Matador" Daley
Lloyd Daley
Lloyd Daley also known as Matador is a Jamaican electronic technician, sound system pioneer and reggae producer.-Career:...
and Duke Reid
Duke Reid
Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....
.
Biography
Born in KingstonKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, 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...
in 1931, Knibb, grew up on Bond Street, close to where a local band rehearsed, and he made his own drum kit from a wooden box and paint cans to practice the sounds that he had heard. Like a lot of musicians in the 1940s, he honed his craft in jazz bands. His first professional engagement was with the Val Bennett
Val Bennett
Val Bennett was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist and jazz and roots reggae musician who began his career in the 1940s. He made a number of releases on the Island Records and Crab Records labels.-Biography:...
band, with whom he played for six years. He also played with Count Ossie
Count Ossie
Count 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...
's group, adding burru and nyabinghi to his repertoire, and he regularly accompanied Rastafarian leader Sam Brown at meetings. It was with Eric Dean's band where he gained the technical skills to play many styles. Dean's set list included the big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
music of Glen Miller as well as the popular dances of the day: rumba
Rumba
Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions of Africans brought to Cuba as slaves and Spanish colonizers. The name derives from the Cuban Spanish word rumbo which means "party" or "spree". It is secular, with no...
, Cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
and bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
, and his tenure in the band coincided with future major figures in ska such as Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One Studios in the 1970s.-Biography:McCook was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Jamaica in...
, Baba Brooks, and Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett
Lloyd Brevett is a Jamaican double bassist, and a former member of The Skatalites. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, is a rastafarian, and a brother of The Melodians member, Tony Brevett....
. Knibb's technical proficiency and wide knowledge of styles soon led to him being featured on the recordings of Coxsone Dodd
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
, Prince Buster
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
, Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD was a Jamaican reggae record producer.The most important Jamaican woman involved in music business, Sonia Pottinger was the first female Jamaican record producer and produced artists from the mid 1960s until the mid 1980s.Married to music producer Lyndon Pottinger, she...
and Duke Reid
Duke Reid
Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....
, playing an instrumental part in the development of ska.
Knibb gained his widest audience, however, as the drummer for The Skatalites. They recorded for the Treasure Isle (Duke Reid), Studio One (Clement Dodd) and Top Hat (Phillip Yap) labels, releasing ska music in the 1960s to an audience that responded to a rhythm that was uniquely Jamaican. Knibb, along with the other original Skatalites members, reformed to play the Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival...
concert in Montego Bay, Jamaica in July 1983. The success of the reunion led to the reformation of The Skatalites as a full-time touring band, of which Knibb remained until his death in 2011. He played his last show in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in April 23rd 2011 with local band Vieja Skina as the opening act.
In his later years, Knibb resided in Hull, Massachusetts
Hull, Massachusetts
Hull is a peninsula town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,293 at the 2010 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Plymouth County and the fourth smallest in the state...
with his long time friend and fellow musician, John, and his wife, Adele. His son Dion plays in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based ska band Dion Knibb & The Agitators.
Knibb's contribution to Jamaican music was recognized by the Prime Minister's Award, the Order of Distinction
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"....
(Officer Class), the Silver Musgrave Medal, and induction into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame.
Knibb was taken ill while on tour in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. On 12 May 2011, after being ill for some time with liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
and receiving treatment in the USA, he was told by doctors that he only had days to live. Knibb traveled back to his home in St. Andrew, Jamaica, to be among his family and friends. Later that day, Knibb died aged 80.