The Jolly Boys have been making strides and swaying crowds touring as R&B songbird Sade’s opening act in Europe, and all while celebrating the U.S release of their widely acclaimed album Great Expectation. The album, which features Mento interpretations of 12 contemporary classics including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” has been getting reviews from the press all over.



The album was recently reviewed by Banning Eyre of NPR‘s “All Things Considered”. You can listen to the review (spliced with great samples from the album) here:
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Last night The Jolly Boys brought their fire to the Pavilion Bar & Nightclub in Cork, Ireland. It was their first show in Ireland since taking the stage at Electric Picnic in Dublin this summer and they made certain to live up to their reputation.



Among their repertoire of classic and contemporary Rock & Roll covers The Jolly Boys performed a crowd favourite; Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing”. Here’s a bit of what it was like from the crowd perspective:
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After a journey that involved being snowed in at London Heathrow Airport The Jolly Boys arrived in Germany in fine style and high spirits eager to perform for the fans who had come out in large numbers to see them at Club Ampere in Munich yesterday. We promised you all we’d be covering them every step of the way, so for those who may have missed it, here’s a taste of The Jolly Boys performing their cover of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” at Club Ampere in Munich, Germany!



As a bonus, here are some photos of The Jolly Boys on their journey to Germany:

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The Jolly Boys are merely days away from embarking on their first full European tour (which kicks off on December 2nd), a great adventure for these hardy Jamaican septuagenarians. As a special treat we’ve decided to post the spanking new video for their cover of Iggy Pop’s ‘The Passenger’ right here for you to see!

The video for ‘The Passenger’ by The Jolly Boys, takes the form of a filmic documentaryesque journey with lead singer Albert Minott captured on The Jolly Boys tours earlier this year. It is particularly interesting that the 72 year old Jamaican had never been over the Atlantic in his life, his observations on life in a Europe that he had only ever seen in movies and on TV was an insight. We will be seeing the full documentary of this later in the year.

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The Jolly Boys are still in Paris recording French television shows and making appearances on the brink of the November 15th launch of their album “Great Expectation” in France. As a “backstage pass” of sorts we’re bringing you photos and footage of ‘the boys’ backstage at the ARTE Television shows One Shot Not and Tracks.

Ever wondered what The Jolly Boys are like before a show? Well this might shed some light on that. Watch them get warmed up with their cover of Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing” during a soundcheck for the recording of the ARTE Television show “Tracks” in this clip:

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You’ve all been waiting for so long and the moment is finally here! The mento masters The Jolly Boys have released their album “Great Expectation” on Wall of Sound Records and already the International press is giving the album praise. The highly anticipated new album is a collaborative project between Geejam’s Jon Baker and Wall Of Sound’s Mark Jones and features Mento interpretations of 12 contemporary classics including Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” and Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”.

Here’s what The Guardian UK has to say about “Great Expectation”:

There’s already no contest for cover version of the year; it’s Amy’s “Rehab”, as delivered by the champions of Jamaican mento, the calypso-flavoured folk precursor of reggae. Fronted by the charismatic, gravel-voiced Albert Minott, the Port Antonio veterans apply their banjo ‘n’ maracas shuffle to another dozen numbers from the rock canon; songs by Blondie, the Doors, Iggy Pop and more. The results are erratic, if always charming. Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” fits their earthy style perfectly, and Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” is transformed into a lilting Caribbean reflection.
See the review for yourselves here.
Mento is officially reborn and the world is ready! The album is available for purchase on itunes, amazon.co.uk, play.com, hmv.com and 7digital.com so what are you waiting for? Get your hands on a copy right now!

Kicking yourself for missing The Jolly Boys’ performance at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival in West London? Well as a slight consolation, here’s a fan-posted snippet of ‘the boys’ performing their cover of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” on Gaz’s Rockin Blues stage at Notting Hill Carnival:

( via Nick Hider )

The mento masters are still on tour and if you’re in Dublin, Ireland brace yourself. The Jolly Boys are coming your way in just two days! Catch them on the 3rd of September at the eclectic Electric Picnic arts-and-music festival at 4pm.

Calypso-style ‘mento’ music, which pre-dates reggae by decades, is enjoying a revival. Pioneering practitioners the Jolly Boys are coming to the UK.
‘Everybody knows Albert,” says Albert Minott proudly as he walks through the streets of Port Antonio, Jamaica, recognised by many of the passers-by. “This is my town. I was born here, and I’ll die here. All my life, singing and dancing. It’s like a fire inside.”

Tall and lean, the 71-year-old Minott cuts a dapper figure in a matching ensemble of crisp shirts and slacks, waistcoats and cravats, set off with nifty colour co-ordinated trilby hats. He would stand out anywhere, let alone amid the faded Caribbean glamour of Jamaica’s north coast resort, where painted wooden shacks lean up against collapsing colonial buildings, and the locals favour bright T-shirts and shorts. (more…)