NATIVE by Ras Alan and The Lions

Ras Alan and his touring and recording band, THE LIONS, recorded all original material they had been performing on tour in 1992. The tightness and excitement is well evident. The bass, drums, keyboard and guitar "riddim" section recorded live simultaneously, with the vocals, saxophones, harmonica, melodica, percussion and guitar solos added.

NATIVE features RAS ALAN on vocals, acoustic, electric and slide guitars, ashiko and percussion, Billy "JAH LIFE" Flynt on Steinberger bass, Adam "AD" Sitnick on drumkit, Robert "BROTHER BOB" Franklin on harmony vocals, keyboards and melodica, Frank "SUNSHINE" Southecorvo on alto and baritone saxophones, "JAH P" Delanoye on harmonica and Toby "TOB-I" Halton on harmony vocals. Van Atkins engineered the sessions to 16 track analog reels, and the album was mixed by Ras Alan to the digital DAT format. NATIVE was originally released by Red Pepper Records in 1993 on CD and cassette.

Also available are Ras Alan's FOLKLIFE (2006) recorded live at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, during the "Year of Appalachia" celebrations and his LETTER FROM APPALACHIA (2002) considered by the Grammy© committee in both the Reggae and Contemporary Folk catagories. STONE INNA HURRICANE (1997), a collection of mid- 1990's Ras Alan and The Lions live material is currently out of print. The band recorded studio tracks in Atlanta, GA in 2005, and 100's of recorded live shows are in the archives.

"Energetic and kinetic...this music sounds as natural coming from the mountains of North Carolina as the music from the hills of Jamaica's Blue Mountain Range." -Chuck Foster, THE BEAT, Los Angeles, CA

"Ras Alan is able to weave blues, bluegrass and country elements into his rootsy Reggae fabric. It works!" -THE INDEPENDENT, Durham, NC

"Good examples of homegrown, skanking, Southern reggae." -DIRTY LINEN, the magazine of folk and world music, Baltimore, MD

"All original, homegrown, mountain roots reggae...weaving the traditional reggae sound with the front porch flat-pickin' generally associated with Carolina bluegrass musicians. This group is really something!" -Heather rayburn, ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES, Asheville, NC

"Ras Alan demonstrates the strength of the music, Reggae, in the heart of Man...an awakening approach to the Oneness of Life." -RASTAMON TIMES Special Edition, Milwaukee, WS

"Highly uplifting, conscious, roots reggae in a mesmerizing country bluegrass-reggae style. The lyrics capture the true essence of Rasta philosophy- upliftment of the masses." -DJ Luke Irie, WXUT, Toledo, OH

"People like [NATIVE]...good reaction to it in this city...good work giving us positive vibes." -DJ Rankin' D, RADIO CONTRABANDA, Barcelona, Spain

Beginning with his first "touring" show as a guitarist and singer at a rural Baptist church in 1975, RAS ALAN has shared stages, festivals and performances in Jamaica and the US with The Wailers, Burning Spear, Ralph Stanley, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, David Grisman, Ali Farke Toure, John Prine, Black Uhuru, Dougie McClean, Acoustic Syndicate, The Meditations, Salif Keita, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Sam Bush, Babetunde Olatunje, Laura Love, Austin Lounge Lizards, Awareness Art Ensemble, Peter Rowan, the North Mississippi All Stars, Reeltime Travelers, Mali Ensemble Instrumental, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Lucky Dube, Larry and Jenny Keel, Junior Brown, Sista Carol, Carl Densen's Tiny Universe, Leftover Salmon, Jean Ritchie and Hazel Dickens, AVAS, Derek Trucks, the Itals, Gretchen Wilson, Southern Culture on the Skids, Old Crow Medicine Show, Yonder Mountain String Band and many, many others.

Ras Alan is available for performances, workshops, radio, interviews and appearences through Red Pepper Records www.appalachianreggae.com PO Box 33, Greeneville, TN 37744 USA.

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