“Refreshingly urgent and transcendent…rarely has a reggae group ever appeared so accomplished in mixing orthodox roots reggae with modern dub creation.” –The Beat
Every spring stereo speakers appear in the windows of apartments, homes and dorm rooms around the world. More often than not, these speakers are blasting Bob Marley’s “Legend” to any and all within earshot. I have lost count of how many times I’ve heard Marley beaming down on me with the summer sun and brightening my day. This July, just in time for the coming warmth, ROIR is releasing 10 Ft. Ganja Plant’s “Midnight Landing,” an album that should be the window album this summer.
Who is 10 Ft. Ganja Plant? 10 Ft. Ganja Plant is (part of) John Brown’s Body & much more. John Brown’s Body is the best roots reggae group in America. Anyone who has seen them live, or owns one of their albums on Shanachie, can attest that no other band has quite captured the 70’s spirit like this crew.
“Midnight Landing,” is 10 Ft. Ganja Plant’s second release on ROIR. Their first, entitled “Hillside Airstrip,” was uniformly hailed by the music press.
“Midnight Landing,” at its heart, is inspired by the recording processes of the great Jamaican studio bands of the 70's (and their American counterparts, Motown and Stax) where a song was potentially written, learned, and recorded in one session, with the band playing live on one track and then being voiced on the second track, with no regrets, and no apologies. Add to this ethos, some dubwise studio mastery and experimentation (“Chanting Nyabinghi,” inspired by the African drumming style, is a creative departure and one of the best tracks they’ve ever cut) and you begin to get the picture.
Beyond “Hillside Airstrip,” 10 Ft Ganja Plant have released limited edition vinyl 45’s, and a classic CD on their own I-Town imprint titled “10 Ft. Ganja Plant Presents.” They are well known to those “in the know” and to the ever-growing clan of JBB concertgoers, who are sometimes treated to an impromptu 10 Ft. Ganja Plant show.
Besides can you think of a better band name than 10 Ft. Ganja Plant? I think not. .