Friday’s are always right for reggae and it was obvious at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights on Jan 20, 2006. We walked into the door around 10pm to the intense sounds of Dub Flex Reggae Band. Cleveland was primed and ready to receive their blessing of roots and harmony from reggae’s statesmen, The Meditations.
The show was in a sense a throwback to 1999. When The Meditations last came thru to Cleveland it was at the Grog and Ras T, founder of Dubflex, was warming up the stage very well even then. Coincidence you ask? Probably not if you take into consideration the Meditations (Winston Watson, Ansel Cridland, and Danny Clarke) connected back in ’95 with a younger Ras T. He came prepared to offer up some material of his own because he had heard they were looking to release a new album, a track called Meditation that he had prepared with mock vocals for them to consider. They, however, thought the track was complete and offered to bless it with their signature harmonies. It was later released in 2003 as the title track on Dubflex’s Breathe album. Fast forward to 2006 … the Grog got to experience a cool, calm, and deadly 5-piece Dubflex Reggae Band that tore thru reggae standards and Ras T’s originals including, Meditation. Always known to showcase local talent, it was a treat to see and hear Sheflex taking her place on stage and captivating the audience with a sultry reggae rendition of Killing Me Softly. The irie vibes were alive and moving thru the Shop and we were having such a good time that we hadn’t even notice the time until someone mention it and realized that Dubflex was still gracing us with their groove 3 hours later!
When you think of the Meditations harmonies come to mind first. Watson, Cridland, and Clarke don’t have to tell you with words that they love to harmonize; you can feel it in their songs. Thanks Jah for their gift of harmony, highlighted with the sweet falsetto of Winston Watson, for they calmed the few that were dissatisfied with waiting until 1am for them to take the stage, late by some standards … right on time for others! After a quick sound check and a few adjustments, the band opened the set to warm us up for the headliners. Clarke, Cridland, and Watson made their entrance with Cridland in the center opening with Bob Marley’s Nice Time perhaps as an expression of their joy to return to Cleveland. Unfazed by the few that left early, Ansel continued into the laid back groove classic called Having Fun, the signature classic that fit the late night, relaxed mood at the Grog. Switching up like a Three Card Molly, The Meditations shuffled positions to keep the lead vocalist from song to song in the middle of the trio. Watson picked the pace up hard core with Living on the Edge off their last album, Ghetto Knowledge (1999). He was the most eccentric of the three, sporting dark shades and a big smile; he was seemingly present yet in his own world as his voice soared to higher heights. Danny Clarke took deep into the roots with Turn Me Loose. Like mystics, The Meditations and the band really came together on this one and had most in a trance. But it was Woman is Like a Shadow that broke the spell and rocked the hips steady in the crowd. This is not surprising for this song was the hit that brought the trio together. Back in 1974 Clarke and Cridland auditioned with the song at Channel One Studios. Watson, who was there to audition as well, fell in love with the tune and offered to share his harmonies on the spot. Later back stage we caught up with Cridland to ask the songs meaning. Politely he said, “Every where mi go people ask ‘bout that song. You see a man is like an arrow and you shoot it and it go straight,” gesturing as if shooting a bow and arrow. “And a woman is like a shadow,” Ansel turned as if to look for a shadow then continued, “You can never catch her.”
From the start the Meditations have proven themselves to be the best vocal trio in the reggae business. They impressed the likes of Bob Marley too as evidenced on Punky Reggae Party, Blackman Redemption, and Rastaman Live Up. As pioneers in the roots reggae scene they set the standard of what reggae listeners have come to expect in a vocal group and so one can argue that Cleveland got treated to the best of the best!
Peace
Treyah
