Born in Manchester, Jamaica, in 1932, guitar virtuoso Ernest Ranglin emerged as a pioneering influence on the ascent of Caribbean music. He first picked up the ukulele during childhood before shifting his focus to guitar, and as a teenager he played live engagements both on the island and in the Bahamas, frequently alongside the young Monty Alexander. His session contributions at Studio One proved instrumental in launching the ska sound that gripped Jamaica during the late 1950s. International attention followed in 1964 when he journeyed to London for an appearance at Ronnie Scott's jazz club; the owner was so impressed that Ranglin held the resident guitarist post for the ensuing nine months. While there he cut several solo sides for the fledgling Island label, collaborated with Prince Buster, and joined Jamaican singer Millie Small on the international smash “My Boy Lollipop.”
Returning to studio work, he arranged enduring tracks such as the Melodians’ majestic “Rivers of Babylon,” and his guitar lines on the Wailers’ “It Hurts to Be Alone” helped lay the groundwork for rockers reggae. Though his jazz mastery remained his most recognized strength, Ranglin toured with Jimmy Cliff throughout the 1970s. In 1973 the Jamaican Government presented him with the Order of Distinction for his musical contributions, and he sustained an active schedule of touring and recording in the decades ahead, most notably signing with Chris Blackwell’s newly established Palm Pictures label for the 1998 album In Search of the Lost Riddim. E.B. @ Noon and Modern Answers to Old Problems appeared two years later, followed by Grooving in early 2001. Alextown and Surfin’ arrived the next year, while Earth Tones and Innovation—both joint efforts with Jamaican guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith and American jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter—came subsequently. Ranglin continued occasional touring yet largely avoided the studio. During the second decade of the twenty-first century, multiple labels, including Japan’s Dub Store Records, issued extensive reissues of his early catalog. In 2016, at age 84, he undertook the Ranglin & Friends Farewell Tour with Courtney Pine, Tony Allen, Cheikh Lo, Ira Coleman, and others.
