Biography
Jah Free launched his recording path as a member of Tallowah, the group that later became Bushfire. The ensemble earned a strong following on Europe’s live circuit before it disbanded prematurely. He then founded Jah Free Music, the imprint created to handle recording, artwork, and distribution of his own output. His first release on the label was the well-received roots single “Wicked Can’t Run,” succeeded by the widely played discomix “Lighting Clap.” Both tracks found particular favor on the sound-system scene, especially with Jah Shaka, whose reverberating bass levels helped define his reputation. Shaka’s records and mixes drew the notice of Zion Train, resulting in Jah Free’s recruitment to the Universal Egg collective. Through that affiliation he issued his debut album Breaking Out, which collected his prior singles alongside the pointed track “Jacques Chirac.” Cast in the role of compère, he hosted the Egg Experience ’97 tour—an event modeled on the Motown Records Revues of the 1960s and spotlighting multiple artists from the roster. Outside his work with Zion Train, he produced the enduring cut “Rich Man” for Martin Campbell of the Jah Works posse. By the end of 1997 he had completed an extensive run of sessions involving the Mad Professor, Iration Steppas, Conscious Sounds, Armagideon, and the Belgian dub collective Bong Messages. In 1998 he began a series of studio dates with Vibronics that yielded the Live “Dub Conferences” staged across Europe to promote the pair’s album, while also issuing the solo appeal “Love One And Other.”
Albums