John Brown's Body

Honoring the famed abolitionist, the reggae outfit John Brown's Body featured singer and guitarist Kevin Kinsella at its helm. A devoted follower of Caribbean sounds, Kinsella had launched the band Tribulations during his Boston college years in 1989. The group captured first place in the yearly Yamaha Soundcheck competition in 1992, which led to a Japan tour, and returned to Jamaica the next year to cut the albums The Gate and Daddy Good Pieces before splitting up. Seeking a deeper roots-reggae approach, Kinsella assembled John Brown's Body in 1995 alongside bassist Joshua Neuman, keyboardist Sam Godin, trumpeter Paul Merrill, saxophonist Lee Hamilton, backing vocalist Elliot Martin, and drummer Tommy Benedetti. The ensemble introduced itself in 1997 with All Time, then joined Shanachie for the 1999 release Among Them, with This Day appearing in early 2000.