Biography
Leonard Aloysius Hibbert entered the world on 12 November 1928 in Mavis Bank, Jamaica, West Indies, and departed in 1984 in the same country. Music captured his attention at the age of two, prompting an early focus on rhythm. He subsequently enlisted with the Salvation Army, sharpening his percussive technique through performances with its ensemble drummers. At eight he entered the renowned Alpha Boys School and took up drumming in its band. Upon departing the institution in 1944, he performed with assorted minor orchestras before enlisting with a Jamaican Military Band in 1946. Service life enabled him to perfect the vibraphone. Returning to Alpha Boys School as bandmaster during the late 1950s, he guided emerging players that included Floyd Lloyd and Vin Gordon. The school later earned recognition as a pivotal force within Jamaica’s recording sector, while Sister Mary Ignatious Davies, who collaborated directly with Hibbert, gained acknowledgment as a guiding force for local musicians.
Sessions at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One during the early 1970s yielded two instrumental albums. Hibbert rendered several compositions distinctively, among them “Moonlight Becomes You,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and a striking interpretation of Keith And Tex’s “Tonight” issued as “Real Hot.” Harry Mudie also enlisted him to enhance Dennis Walks’ calypso-inflected “Margaret,” issued under the title “Margaret’s Dream.” Around this period Hibbert encouraged his nephew Junior Delgado to enter the music profession. In 1976 he received the Order Of Distinction in recognition of his island-wide musical contributions and his tenure at Alpha Boys School with Sister Davies. Following his passing in 1984, ska figure and former pupil Floyd Lloyd overdubbed previously unreleased recordings that appeared as Village Soul, issued with permission from Hibbert’s son Joe. Although Hibbert’s dedication to mentoring younger players often eclipsed his personal recordings, his percussion work within reggae remains broadly esteemed.
Sessions at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One during the early 1970s yielded two instrumental albums. Hibbert rendered several compositions distinctively, among them “Moonlight Becomes You,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and a striking interpretation of Keith And Tex’s “Tonight” issued as “Real Hot.” Harry Mudie also enlisted him to enhance Dennis Walks’ calypso-inflected “Margaret,” issued under the title “Margaret’s Dream.” Around this period Hibbert encouraged his nephew Junior Delgado to enter the music profession. In 1976 he received the Order Of Distinction in recognition of his island-wide musical contributions and his tenure at Alpha Boys School with Sister Davies. Following his passing in 1984, ska figure and former pupil Floyd Lloyd overdubbed previously unreleased recordings that appeared as Village Soul, issued with permission from Hibbert’s son Joe. Although Hibbert’s dedication to mentoring younger players often eclipsed his personal recordings, his percussion work within reggae remains broadly esteemed.
Albums