The Original Wailers

With Bob Marley at the helm, in the late 1970s, the Wailers re-engineered the reggae blueprint on Exodus by embracing pop, funk, and R&B, and by teasing out multiple layers of riffs, melodies, and harmonies on each song. But even following Marley's death, the band continued in various forms over...

By Arielle Castillo and Wendy Gilmartin

March 19, 2009

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With Bob Marley at the helm, in the late 1970s, the Wailers re-engineered the reggae blueprint on Exodus by embracing pop, funk, and R&B, and by teasing out multiple layers of riffs, melodies, and harmonies on each song. But even following Marley's death, the band continued in various forms over the years. One version features bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett anchoring the group; the other features guitarists Junior Marvin and Al Anderson, who played in the latter-day Wailers band of the late 1970s. It's this latter formation, known as the Original Wailers, which performs at City Limits this weekend. These post-Marley Wailers have occasionally been written off as a novelty act, but the commemoration of reggae's golden age promises to be a finely crafted celebration of Marley and company's transcendent music.

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