Aside from anyone with the last name of Marley, Leroy Sibbles may be the single most influential reggae artist of all time. As the lead voice of the Heptones, that ultra-soulful harmony trio formed in 1966 that defined Jamaica’s entire late-60’s rocksteady movement, Sibbles penned timeless classics such as “Fattie Fattie,” “Party Time,” “I Hold the Handle,” “Sweet Talking,” and “Mama,” all of which have since provided standards for generations of reggae musicians.

Soon after establishing the group as the island’s top-selling vocal group through their many outstanding records for the island’s infamous Studio One label (affectionately known as Jamaica’s Motown), Sibbles became the in-house bass player there and, later, its musical arranger. At Studio One he created seminal classic rhythms not only for his own group, but also for other singers such as Horace Andy (Mr. Bassie), Alton Ellis (I’m Just a Guy), and the Abyssinians (Satta Massaganna) to name just a few. Indeed, it was Sibbles’ thumb-picked staccato style of bass playing that paved the way for the transformation from the silky smooth sounds of rocksteady to the more edgy-sounding reggae proper, with its emphasis on earth-shattering bottom end bass licks. His rhythms have provided the soundtrack to reggae music ever since (his bass line for the Soul Vendors “Full Up” has literally been “versioned” hundreds of times- the bass line to the Mighty Diamonds’ “Pass the Kutchie” immediately comes to mind). Consequently, his riddims are still recycled to this day; the Heptones’ “We Are in the Mood” recently became a smash for Warrior King as “Empress So Devine,” while Sibbles’ bass-line to the Cables “What Kind of World” was just recently a massive hit for Morgan Heritage with “Down by the River.” Leroy Sibbles’ contribution to reggae music cannot be underestimated.
Backed by the bone-tight Masspyke Band, a quartet featuring a powerful youth drummer, Sibbles performed his entire set not upon the stage, but rather on the dance-floor, up close and personal with the audience. The set consisted of nothing but hit ‘pon hit. Opening with the Heptones’ early classic, “Baby,” Sibbles was relentless as he served up even more celebrated work such as the Phil Phillip’s written “Sea of Love” (reggae-fied countless times, but originally by- you guessed it- the Heptones!) and “Pretty Looks Isn’t All,” with the audience providing the background vocals for absent Heptones Earl Morgan and Barry Lewellyn (who Sibbles parted ways with in the late 70’s). The classic “Ram Jam” riddim morphed into a version excursion of sorts, which included Inner Circle’s crossover smash “Sweat” before adapting it to the original “Fattie Fattie.” And Marcia Griffith’s “Feel Like Jumping,” the recording on which Sibbles provided the bass line, became Toots and the Maytals’ “54/46” right before your very ears.
Sibbles’ all too brief set was extended by popular demand, and when he returned, he demanded his bass-player’s instrument. With bass in hand, encore performances of all-time classic riddims such as “Satta Massaganna” and “”Real Rock” were augmented with Sibbles’ keen sense of humor when he half-singingly declared “I didn’t know what I was doing at the time,” referring to the staying power of those riddims he created so many years ago.
The criminally small turnout for such an important figure was a bit of a disappointment, but can be understood given that Caribbean Flavor had less than three weeks to promote the show. Here’s hoping it’s not another twenty years before Leroy Sibbles returns to town (he last played Cleveland at a Sunsplash festival in the mid-80’s). Then he can hopefully be given the proper reception a figure of his stature deserves.