.

Jolly Boys Announce First Album in 20 Years

01/12/2011
.
(Big Hassle) Jolly Boys will release their first album in 20 years on May 3, 2011. Entitled Great Expectation, it's a collaborative project between Geejam's Jon Baker and Wall of Sound's Mark Jones and the results are 12 joyous interpretations of contemporary songs given a modern Mento makeover.

While Jamaica is known for its reggae and ska, Mento is the original sound of the island and the forerunner to these two genres. With an amazing history spanning 60 years, The Jolly Boys' name is synonymous with the Mento sound and they are arguably the most recognizable Mento band in the world.

The Jolly Boys quickly rose to local prominence in the 1950s as the house band for the Rat Pack's Jamaica chapter, chaired by the swashbuckling enfant terrible Errol Flynn. Singing songs of double entendre and ribaldry to those in search of escape and excess, the group served as Port Antonio�s go-to band for 30 years.

The band have continued in different incarnations throughout the years and have a truly charismatic leader in current front man Albert Minott, who in his younger years, used to entertain at Jolly Boys shows with his hand walking, fire eating and limbo dancing. His saturated vocals, natural retro chic stylings and limitless charisma convey a rare originality and musical creativity that is entirely his own.

Preview and Purchase Jolly Boys CDs

Jolly Boys MP3 Downloads

.