NEW YORK (Jimmy Cliff Official Website) - On August 24th, Artemis Records will release Jimmy Cliff's new album,
"BLACK MAGIC." Produced by Dave Stewart, the album features appearances by Wyclef Jean,
Annie Lennox, Sting, Jools Holland, Kool and The Gang, tennis player Yannick Noah, and one of the last ever recordings by the late Joe Strummer.
With over 20 albums to date, Grammy winner Jimmy Cliff has always been one of the brightest stars of Jamaica's thriving musical culture and was among the first to bring reggae to a worldwide audience. Born in St James, Jamaica, Cliff moved to Kingston as a teenager and had his first hits, "Hurricane Hattie" and "Dearest Beverley", with Lesley Kong in 1963.
Their working partnership continued until Kong's death. Together they produced some of the best-known tunes of the ska era, including "Miss Jamaica" and "King of Kings".
It was at the recording sessions for "Miss Jamaica" that Cliff met the young Bob Marley, whom Cliff helped record his first single "Judge Not". Over the course of the next decades the two went on to create modern reggae music. As Cliff points out, "Today's reggae music has gone through many formulations. Originally known as ska, it has evolved to "rock steady" to modern reggae, in its different forms".
Highlights of Cliff's stellar forty-year career include a starring role in fellow Jamaican Perry Henzel's film The Harder They Come, a 1985 Grammy for Best Reggae Recording for his album CLIFF HANGER and featured vocal work with Elton John on the enormously successful Disney movie The Lion King.
CATCH JIMMY CLIFF LIVE THIS SUMMER:
Aug 4 2004 HAMPTON BEACH NH (US) Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Aug 5 2004 HYANNIS MA (US) Melody Tent
Aug 6 2004 STATEN ISLAND NY (US) Performing Arts Center
Aug 7 2004 Brooklyn NY (US) The Elite Ark
Aug 8 2004 JAMESPORT NY (US) Montecara Vineyard
Aug 9 2004 AMAGANSETT NY (US) Talkhouse
Aug 11 2004 FALLS CHURCH VA (US) State Theatre
Aug 12 2004 BALTIMORE MD (US) Funk Box
Aug 13 2004 SEASIDE HEIGHTS NJ (US) Green Room
Aug 14 2004 DEL MAR CA (US) Del Mar Concert Series
Aug 15 2004 SANTA ANA CA (US) Galaxy Theartre
Aug 17 2004 PETALUMA CA (US) Mystic Theatre
Aug 18 2004 San Francisco CA (US) The Independent
Aug 20 2004 WEST HOLLYWOOD CA (US) House of Blues - LA
Aug 21 2004 VENTURA CA (US) Ventura Theatre
Aug 26 2004 NEW YORK NY (US) BB King's
Aug 27 2004 FARMINGDALE NY (US) Downtown
Aug 28 2004 ATLANTIC CITY NJ (US) Borgata
