Springfield, Missouri is an unlikely location
to have spawned one of America's most talented
and relevant reggae bands. But, make no mistake,
every member of JAH ROOTS is proud of their
hometown and without fail, lead-singer Josh
Heinrichs (aka, Ras Josh), informs audiences
night-in-and-night-out exactly where it is
they call home. There is no pretense involved.
The men of JAH ROOTS know exactly where they're
from, and exactly the fantastic potential their
music represents.
The band consists of Heinrichs, Aaron Berger,
Mike Hulsey, Josh Nail, Eric Groves and Steve
Washburn. Offstage, these guys present as typical
Midwestern, twenty-something guys - affable,
humble and always visibly appreciative when
confronted with overzealous fans. However,
the moment the house announcer alerts the audience
that show time has arrived, all the guys' visages
instantly shift to reflect a disciplined focus.
They have a message to impart to the masses
in the tradition of conscious roots-reggae.
Often their songs expound on themes as varied
as the beauty of life or diverge into offering
insightful commentary on the chaos unique to
our times, and the universal insecurity we
as a society endure because of it. Each member
of JAH ROOTS takes the delivery of this conscious
music very seriously as evidenced by the intensity
they bring to each performance.
At
a typical JAH ROOTS' performance, once the
guys amble onto stage and wander to their
respective instruments, a natural, yet astonishing
transformation ensues. These unassuming six
young men from a small town in Missouri instantly
morph into an incredibly tight reggae ensemble.
After years of relentless rehearsing, and touring,
they've earned, at a relatively young age,
control and understanding of reggae that many
veteran artists might envy. As soon as show
time arrives at a JAH ROOTS concert their preternatural
talent leaps forth from the stage, assaulting
the audiences' consciousness before wrapping
it in a caress of sonic-euphoria. If one is
fortunate enough to attend a JAH ROOTS show,
by only the second song of the night's set,
it will become undeniably obvious why JAH ROOTS
has been lauded in the media as "the best
live American reggae band."
http://www.myspace.com/jahroots
