Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers (CD2, Tk1) 
"One Love," (1965) 
Reggae has been popular in waves in the United States. No other performer was as popular as Bob Marley. Even today his recordings are being discovered by new listeners. The style is very laid back. There is a sense of vocal freedom floating above the instrumentalists. Notice how the lead vocal harmonizes most of the time but breaks away with short improvisational moments. The rest of the band is much more rigid. The horns never stop playing after beats for the entire song. Notice how melodic the bass is. The rhythmic obligation the bass plays in other musical styles is not necessary here. The bass does not even have to play on the down beat of the measure. The rhythmic drive is provided by the horns playing after beats and the straight quarter notes on the hi-hat.
 
