b. 12 January 1931, Havana, Cuba, d. 20 November 1998, Los Angeles, California, USA. Alphonso's family moved to Jamaica in 1933, but when his father was deported Roland was sent to the Alpha Catholic School For Boys where he learned marching drums, tenor saxophone, flute and music theory. After the war he played in several Jamaican jazz bands as an alto saxophonist, before taking up tenor when he joined the house band at the Coney Island club in Kingston. In 1959, he joined the studio group Clue J And His Blues Blasters, who recorded several instrumentals including "Shuffling Jug", which many hail as the first ska record. Other members of the group included Cluett Johnson (bass), Ernest Ranglin (guitar), Thelophilus Beckford (piano) and Rico Rodriguez (trombone). In 1964 he became a founding member of the Skatalites, the house band at Coxsone Dodd's legendary Studio One. His saxophone featured on hits such as "Phoenix City", "Guns Of Navarone" and "El Pussy Cat", and the band backed artists including Lee Perry, Jimmy Cliff, the Wailers, the Maytals, Ken Boothe and Marcia Griffiths. After the Skatalites split up in August 1965, he became the leader of the newly founded Soul Brothers, whose hits included "Dr Ring A Ding" and "Miss Ska-Culation", many of which were credited to Rolando Al and the Soul Brothers. In 1967 he became a member of the Soul Vendors, led by Jackie Mittoo (organ, piano and arrangements). Alphonso was a featured soloist on many of the group's instrumentals, such as "Death In The Arena" and "Ringo Rock", and can be heard on many other recordings made at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One. Dodd also released two excellent solo albums by Alphonso, The Best Of Roland Alphonso and King Of Sax. During the mid- to late 70s, he recorded as a session musician for Bunny Lee, and an album of solo recordings from this period, Brighter Shade Of Roots, was later issued. In 1977 he received the Order Of Distinction from the Jamaican government. In the early 80s he moved to New York recording for Lloyd Barnes' Wackies label. In 1984, a solo album from these sessions, Roll On, was issued. Alphonso joined the reunited Skatalites for their 1984 release Return Of The Big Guns, and continued to tour and record with the group until his death in November 1998, resulting from a seizure while playing on stage at a Hollywood nightclub.

Listen to Roland Alphonso at Finetune.

• Streets Of Gold
• Oceans 11
• 20.75
• Set Back (Just Cool)
• Old Fowl Ska

• The Skatalites
• The Specials
• Madness
• Bob Marley & The Wailers
• Jimmy Cliff
• Toots And The Maytals
• The Heptones
• Stranger Cole
• Hepcat
• Cornell Campbell
• Bob Marley
• Don Drummond
• Laurel Aitken
• Ken Boothe
• Lord Creator
• Jackie Mittoo
• Peter Tosh
• Alton Ellis
• New York Ska Jazz Ensemble
• The Selecter

• eddielin11
• rainbowrocker
• WANGA