Jesse Green occupies a beautiful intersection between the laid-back heat of Kingston and the high-gloss production of the 1970s international disco scene. His music is characterized by a sophisticated, 'nice and slow' approach to the dancefloor, where the urgency of the beat is tempered by a soulful, relaxed vocal delivery that never feels strained or frantic.
What makes him distinctive is the subtle presence of his reggae and ska roots within a disco framework. While the strings and horns scream Studio 54, the rhythmic pocket often carries a slight island swing, and his background as a drummer for Jimmy Cliff ensures that the percussion is always the star of the show. It is disco that breathes, avoiding the mechanical stiffness of later electronic iterations.
Start with his signature hit 'Nice and Slow' to understand his appeal. It is the perfect gateway into his world: a track that manages to be both a high-energy dance floor filler and a smooth, romantic soul ballad simultaneously. From there, explore his late 70s albums for a masterclass in orchestral soul-disco fusion.
Jesse Green (born Locksley Alphonso Green, 5 July 1948) is a Jamaican ska and disco musician. He was born in the parish of St. James, Jamaica. As a young boy, Green attended Denham Town Primary School and became fascinated with music by listening to the sound systems, particularly the one belonging to Count Barrett. Green was a member of the Pioneers and drummed with Jimmy Cliff in the 1970s, recording singles such as "Locks Lee", before launching a solo career in 1976. He scored an international disco hit with a remix of his "Nice and Slow", and also scored several other minor hits in the US and the UK.
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