‘Back To Roots’, the third album from singer Gary Nesta Pine, is scheduled for release on September 30. Produced by Paul Kastick, it bears the seal of Jahdax Music, Pine’s label.
The album hits the market 10 years after ‘Revelations’, his second collection of songs. ‘From Jahmaica to de World’, Pine’s first album, came out in 2015.
His latest effort contains a cover of ‘She’s Gone’, originally done by Hall & Oates. He said it was a more soulful rendition of the song that impressed him.
“The Tavares version… I didn’t know the Hall & Oates version. I grew up listening and rocking out on these tracks and that one song came very quickly to me to cover because of the way Tavares did it,” said Pine. “I tried to ask someone else to help me do it but was promptly ghosted, but I never gave up the idea, but this time with Kastick and Alex it was.”
‘Alex’ is arranger and keyboardist Alex Blanken, who played a major role in ‘Back To Roots’. Kastick on drums, bassist Michael Fletcher and guitarist Rudy Valentino also contributed to the sessions.
Pine, who was lead vocalist for The Wailers from 1998 to 2006, said there was no concept for ‘Back To Roots’. The seeds for the album were sown after he and Kastick agreed to record ‘She’s Gone’.
“We talked about music and family one day on WhatsApp, and I told him I have a song I wanted to do over which was ‘She’s Gone’ and he gladly agreed. From there, he introduced me to Alex Blanken with whom he works, so I contacted Alex and gave Alex the idea, and a few days later the song was born,” Pine related.
Pine, who is from Portland parish in eastern Jamaica, salutes reggae legend Burning Spear on ‘This Song’. He befriended the roots singer early in his career when Spear worked with several musicians from Portland.
