Felix “Deadly” Headley Bennett was a graduate of the legendary Alpha Boys School. Founded in 1880, located on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, and run by Roman Catholic nuns, the institution was famous for the musical education it provided its pupils. It was Sister Mary Ignatius Davies who was largely responsible for this. Davies possessed a large record collection, and ran her own sound system on Saturday afternoons. Alumni of the school reads like a “Who’s Who” of Jamaican reggae. The long, long list includes Cedric “Im” Brooks, Desmond Dekker, Vin Gordon, Joe Harriott, Lennie Hibbert, Johnny Osbourne, Noel “Scully” Simms, Leroy Smart, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Wade Brammer aka Trinity, Winston “Yellowman” Foster and all four founding members of The Skatalites – Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Johnny “Dizzie” Moore, and Lester Sterling.

Bennett was a skilled saxophonist, who contributed to countless recording sessions, and appeared on hundreds of classics and hits. Starting his career in the mid-1960s he was originally a member of The Mighty Vikings, Lynn Taitt & The Jets, and Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One band. After a stint in Canada, upon returning to Jamdown, in the `70s and `80s Bennett worked with groups associated with JoJo Hookim’s Channel One, such as The Revolutionaries, Sly & Robbie, and Roots Radics.

Bennett was also a member of Prince Far I’s Arabs (1). It was this association that brought him into to London and into contact with Adrian Sherwood and On-U Sound. Far I having been Sherwood’s close friend and mentor. Bennett subsequently joined On-U band jams and features on albums by African Head Charge (2), Creation Rebel (3), Dub Syndicate (4), Noah House Of Dread (5), Playgroup (6), Bim Sherman (7), and Singers & Players (8). These collaborations drawing to a close in 1987 with Dub Syndicate and Lee Perry’s Time Boom X De Devil Dead.

Released in 1982, 35 Years From Alpha, was one of only two albums that Bennett issued under his own name (9). With backing from friends from all of the aforementioned On-U acts, the set allowed Bennett to briefly step away from the sidelines and into the spotlight. The title track is a rapid skank, cowritten with Crucial Tony. With its post-punk predilections to the fore, it rockets along, riding a sort of rigid funk (10). While for the most part Bennett confines himself to melodic improvised fills, the 8-minute epic’s echoed mid-section features some freer skronk. Throughout he also duets with another fellow former Alpha student, trombonist Rico Rodriguez. The pair continue to spar, mirroring each others phrases, on Two From Alpha, where Bennett’s peaks are splintered by reverb. Doses of dubwise making the duo’s jazz wilder. On Head Charge, coiled spring / juice harp effects surround Bennet’s softly crooning, then soaring, sax. Headley’s Medley is sweet easy-listening, ’cept recorded in a stripped back, experimental stylee.

One of the rhythms is recycled. Without A Love Like Yours is a take on Singers & Players’ Bim Sherman-fronted Devious Woman (11). Sherman also contributes vocals to covers of two more of his songs, Danger and Little Dove. The former, originally cut in the mid-70s, has Bennett shadowing Sherman’s voice, while accompanied by some great groundation percussion from African Head Charge’s Bonjo I (12). On the latter, from Sherman’s Across The Red Sea, Bennett vamps on a very famous jazz riff.

Another Satta finds Bennett returning to his roots, and revisiting one of the early tunes from his vast catalogue, The Abyssinians’ Amharic classic Satta Amasa Gana. Rather than the harmonies of Bernard Collins and brothers Donald and Linford Manning, Bennett’s sax now does the singing. Interrupted by ruff, rude, raw shards of rhythm guitar.

Deadly Headley’s 35 Years From Alpha can be ordered directly from On-U Sound. As a bonus, the download includes deep sax and Nyahbinghi-driven dubs of Singers & Players’ Devious Woman and Creation Rebel’s interpretation of Bob Andy’s Chains, Independent Man. 

A lot of the detail here wouldn’t be possible without David Parker’s Skysaw. 

I’ve always wondered if Larry Heard’s 25 Years From Alpha – most likely a reference to Alpha Centauri -was in anyway a tribute to Bennett or The Alpha Boys School.

Also, can someone please help, and remind what the jazz hook is on Little Dove? 

Notes

1. The Arabs were effectively an early incarnation of Roots Radics.
2. My Life In A Hole In The Ground, Environmental Studies
3. Close Encounters Of The Third World, Psychotic Jonkanoo, Lows & Highs
4. Pounding System, One Way System
5. Heart
6. Epic Sound Battles Chapter 1
7. Across The Red Sea
8. Staggering Heights, Leaps & Bounds
9. The other was Deadly Headly Bennett Meets The Magnificent Ossie Scott. He also released the brilliant solo single, Free Will / Humble Glory.
10, This rhythm was later versioned as North Of The River Thames by Dr Pablo and Dub Syndicate.
11. This song first appeared on War Of Words in 1981, and was also versioned, the same year, as Last Sane Dream on Creation Rebel & New Age Steppers’ Threat To Creation.
12. This was versioned again by Prince Far I in 1984, for the flip side of his infamous Richard Branson-roasting Virgin 10”.