Venerable Crystal Bay Casino is the destination for a historic reggae band when the Wailing Souls perform Friday, May 31.
The band was formed in Trench Town, Jamaica in 1966 when the music was called rocksteady, a percussion heavy, post-doo-wop sound emulating Detroit’s Motown harmonies in an island style.
Founding members Winston “Pipe” Matthews and Lloyd “Bread” Matthews remain with the band, which has had myriad lineups and names. They were trained in singing by Joe Higgs, who also coached Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley. Sly and Robbie played with the group when it was known as Sly & Robbie and the Roots Radics.
The Wailing Souls have more than 26 albums, although the band recorded with different names, such as the Renegades, Pipe & the Pipers and Atarra.
It has worked with producers Coxson Dodd, Junjo Lawes and Delroy Wright at Tuff Gong Studio and Studio One.
Its website biography lists four No. 1 hits: “Things and Time,” “Jah Jah,” “Old Broom” and “Shark Attack.”
The Wailing Souls
When: 10 p.m. Friday, May 31
Where: Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room
Tickets: $17 in advance or $22 on the day of the show
