Reggae legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry to lay down the dub

Celebrating ‘Blackboard Jungle Dub’|

Lee “Scratch” Perry, a pioneer of dub reggae and more, is bringing his latest tour through Sonoma this weekend – performing Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Reel Fish Shop and Grill.

Perry’s six-decade music career spans groundbreaking moments in a cross-section of the 21st century’s most musically innovative genres – from reggae to ska to punk. From fronting his own band, the Upsetters, in the 1960s and ‘70s to producing Junior Murvin’s classic “Police and Thieves” and the Clash’s seminal punk anthem “Complete Control,” Perry’s musical legacy landed him among the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” according to Rolling Stone magazine in 2004. Artists as diverse as Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, the Beastie Boys and the Sex Pistols have worked with Perry or cited him as a major influence.

At his Reel Fish Shop performance, the 82-year-old Perry and his band Subatomic Sound System will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Upsetters’ 1973 album, “Blackboard Jungle Dub,” a landmark record considered by many to be the first-ever dub album.

There’s a reason Keith Richards described Perry as “the Salvador Dali of music.”

“You could never put your finger on Lee Perry,” Richards once said to Rolling Stone magazine. “He’s a mystery. The world is his instrument. You just have to listen. More than a producer, he knows how to inspire the artist’s soul.”

Let Lee “Scratch” Perry inspire your soul Sunday at 8:30 p.m. at 401 Grove St. in Sonoma.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.