Classic reggae grooves

Wednesday night, Burning Spear brought his Burning Band to the Axis Nightclub for an evening of poignant lyrics and infectious grooves.\nBeginning his career in the late 1960s, Burning Spear (a.k.a. Winston Rodney) is nothing short of a reggae legend. On the advice of a young, up-and-coming Bob Marley, Spear entered the now-famous Studio One in Jamaica to record his first collection of songs. \nMore than 30 years and 34 albums later, Spear has stood the test of time, winning a Grammy in 2000 for Calling Rastafari. Like another elder statesman of the music industry, Bob Dylan, he has found tremendous success in his later years and continues to tour relentlessly, entertaining reggae fans across the globe with his politically charged and spiritual music.\nFor his current "Don't Hurt the Rastaman" tour, Spear performs alongside some of Jamaica's finest talent. The Burning Band is composed of eight musicians playing guitars, bass, drums and horns and spans three generations of musicians.\nFor Wednesday's show, Spear and his band were truly amazing. What made the show so incredible was the aura created by Spear's presence. In his late 60s, Spear may have appeared to some as distant and uninterested. But the complete opposite was the case. The elder musician soaked up the grooves and added his own flair to the beats with a conga set and assorted percussive instruments such as cowbells and cymbals. Between songs, the Spear livened up the crowd by shouting, "Do you want some or-ri-gi-nal reggae music?"\nThroughout the evening, Spear and his band created a hypnotic vibe that enticed those in attendance to sway to the beat. But without his presence on stage, inspired by a deep political fire within, the show would have only been a lively reggae party. \nLead guitarist Cecil Ordunez added raunchy and blues-like melodies to the evening's music. Despite his harder sound, Ordunez incorporated often sweeter and softer licks into more laid back jams. \nOnce again, Burning Spear and his Burning Band played a high caliber show that could be considered one of Bloomington's best this year.