Recap of Peter Simon's Reggae Scrapbook Slideshow at Johnny D's

Published Dec 04 2008, 04:07 PM by Chris Faraone

Forget Jay-Z; and to hell with Mariah Carey’s frontal massage therapist. If I could switch places with anyone on earth it would be esteemed reggae photographer and king Trustafarian Peter Simon.

But while I’m clearly jealous of the man, I have no resentment. Just because Simon (as in Simon & Schuster) was born into opulence doesn’t mean I hate him. In fact, I admire him immensely.

As he clicked through his sunsplashed photo spread at Johnny D’s last night, I sat mesmerized. And not just because of shots like his of Peter Tosh on a unicycle at Howard Johnson’s in Cambridge. Considering the number of my rich thirty-something friends who have never worked real jobs, Simon is remarkably accomplished.

Simon’s love affair with reggae intensified when he was a student at Boston University in the 1960s. As one does in Rome, he smoked weed, bumped Marley, and went to see The Harder They Come in Harvard Square more times than he can count.

Then one summer day in the early 1970s, while getting stoned with a friend on the beach in Martha’s Vineyard, he decided to become the first person to document reggae culture. And when Simon decides something, it happens.

In 1975, he had the notion to publish an article in the New York Times. And in November of that year, he used that platform to give reggae artists their first-ever mainstream coverage.

Much like the way that Rupert Murdoch’s son helped finance Rawkus Records, which birthed contemporary underground hip-hop by backing artists such as Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Cage and El-P – this son of Richard Simon helped put reggae on the atlas.

Simon’s latest work, The Reggae Scrapbook, which he previewed in Somerville, exemplifies his intense connection to roots and culture artists. This isn’t just a guy with contacts; Simon has access to his subjects’ joy and emotion.

I never realized it until last night, but, despite one group’s love for ganja and the other’s for scotch, Rastas and aristocrats are comparably easygoing. And while that’s a way of being that a stress-addled jerk like me could never understand, I see how a common blissful apathy can help folks from Kingston and Edgartown connect.

While Simon occasionally says things such as “I saw Bob live – a lot,” he’s hardly an obnoxious silver spooner. Those guys climb Everest – he got high with Jamaican legends and documented essential moments in alt and pop culture history.

The moral of Simon’s achievement, as far as I’m concerned, is this: If you have a giant safety net and can do as you please with little to no consequences, then at least leave the planet with something useful to remember you by.

And if you don’t have any of those things, then do it anyway.

Also: Click Here For The Phoenix Slide Show of Photos From Simon's New Book

Filed Under: Reggae Scrapbook, Johnny D's, Peter Simon

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5 Comments

Kyle Russell said:

Peter alerted me to this review - classic Phoenix cynical style - but acknowledging with sincerity the magnitude of Simon's contributions, even suggesting his work was instrumental in putting Reggae on the map. No mention was made of the band or DJ that followed, or of the host of the night: KRucial Reggae, who's worked tirelessly for 15 years to bring quality Reggae programming to Boston (and indeed, internationally). Would love to hear from you, Chris (our URL provided), to follow up and perhaps fill in some vital blanks regarding the various players who still carry the torch, and who's acknowledgement in THIS time could help perpetuate and elevate the ongoing contribution that Reggae has to offer this community and the world as a whole. Blessings, Kyle Russell (KRucial Reggae).

December 4, 2008 11:58 PM
Chris Faraone said:

Three things: 1 - It's hysterical how I can't even go out for a night and drop a brief vignette without catching grief; 2 - This is always what I get every time I venture outside of hip-hop; and 3 - If you have reggae goings-on to alert me to and school to bring please drop me a line at: cfaraone@phx.com.

December 5, 2008 12:20 AM
Peter Simon said:

Hey Chris....thanks for your very appreciative review. I was quite gratified to see such a large audience of real knowledgeable reggae enthusiasts! Dring these tough economic times, I was astounded to have been able to sell over 3 copies of the highly interactive Reggae Scrapbook.

December 5, 2008 8:51 AM
Peter Simon said:

Hey Chris....thanks for your sweet review! I was amazed at the turnout that night, and in these hard economic times, at least 30 people saw fit to buy my highly interactive and comprehensive Reggae Scrapbook. The audience was very knoknowledgable and attentive as well. Just one thing to clarify: True - I was born with a silver spoon. But my father was not a very wise businessperson, and we were let with very little of his publishing company largess. Thus, since the late 70's, and particularly through the 90's and this century, I have had to work as hard as everyone else, and rightfully so. Necessity is the mother of invention, and if I had been merely able to lounge my life away, I doubt I would have been as productive a photojounalist/artist/writer as I have managed to become. It's through people such as yourself who serve to spur me on to greater heights, as it were. And another kuddo to the club itself...Johnny D's. What a great vibe!!! Thanks to everyonewho was there! -Peter-

December 5, 2008 9:02 AM
Kyle Russell said:

Alrighty, thanks to Chris for your direct email address, I'll surely be in touch with you independently about future happenings (ReggaePR@aol.com is my main screen name. I have several other contacts at the Phoenix who get my press releases weekly, so our information's been available organizationally. I learned recently that you reviewed the Lee Perry movie I believe was playing down at the Coolidge Corner Theater. Sounds like covering hip hop's your main thing, and we are actually honored to have you giving Reggae some play. We DON'T want to turn you off to it, or make you feel punished for the coverage. You DO deserve a stress-free night out (without obligation to sleuth out all the players, conduct interviews, etc.), and we're glad our event offered you that opportunity. All we're trying to do - and we'd be remiss if we didn't work hard at it - is to complete the picture and furnish more context, since it takes a community effort to make a night like Wednesday come off as well as it did.

Thanks to Peter for correcting his book sales total from the initial typo: '3' to the actual 30+ of those magnificent coffee table editions his eager (and new) fans scooped up. Kudos to him as well for his qualification of the "silver spoon" theory behind his career (which he would have done well to further elucidate in person that night). I think it would have further cemented his credibility as an authoritative witness and contributor to the genre.

I think this type of dialog - far from estranging us from one another - can actually (and should) bring us together, in greater understanding and collaboration as we share the music we love. Looking forward to future connections - Kyle.

December 5, 2008 11:59 AM

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Filed Under: Reggae Scrapbook, Johnny D's, Peter Simon

Boston Phoenix
Recap of Peter Simon's Reggae Scrapbook Slideshow at Johnny D's
Published 12/4/2008 by Chris Faraone
Forget Jay-Z; and to hell with Mariah Carey’s frontal massage therapist. If I could switch places...

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Recap of Peter Simon's Reggae Scrapbook Slideshow at Johnny D's

5 Comments

Kyle Russell said:

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