Short Summary
Lester is nothing short of a legend.
After performing with the Jamaican Military Band and Val Bennett, Lester began his career as a studio musician in the Jamaican music scene. It was in this venue that he met the other founding members of The Skatalites, his longest running project.
The Skatalites are now a household name in Jamaican music, after putting out 16 studio albums of their own, and accompanying many other famous artists.
Unfortunately, Lester does not receive any royalties for his work with the Skatalites. Without any funding from his previous work, he is calling on his fans to help him bring his new record to life.
Lester has received the honor of an Order of Distinction in 1998 for his contribution to Jamaican music. He would love for his next honor to be your donation to the future of his music.
Help Lester and the production team create a new, amazing record that you'll listen to over and over again.
What We Need & What You Get
For this production we'll need over $20,000.
We need to:
- Pay the session musicians who will breathe life into Lester's music.
- Pay the production team that will ensure the album reaches its maximum potential.
- Press the album!
- Promote the album!
- Pay for travel expenses for Lester and the rest of the team to make this record a reality.
We have some amazing personnel helping Lester make his album a reality, including:
- Joe Ferry, a longtime producer and collaborator with Lester and The Skatalites. He will be both playing on and producing the record. Joe's mulitiple Grammy award winning production style will give the music the production value it deserves.
- Nathan Breedlove, formerly of the Skatalites and renowned jazz trumpeter, bringing his unique musical style to the album. Nathan is a Grammy nominated musician.
- Rich Carlstedt, a member of the Israelites for 25 years, will be playing guitar on this record. After playing with Derrick Morgan, the Skatalites, Justin Hines, and Lord Tanamo, he's signed on to bring his rhythmic pulse and smooth licks to Lester's new sound.
- Buddy Jay Kieffer, John England Fisher, Terence Paschal, Curtis Irie, and Joe Mineo will help complete the musical and production team, and help make this a record to remember.
The Impact
It's not hard to see how much of an impact Lester has had on the Jamaican music scene. Besides his Order of Distinction for his contribution to Jamaican music, Lester has played with artists such as Bob Marley and Johnny Dizzy Moore.
Lester was also a part of the New York City Jazz scene in the 1970s, and left a lasting impression on America early on in his career.
Lester has so much more beautiful music to give the world, and he can't do it without your help. Please consider donating, and bringing an amazing record to life.
Risks & Challenges
If we don't raise the full amount in this campaign, we won't be able to turn this album into the masterpiece it should be. We won't be able to fund the many parts of the operation, nor the personnel involved with making a successful record.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you don't have the means to contribute, there's still so much you can do to help.
- Help us get the word out! Share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and anything else you can possibly think of! Share often, and share everywhere.
- Remind your reggae loving friends that they can help bring a brand new album from a reggae legend to life by donating to our campaign.
- Enjoy the album when it's finally here!
Thank you so much for considering donating. You are helping to realize a dream.