Jamaican Guitar Legend Ernest Ranglin to Unveil Legacy Box Set Ahead of 2025 Livestream Celebration

At 93, Ernest Ranglin isn’t slowing down—he’s finally getting the spotlight he’s earned over six decades of shaping the sound of Jamaica. The legendary guitarist, who turned 90 in June 2022, is preparing to release Ernest Ranglin: Legacy, a career-spanning box set set to drop in late 2025, alongside a free global livestream celebration on January 31, 2025, at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. The next day, February 1, an in-person tribute will feature musicians like Vinyl, Soul Ska, Jon Chi, and Angeline Saris, all paying homage to the man whose guitar work laid the foundation for ska, rocksteady, and reggae.

The Sound That Built a Nation

Ask anyone who knows Jamaican music, and they’ll tell you: if you’ve ever tapped your foot to the crisp, chunky rhythm of a ska tune, you’ve felt Ernest Ranglin’s touch. He wasn’t just playing guitar—he was inventing the language. In the early 1960s, as the first-call session guitarist for Studio One, Ranglin anchored the legendary Skatalites, the house band behind Bob Marley’s earliest recordings. When Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd signed the Wailers in 1963, it was Ranglin who shaped their sound, teaching Marley not just how to play guitar, but how to arrange music. "It was Ernie who helped a young Bob Marley," says DK, a chronicler of Jamaica’s music scene, confirming what decades of recordings already whispered: Ranglin was the silent architect.

He didn’t stop there. Ranglin became the first musician to replace the double bass with an electric bass on Prince Buster’s sessions—a move that redefined Jamaican rhythm sections forever. Bass legends like Aston "Family Man" Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare didn’t just follow his lead—they built their entire styles on the template he created. His signature palm-muted, low-string riffs, played on his beloved archtop Gibson, became the heartbeat of classics by the Ethiopians and countless others.

The Unseen Genius

Here’s the twist: for all that influence, Ranglin’s name rarely appeared on the records. Thousands of tracks bear his playing—hundreds were hits—but you won’t find his name in the liner notes. "His genius was more often than not reflected in the work of others," notes a 2025 feature on oakiedog.substack.com. "With very little footage of him playing live or in the studio, he became the ghost in the groove."

He wasn’t just a sideman. From 1965 to 1972, he served as musical director for Federal Records, run by Ken Khouri, who also produced Ranglin’s own 1965 album Guitar in Ernest. Simultaneously, he worked as an A&R man for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label and later for Island Records, where his solo releases Wranglin (1964) and Reflections (1965) marked his return to jazz roots.

His international breakthrough came during a nine-month residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. Backed by the Ronnie Scott Quartet, Ranglin played alongside jazz greats and earned top honors in Melody Maker’s 1964 Reader’s Jazz Poll—beating out legends. Yet back home, he was still just "the guy who played on the record."

A Legacy Finally Honored

Recognition came late, but it came loud. Ranglin received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies, was inducted into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Order of Jamaica (OJ) and Order of Distinction (OD)—two of the nation’s highest honors. He officially retired in 2016, touring the world with a multinational ensemble of Nigerian, Senegalese, British, and American musicians.

But retirement didn’t mean silence. In 1996, his album Below the Bassline became the first release on Chris Blackwell’s Island Jamaica Jazz label. In 1999, he collaborated with Senegalese icon Baaba Maal on the live album Live at the Royal Festival Hall, creating what one critic called "beautiful intergalactic sounds."

Now, with the Legacy box set, fans will finally hear rarities, unreleased demos, studio outtakes, and live recordings spanning 1959 to 2020. The January 31 livestream will feature archival footage, interviews, and performances by artists he influenced. "This isn’t just a box set," says producer Robot Commander Oz. "It’s the first time the world gets to see the man behind the sound."

Why This Matters Now

Ranglin’s story isn’t just about music—it’s about who gets remembered, and who gets left in the shadows. While Bob Marley’s name is global, Ranglin’s contributions were foundational. He didn’t just play on Marley’s early tracks—he helped him find his voice. He didn’t just adapt the electric bass—he made it the backbone of a genre. And yet, for decades, his name was a footnote.

That’s changing. The 2025 celebration isn’t just a party—it’s a correction. A chance to say: yes, this man shaped the world’s music. And yes, he deserves to be seen.

What’s Next?

The Legacy box set is expected to include a 120-page book with rare photos, handwritten arrangements, and firsthand accounts from collaborators like Angeline Saris and Jon Chi. A companion documentary is also in development, with footage shot in Kingston, London, and New York. Meanwhile, the January 31, 2025 livestream will be archived permanently on the Sweetwater Music Hall website, ensuring global access.

For younger musicians in Jamaica, Ranglin’s story is a lesson: greatness doesn’t always wear a spotlight. Sometimes, it’s the quiet hand that makes the rhythm move.