Junior Marvin

Julian "Junior" Marvin (not to be confused with famed Black Ark vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:17dXLKGh9AKpooAvGaVt34">Junior Murvin</a>) replaced Al Anderson as guitarist for Bob Marley & the Wailers in early 1977. This was a traumatic time for the band: <a href="spotify:artist:2QsynagSdAqZj3U9HgDzjD">Marley</a> had recently been shot, and the group decamped for London, where they quickly began the recording sessions that would result in the release of Exodus a few months later. Marvin was featured on the live Babylon by Bus album that was recorded while <a href="spotify:artist:6uSKeCyQEhvPC2NODgiqFE">the Wailers</a> toured in support of Exodus, as well as on the studio albums Kaya, Survival, and Uprising, the last of which would prove to be <a href="spotify:artist:2QsynagSdAqZj3U9HgDzjD">Bob Marley</a>'s final studio recording; he died in 1981. However, members of <a href="spotify:artist:6uSKeCyQEhvPC2NODgiqFE">the Wailers</a> continued to record and tour as <a href="spotify:artist:1tJjsxc6wxIm9rDf9hcCwW">the Wailers Band</a> in the late '80s and 1990s, and Marvin played an important role in that project; he served as both guitarist and producer or co-producer (with bass player <a href="spotify:artist:5sroD1hthJxqlcgjWTJRuV">Aston "Family Man" Barrett</a>) on the studio albums I.D., Majestic Warriors, and Jah Message, and is also featured on a live compilation titled Live 95-97 My Friends. During this period he also contributed guitar parts on such celebrated reggae releases as <a href="spotify:artist:6qaKS0nzGP4hfjl4aFZmEU">Burning Spear</a>'s Fittest of the Fittest, <a href="spotify:artist:41ekW4MXG59xJMXR8dX1OG">Alpha Blondy</a>'s Jerusalem, and <a href="spotify:artist:5XgHWn04awuFqBm0R5lLFX">Joe Higgs</a>' Blackman Know Yourself. In 1997 Marvin left <a href="spotify:artist:1tJjsxc6wxIm9rDf9hcCwW">the Wailers Band</a> and relocated to Brazil, where he formed a short-lived group called Batuka. Following his return to Jamaica he continued working as a session player, while rumors continuously swirled throughout the international reggae community about upcoming solo projects. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi