Lord Flea

The first almost-superstar exported from Jamaica to the US, Lord Flea -- aka Norman Thomas -- was a standout "mento" artist. Mento was the local Jamaican calypso form, and -- despite all reports indicating a bangin' local jazz scene through the 1940's -- the first music to be recorded in Jamaica.

There was a fairly intense recording scene for mento, and there are quite a few anthologies of the stuff (my favorite being one called Jamaica Before Ska).

Lord Flea died in 1959 at the age of 27 of Hodgkin's Disease, appeared in a couple of American B-movies, and even cut an album for Capitol, Swingin' Calypsos. He truly deserves a second look-see.

Those in the know -- this is definitely a mento cover of Lord Kitchner's "Kitch's Be-Bop Calypso". Also, the young couple is Judy Tyler (of Jailhouse Rock fame) and Mr Julie London and writer of "Route 66" Bobby Troup. Aside from the obvious stuff this video boasts, check out the tenor banjo player, Porkchop.