BANDS in general do not get the respect they deserve in Jamaica. That is the view of saxophonist, Tony Greene, who has been blowing his instrument for nearly 30 years."A lot of people treat musicians as if they are the least of the lot, when musicians are the core of any presentation and are the ones to make many artistes sound good. A musician is not somebody you treat in a manner where they jump at the snap of a finger.
"Musicians deserve respect because we set the standards. We often act as producers and arrangers, simply because we want to ensure that good music gets out there to the public. I am not saying musicians do it alone either, but we deserve equal respect," he told Showbiz.
Mr. Greene began playing the saxophone at age 10, while a student at Alpha Boys School. He was sent to Alpha by his parents because of the frequency with which he breached the school's code of ethics.
"I wasn't really a bad boy. I just used to tief out the neighbours' milk and eat them bread when they put it out to sun. I went a little further and was expelled from Calabar All Age because I threw water on the principal. But Alpha was good for me," he confessed.
Mr. Greene learnt at the feet of Lennie Hibbert and later Ron Wilson. He started out playing the clarinet and then switched to the saxophone.
After five years at Alpha, he moved on to the Jamaica Military Band, where he spent six years pouting his lips and honing his skills.
Over the years, Mr. Greene has played professionally with several of the island's best aggregations including Sonny Bradsahw's big band, Bare Essentials, Kotch, Roots Radics, Lloyd Parkes.
"It has been good and bad, but more so good. I have never done any other job apart from music so I have to be thankful," he said.
He said he has seen a number of young people expressing interest in the instrument, but he would love to see more of them committed to being proficient.
"The secret to this thing is love. There is no point even considering it if that burning desire is not there. The level of difficulty you will experience will depend on how badly you want to succeed," he said.
His most memorable moments in his career occurred while touring in Japan and Brazil.
"The response was just overwhelming. It was like it was Michael Jackson on stage," he said.
Locally, his musical development was influenced by saxophone greats Tommy McCook and Roland Alphanso and internationally by Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and King Curtis.
He has graced the stage with just about every Jamaican artiste and from the international shelves he has shared the spotlight with Lou Rawles, Gladys Knight and Ray Goodman and Brown.
These days, he's heavy into production, releasing records every two months. He's a partner in the Top Secret record label with key boardist Mallory Williams.
"My vision for the music industry is to see professionalism become priority on everybody's cards. We should ensure that when we ask the public to consume our products, we are offering the best," he told Showbiz.
Mr. Greene has three albums to his credit as a solo musician and so far has done Groovin' Sax, Mean Greene and Square From Cuba.
He has plans to play on the international jazz circuit, in addition to the monthly jams now taking place at Carlos and Red Bones cafes.
