This is the most recent photo of Andru Branch & Halfway Tree, shot at the Halifax Public Gardens by Veronica Gutierrez in the fall of 2019. From left to right are Seth Voliere (guitar), James Shaw (saxophone), Andrew Brown (bass), Andru Branch (vocals, keyboards and percussion), Ibiko Pelle (drums), Johnny Parker (guitar) and Andrew Jackson (trombone). 

It has been such an honour and such a joy to play with these wonderful and talented musicians. We began rehearsing with this lovely young drummer from Antigua, who was studying at Saint Mary's University. He truly lifted up the sound of the band with his super steady groove. We rehearsed a powerful new set of material in preparation for this summer's festival gigs. Enter the pandemic. Slowly but surely, each gig was cancelled, including Halifax's annual Reggae Splash, which we look forward to every year. The day before the gig our beloved 'new' drummer Ibiko boarded a plane to Antigua, to shelter in place with his family. This was hard to take, after rehearsing a show for six months that we never got to perform. However, Ibiko laid down three awesome tracks while he was here with us, two of which are nearing completion, and the third is a work in progress. Please stay tuned as we are super excited to share the new music with you. Join our mailing list to get the latest updates. In the mean time stay safe, listen to some music, watch some videos and play your part to end racism so that we can create a brighter future. 

Thank you for your unwavering support over the past 25 years. Our 25th Anniversary album 'The Singles' is available here. Whether you are a new or long time fan, you are so important to us and we are very grateful. Please continue to share I & I music with your friends and loved ones. One Universal Love ~ Andru Branch & Halfway Tree

Andru Branch & Halfway Tree are joined by the lovely Jhamiela Smith-Dunn and Kristine Kovacevik on the Halifax Common for the annual Jamaican Independence Day celebration in 2018. Pictured here, from left to right, are Jhamiela Smith-Dunn (vocals), Andrew Brown (bass), Myles Cornish (trumpet), Teddy Skiffington (drums), Johnny Parker (guitar), Andru Branch (vocals, keyboards and percussion), Andrew Jackson (trombone) and Kristine Kovacevik (vocals).

My lifelong friend Tomaz Jardim introduced me to Earl "Chinna" Smith in 1996, back when we were recording my debut album at Kingston Muzik Studio. Chinna leant his formidable talent to two songs on the album and has welcomed me to his home ever since. His front porch, affectionately known as "Inna De Yard", is a cultural hub that attracts all walks of life from all around the globe, as long as it is in the name of music. Anything else is "fuckery", for which Chinna has little tolerance. I always ensure to bring our mutual friend Seeco down to this mecca at St. Andrew Park for a visit. One of my fondest memories was of a reunion of sorts, where I carried Studio One "bassie" Brian Atkinson down to see Chinna, to great fanfare. The humble Studio One bass player was received with due reverence for his massive contribution to the foundation of reggae music. Joined by several of the many musicians who are present Inna De Yard on any given day, we jammed a whole back catalogue of early reggae hits from back in the day, well into the night.

It was there, Inna De Yard, where I met Chinna's daughter Jhamiela for the first time. She carried herself like an Empress; smooth and confident. Neither of us could have foreseen at the time that we would go on to play together in Canada. I started seeing her around Halifax, on the arm of a skinny, white rocker named Adrian Dunn. From a musical family in Cape Breton, Adrian and Jhamiela eventually got married and formed a reggae outfit she dubbed Jah'Mila. It was a welcome opportunity for me to play my beloved percussion instruments when she invited me to join her group of premiere reggae musicians from around the city, including bass player Alec Frith and saxophonist Sean Weber, who both played with Halfway Tree somewhere along the way. Jah'Mila's growing fanbase has embraced her for her sweet yet commanding vocal prowess, much like her personality. It brings me great joy to support her and to share our musical journey together, contributing to the spiritual upliftment that reggae music brings everywhere it resounds. 

We are here to learn and grow and our soul purpose is to give and share Love. Through its persistent trials and tribulations, Life continually challenges us to grow. My Mom used to say "the only constant in life is change". This sometimes means having to replace musicians and subsequently adjusting to new band mates. My close pal, co-producer and right hand man Johnny Parker (front right), frequently quips: "Welcome to the way it is." It is a continual reminder to accept change. The ever-evolving lineup may change, but the song remains the same.

I will let this quote from Exclaim! Magazine do the talking for this photo: “The six-piece roots collective pack an authentic punch, an earthy sensibility and an ear for hypnotic dub grooves. They show clear influence from the Wailers, Burning Spear and Lee "Scratch" Perry...Branch and crew nail the technical, spiritual and music elements of an instrumental sound that both entrances and inspires.” Thank you to Niki Davison for this beautiful portrait of Andru Branch & Halfway Tree, posing in front of the Halifax Common in 2017. From left to right are Andrew MacKelvie (saxophone), Andrew Jackson (trombone), Duane Khodra (rhythm guitar), Andru Branch (vocals, keyboards and percussion), Andrew Brown (bass), Johnny Parker (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Teddy Skiffington (drums). 

I love this photo of Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, at home in his back yard in the countryside outside of Spanish Town in 2017, where we were shooting footage for the "My Jamaican Weed" video. Horsemouth is one of Jamaica's principal foundation drummers, whose raw style and impeccable timing enhanced many recordings. A member of Soul Syndicate band alongside Earl "Chinna" Smith, Leroy has played with countless Jamaican artists, including the honourable Winston Rodney aka Burning Spear. Originally backed by the Soul Brothers band featuring Jackie Mittoo, Brian Atkinson and Joe Isaacs at Studio One in the mid-60s, Burning Spear recruited Horsemouth to play on many of his most beloved recordings, including his signature album Marcus Garvey.  

Along the path I was able to reunite these foundation reggae musicians, after more than 50 years. On the left is "Alvin 'Seeco' Patterson", born Francisco Willie, in Cuba in 1930. He would become Bob Marley's closest friend, and go on to tour the world with Bob Marley & The Wailers on percussion. On the right is Brian "Bassie" Atkinson who, alongside keyboard player Jackie Mittoo, co-wrote many of the bass lines that would go on to define the genre. I am proud and honoured to call these reggae pioneers two of my best friends, each of whom had a profound and lasting impact on what we call reggae music today. 

Following the Halifax Jazz Festival gig, where Halfway Tree opened for The Wailers, Aston "Family Man  Barrett invited me to sit in with Bob Marley's world famous band when they returned to perform at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was such a treat to play with such reggae royalty again. Loving his camo shorts over his camo pants!!

From as far back as I can remember I have been motivated by rhythm. My beloved friend Raffa Dean used to invite me on stage to play my growing collection of percussion instruments by his side at Toronto's famous Bamboo Club in the 90s. Playing out of time was not an option. He became a mentor to me and taught me how to play all the many variations of reggae music. Raffa was the backbone of the reggae scene in Toronto, where he played with more bands than you could count. Two of the main bands he commanded were Livestock and Hit Squad, the main backing bands that supported the many Jamaican artists that came to Toronto to perform. Following his lead, I went on to back such reggae legends as Gregory Isaacs and Glen Washington. 

Over the years I have had the great fortune to work with many of Jamaica's most celebrated singers and players of instruments, at all of the major Jamaican festivals, including Rebel Salute, Reggae Sumfest, Sting and Reggae Sunsplash, back in the day. Many opportunities were born out of my recording sessions at Kingston Muzik, where I met the SANE Band (Sounds Against Negative Expression). My respect to brothers Joseph and Jeffrey Graham, who welcomed me into the fold, to play and tour with the Warrior Love Band, who have since relocated to Toronto. 

For nostalgia's sake, here is a list of some of the Jamaican artists I have had the pleasure to play percussion with over the years: Luciano, Sizzla, Cocoa Tea, Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Junior Reid, Richie Spice, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, Jah 9, Shuga, Etana, Gramps Morgan, George Nooks, Christopher Martin, Nature, Fantan Mojah, Bugle, Exco Levi, Warrior King, Natural Black, Wayne Marshall, Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, Yellowman, Frankie Paul, Everton Blender, The Mighty Diamonds, The Congos, The Heptones, Israel Vibration, Johnny Osbourne, Max Romeo, Admiral Bailey, Edi Fitzroy, Johnny Clarke, Leroy Gibbons, Thriller U, Andrew Tosh, Brinsley Forde and of course, The Wailers (above).

Andru Branch & Halfway Tree performed as a ten-piece band at the Halifax Jazz Festival in 2013. We opened for The Wailers on a hot July night with "Somebody That I Used To Know". In the front row, on the left are Mary-Grace and Selah Koile, whose sisterly vocals have uplifted many of my recordings over the years. Along the back row from left to right are my close friend Shane Delorey (repeater drum), my co-producer and right hand man Johnny Parker (lead guitar) and Inti Tzirari Tlatoani Gonzalez Sierra (funde drum). To my left are long-time drummer Jerome Thomas, outstanding reggae bass player Alec Frith, who has consistently supported the band over the years, my dear friend Duane Khodra (rhythm guitar) and Shauna DeGruchy (trombone). Thanks to Mike Phang for the wonderful photo.

Expensive. Repetitive. Creative. Rewarding. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind with respect to studio time. I spent countless hours in this chair mixing two albums and several singles alongside my friend Christopher Mitchell. Chris took over Halifax's Solar Audio, located on the third floor above present day Long & McQuade, and renamed it Common Ground Studio in 2005. Indeed this is where our lives intersected, with a mutual love of "World music", mixed with a healthy dose of bottom end. Chris is a self-proclaimed "audiophile", a bass player with a profound knowledge of acoustics and electronics and a finely tuned ear. It was such a pleasure to watch him work, almost effortlessly coaxing frequencies in and out, shaping the sound. I was glad to have earned a diploma in sound engineering at Recording Arts Canada, back when it was located in Stoney Creek, Ontario. It meant that I could understand the language of creating a "colour palette" with sound. My Mom was convinced that I was attending sound engineering school to become a studio engineer but really I was there to learn how to make a better record! It's a good thing I wasn't relying on this diploma for employment, since most sound engineering gigs have dried up now that everyone is recording on their home computers. The things I miss most are the SODA double 15" speakers. (Oh, the analogue dubs!) Common Ground had the same speakers I learned to mix on at Kingston Muzik Studio in the late 90s! We would monitor the mix through the NS10s and then when we thought we had it just right we would switch up to the giant, thundering 15" speakers built into the wall. A few tweaks here and there, particularly in the bass and drums, would take us from the living room to the dance club, or in this case, dance hall. Getting the bottom end just right in reggae is important because, well...

Harry J Studio is famous throughout Jamaica for having housed some of the most influential reggae musicians of all time. Before Bob Marley constructed a professional recording studio in his home on Hope Road in Kingston, this was the principal studio at which he and The Wailers recorded some of their most significant work. Gold records adorned the walls inside the studio as a testament to some of this great music. Painted on the wall behind this gathering of wonderful musicians are some of the monumental artists who have recorded here, including Big Youth, Dennis Brown, John Holt, Jacob Miller, Winston Rodney aka Burning Spear and Bunny Wailer. Assembled here, from left to right, is a powerhouse group of some of my closest friends, including three foundation elders who rallied together to record my single "Rocksteady" in 2010. Studio engineer Sean Tenn was with me from the start, trained by Bobby Simpson at Kingston Muzik Studio. Chris "DJ Friendlyness" Hatton, who played bass with the original Halfway Tree line-up for the first two years, was a major influence on both my musical and spiritual development as a teenager and beyond. Alvin "Seeco" Patterson was Bob Marley's closest friend and my percussion hero, who became a great friend and mentor to me. The virtuosic guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith has played with virtually every significant reggae artist on the planet. And on my far side is rocksteady pioneer, Studio One drummer, Soul Vendor Joe Isaacs. Missing from this photo is trombonist Everald Gayle, who was there but somehow missed out on this beautiful photo. Have a listen to the product of this session here: "Rocksteady"

When The Skatalites departed Jamaica's legendary Studio One recording studio in the mid sixties, Clement "Coxone" Dodd employed Alpha Boys' School alumni Bobby Ellis to recruit replacement musicians. Pictured here are drummer Joe Isaacs, who was 16 when he got the job, and bass player Brian Atkinson, who auditioned in 1965, at the age of 19. Brian had only ever played on the "box guitar" that his brother built for him, but since the audition was on bass, he figured he would only have to play the top four strings! The teenaged Jamaican keyboard prodigy Jackie Mittoo would go on to lead the band, but for now he would invite Brian to share his piano bench, showing him how to play this bass line and that. Between the two of them they would shape the sound of reggae music to come. This was at a time when all of Jamaica was dancing to ska music. Joe will tell you that he invented rocksteady, because he couldn't keep up with the tempo set by his predecessor, Lloyd Knibbs. And thus, a slowed down version of ska appeared on the scene that would be dubbed "rocksteady". 

This photo, taken in Kingston's Kencot district below Half Way Tree, captures Brian at a time of transition. I had inspired Brian to come out of musical retirement to form the Halifax incarnation of my band by the same name. Unbeknownst to the public, Brian had been driving a Metro Transit bus in Halifax for over 16 years, keeping his beard and hair neatly trimmed. But once he was back in the saddle, he had visions of reuniting the old Studio One band, The Soul Brothers aka Soul Vendors aka Brentford All-Stars. So he showed up at my door one day with a sheepish grin, announcing that he had retired from his bus driver job. He had been in touch with Joe and they had decided to make a go of it. Consequently, he invited me to fly to Miami along with our horn section at the time, Matt Myer and Eric Landry, where we would rehearse a set of Studio One material and line up a "tour". The four of us left for Miami in Brian's minivan on December 3rd, 2004. It was minus 30 degrees when we left Halifax and plus 30 degrees when we arrived two days later. Following two weeks of rehearsal, our five-piece version of The Soul Vendors band flew to Kingston, where we were met by a stretch limo and whisked away to the Pegasus Hotel, where we would play an intimate, lounge-style "homecoming" gig. The event drew some modest media attention but more importantly, a lanky, lone figure whose profile appeared at the lounge entrance. The lead singer (cum incumbent Studio One bass player) of the World famous Heptones had come to see if it was true; if the old Studio One band that had backed his singing trio so many years ago had reappeared in Jamaica after all these years. In a delightful reunion, Leroy Sibbles sang hit after hit with our newly formed reincarnation band. 

Sibbles made regular appearances at the Kencot Motel, where we were being put up by the local Don, Eva. The New Year's Eve gig at Eva's strip club was cancelled and it soon became clear that there were no gigs booked for the band. Eric and Matt swiftly departed for the airport in a cab. They had both quit their respective day jobs in Halifax to be here, but no gigs meant no income, and worse, they had lost faith in the "management". I stayed on, in hopes that Brian and Joe could keep it together, and effectively create something from nothing. After some time, with no movement, I too left to reform the Halfway Tree band back in Halifax, recruiting the talents of Alec Frith to fill Brian's massive shoes on bass.

Bo-Peep joined Joe and Brian for a spell on guitar, at the compound in Kencot where they rehearsed, but they only ended up playing a gig or two. Eventually Brian returned to Canada, where he and I made a full-time job of playing music together every day. On one of many subsequent trips to Jamaica several years later, DJ Friendlyness and I picked up Joe in Negril and drove to Harry J Studio in Kingston, where we recorded my original track, aptly entitled "Rocksteady".