| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Mutt and Jeff

This version was saved 14 years, 1 month ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Mike Davey
on February 22, 2010 at 7:04:04 pm
 

 

Kenneth Davy Snr was the sole founder, operator, and selector (“toaster”/”Mike M.C./D.J.) of Mutt & Jeff Sound System.  He named the “set” after the comic characters which were featured in the STAR – a local Jamaican evening newspaper – and he being over six feet tall of course was Mutt and his certified electrician buddy Leighton Geoff who was quite a bit shorter was “Jeff”.

 

 

An alumnus of the musically-famed Alpha Boys School (ABS) Mutt had earned a solid reputation as a debater while in school and so he was “tabbed” as the Master of Ceremonies (“Emcee”) and announcer for the many events (plays, carnivals, musical athletic and other competitions) conducted by the Nuns who administered the ABS.  At first Mutt merely addressed audiences to these events without any electronic equipment but he soon – around 1956 or so – saved up and purchased (1) a small table-top gray amplifier, (2) two small (12”) speakers, and a microphone.

 

 

Being a logical, forward-thinking “genius”, Mutt quickly added a turntable and would provide background music at these events and then later mainline music at full-fledged “dance parties” organized by the Alpha administrators.  As word spread, his services were also now widely sought for non-Alpha events and dances and so he gradually added/upgraded his equipment.  Soon he had a ‘thunderous” amplifier (built by “Jeff””), several additional speakers (including some 18” diameter woofers) and a few steel horns to “bring out the highs”.  The “boxes” housing those speakers were crafted in the ABS Machine/Woodwork shop adjacent to the ABS printery where Mutt worked fulltime in his “day” job.  Fabricating these boxes were a useful “real world” hands-on opportunity/experience for the those Alpha boys learning that craft under the watchful eyes of the shop Director and Mutt who could conveniently “walk over” form the ABS printery to assure that all the right “acoustical” angles (as was rudimentarily in vogue during the 50’s) were being properly shaped.  These upgrades quickly catapulted Mutt & Jeff into the upper echelon of top ranking sounds where most connoisseurs ranked Mutt & Jeff among a tightly bunched group of about four sets sitting just below the two Jamaican musical giants – Sir Coxsone Downbeat & Duke Reid The Trojan.

 

 

Being a printer by trade, Ken D. was able to outstrip most of his competition by being able to offer a sort of “turnkey”

type of “entertainment” services whereby he could (1) design, and print invitations and placards to advertise each event he was hired for, (2) of course provide expert “clear-as-a-bell” music, selection and “toasting” and (3) provide culinary services (via his darling wife Gloria who was an awesome cook) for the dancehall staple of curry goat, rice and green banana.  Mutt may well have been technologically clairvoyant in regards to “noise” (sound clarity) reduction and whereas he may not have “coined” the term Dolby, he would always (from way back in the 50’s he frequently instructed “Jeff’ to constantly tune and re-tune his amplifier) insist on sound of the best quality coming from his “set” to where he advertised his sound as “Mutt & Jeff Clear As A Bell” which was written on all his speakers and printed on all invitations for events where his services were hired.

 

 

As his (eleven) kids aged and he aspired to devote more time to family, Mutt sold the set in or around 1964 to sister Mary Ignatius a Nun who was his contemporary while a student at ABS and who had risen to be one of the leading administrators at ABS.

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.