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With “In the Nightclub,” the 420MUSE producer and bandleader Jack Miller has pulled off an amazing trick. He’s crafted a track that seamlessly integrates elements from hip-hop, blues, jazz, soul, electronic music, dub, and rocksteady into a single propulsive sound. It’s every genre at once — and no genre at all. 420Muse singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer/beat maker Reggie Griffin has contributed to hits like Chaka Khan’s 1984 album I Feel for You; Grandmaster Flash’s Melle Mel’s “Beat Street Breakdown” and “The Message”; The Isley Bros’ album Mission To Please; Toni Braxton’s 10x platinum “Let it Flow.” And, distinctive vocals and raps are delivered by singer/songwriter/sax player Drumson Richardson.
The transcendent creativity of 420MUSE and its progenitor Jack Miller reflects Hawaii, a forward-looking place of cultural crosscurrents, tropical breezes, and long, hot nights. But Miller’s music has its deepest roots in another island in the sun: Jamaica. During his time in the Caribbean in the ’70s and ’80s, he played with Kingston legends, and his documentary “Dreadlock Rock: The Story of Reggae Music” is a comprehensive and heartfelt look at one of the most influential movements in the history of popular music. Though “In the Nightclub” is stylistically eclectic, its inspiration is reggae. That’s audible in the throb of the bass, the crack of the snare, and the balminess of the production; most of all, it’s palpable in the One World spirit of this remarkable song.
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