Thanks to Digital Commons at Columbia College in Chicago, unedited footage from the “Jamsie Project” featuring Crucian James “Jamesie” Brewster, known as the legendary “King of Scratch,” has been uploaded online and is free for the public to view.
Brewster was born on St. Croix in 1929 and died in 2014, according to the press release.
“Jamesie’s quelbe (scratch band) music is synonymous with Virgin Islands culture. He was truly a music giant … who mastered the music form that is today the official music of the Virgin Islands. Brewster was an ambassador for the Virgin Islands because he introduced quelbe music to the world,” former Gov. John DeJongh said.
Andrea E Leland produced and directed the film “Jamesie King of Scratch,” released in 2006. Over a two-year period, she recorded Jamesie and the All-Stars in a variety of settings, both performing and talking about the history of the music and the meaning of the songs, the press release stated.
In 2004, and with the assistance of grants from the Virgin Islands and Illinois, she brought Jamesie and his band to Illinois and Indiana to perform in various music festivals. In addition to collecting film footage, Leland produced a CD of their performance at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Below is a list of the archival footage available online, the release stated.
Footage includes James “Jamesie” Brewster and his band performing at the following events during 2004-2005:
- Agricultural Fair, St. Croix
- Mt Victory on St Croix
- Karino Club on St Croix
- Lotus World Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana
- Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Rogers Park Street Festival, Chicago, Illinois
- Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois
- In Denmark with the Danish Polycalypso Orchestra
- Mt Bijou on St Croix, with special guest George Rawlings,
- Jamesie performing with Koko and the Sunshine Band on St John
Additionally, the footage includes intimate interviews with:
- Jamesie demonstrating making a banjo outside his house on St Thomas and continues inside his home talking about his family and his music.
- Jamesie with Sylvester “Blinky” McIntosh on St. Croix.
- Isle 95 WJKC radio interview of Jamesie by Kathleen McManus
- Jamesie and band members Camille “King Derby” Macedon and Lawrence “Trashy” Mason
- Jamesie at his home talking about the songs on the “Jamesie: King of Scratch” documentary
Archival footage is available here.
Film websites are available here.
