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Junior Toots' Album Party
Junior Toots moved onto the stage with the energy of a lion, starting off with Solid As a Rock and kept the crowd moving all night. Backing him as they did Rocker T was The Fyah Squad Band, who played to perfection, with bluesy guitar solos and a rhythm section as steady as it was precise. Taking advantage of the proximity of the crowd Toots invited on stage a few queens throughout the night, respectfully dancing with them. Toots' diversity was shown moving from grooving rocksteady jams to full on dancehall, and even a song featuring Sol Atash singing in Farsi. Truly genuine, he even announced the birthday of one of the crowd members (Tara). Rocker T joined Junior Toots onstage for an encore song, sending the crowd home in higher spirits in the perfect climax to an irie night.

'A Little Bit of Love' Junior Toots' new album, is as full of soul and diversity as his performance was. From rocksteady to dancehall Toot's delivers a truly enjoyable and uplifting audio experience.

Junior Toots - A Little Bit of Love (Tom Orr)
Son of Jamaican music legend Toots Hibbert, Clayton "Junior Toots" Hibbert understandably has music coursing through his veins and proves it with this impressive album. Vocally, the similarities between father and son are not always as obvious as might be expected. The younger Hibbert has some of the same soul/gospel inflections as his dad, and the way he soars on the high notes and accentuates certain words and phrases with scatty spontaneity shows a direct line as well. But he also has enough of his own style (perhaps reflective of his having been born in Jamaica but residing in the U.S. since his teens) to keep things original, and the family ties are not as sonically apparent as those of some other notable reggae offspring. Plus, it's worth mentioning that cover versions of songs made famous by the non-Junior Toots are nowhere to be found. A Little Bit of Love is mostly roots with a couple of dancehall asides, and Junior handles both with consciousness and style. Reggae's ancestral foundations get their due on "Ready to Come Over," "Ethiopian From Birth" and "If Africa is Not Free," and the unity-minded perspectives of "Physically Spiritually," "Only Love" and "Let's Get Together" likewise show this emerging artist's heart to be in the right place. Produced by Junior, Fabian Cooke, Aston "Familyman" Barrett and Junior's brother Hopeton Hibbert, and with sharply laid riddims that match the strength of the vocals, A Little Bit of Love is a sizable helping of reggae goodness. -Tom Orr

Anthony B and Junior Toots in San Francisco
‘Greeting’s in the name of his majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie, Jah Ras Tafari!’ Hearing that never really gets old, does it?

On a warm winter’s night on January 12, 2012, at San Francisco reggae hot spot, The Independent, Jah was definitely in the building.

Lighting up the night in no small fashion was Junior Toots, backed by the Fyah Squad Band, a traditional reggae 4-piece. True to their name, their riddems were locked tight, allowing Junior Toots to shine. 20 minutes into his set, we had seen three totally different looks from Toots, embodying ska, dancehall, and straight up roots reggae. Junior Toots commanded the stage, dancing and gyrating fiercely, truly connecting with the audience, as seen by the energetic call and response.

By the time he got to Physically Spiritually from his new album, ‘A Little Bit Of Love’, Toots was on fire, working every corner of the stage, his voice well warmed, yet raw, real. Junior Toots was joined on stage by Sol Atash, who sings back up on Seek The Truth in Farsi, which brought a different element to the show that was welcomed by all.

All in all, Junior Toots wowed and amazed the crowd and myself. We chanted for an encore, which unfortunately never came, but left us all wanting more, and I’m gonna get some.

Luciano, Junior Toots and Messenjah Selah in Oakland
The Wanubi Project, headed by promoter Khalif, put on a great show at The New Parish in Oakland on November 9, 2012. Messenjah Selah opened strongly and later joined Luciano for a duet. Junior Toots put on a solid performance with some fine dancing. He also highlighted the fantastic voices of the women backing him, Irae Divine and Sol Atash. Luciano had to contain himself on a small stage (no flips this time), but his vibes expanded to fill the many nooks and crannies of the bi-level club, and brought people flowing in from the courtyard.

THE SON OF REGGAE LEGEND TOOTS HIBBERT IS A CHIP OFF THE OLD PRESSURE DROP
By Beverly Bryan - MTV Iggy
November 9, 2012
As the son of ska and roots reggae legend Toots Hibbert (of Toots and the Maytals,) Clayton “Junior Toots” Hibbert has had some mighty shoes to fill as a musician, but he also had a great teacher. And now that he’s turned 40, after a lifetime immersed in music, he’s almost an elder himself. At least that’s the feeling one gets chatting with him about his recent fourth album A Little Bit of Love, independently released on his own Crown of Fire records.

Like many foundational reggae artists, Toots senior began a musical dynasty. His children are almost all musicians who grew up touring and performing with him onstage. Like his dad, Junior Toots likes the uptempo end of reggae and stays committed to positivity as a solo artist. In our conversation, he told us all about his new album plus what he learned from his “ska father” pops.



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