Uptones return "home"

By Jane Jerome
February 11-March 11, 1983 – Newsreal. Page 7

The Uptones are one of Tucson’s oldest reggae bands. They first played together on Halloween of 1980, and in the time since, the Uptones have become Tucson’s favorite reggae band. Here’s a brief rundown on where the Uptones have been and where they are likely to go.

The Uptones had their beginnings in a jazz group called the Chameleons. Gerry DeMers, bassist, and John Sferra, drummer were part of a house band doing jazz and rock numbers down at the Chicago Bar. Sometimes the Chameleons played reggae tunes, and then the crowd would pack the tiny dance floor. Seeing all those people move was a turn-on. When the time came to select a theme for an upcoming bash, it seemed natural to rehearse several sets of reggae. Wes Lawson, Gerry’s roommate, was asked to play along on rhythm guitar, and the Uptones were formed.

Actually, the band was originally known as the Upsetters. They first started playing around town with Jon Browning on keyboards, Zebo Miller on percussion, and Moses Smith, who’s currently vocalist with the 9th Street Checkers. Shortly before appearing as the opening act for Steel Pulse’s Spring ‘81 performance, the Upsetters added Mark Wilsey, lead guitarist, to the ensemble. Then, prior to a date with Peter Tosh, the group started calling themselves the Uptones, since a Jamaican group had already laid claim to their old name.

As the Uptones, the band built upon the following they had attracted from concerts by appearing frequently at various Tucson clubs. In the autumn following the Tosh show, Zebo and Moses quit the group. The band’s five- member core went into the studio with the Big Roach Horns and laid the tracks for a four song EP of original music. The record came out in the spring of ‘82. The Uptones were, by then, the toast of the town. Colorful posters advertising their shows decorated street corners and enthusiastic reggae fans crowded tighter clubs dates than proverbial sardines in a can.

At the height of their popularity, the Uptones left town and headed for the road. “Young Wesley” explains, “We wanted to travel and see what it was like back East. We didn’t want to limit ourselves to one town.” The Uptones played Santa Fe where, contrary to rumor, all went well, and then Knoxville during the World’s Fair.

They took the tour to the Jersey shore where the band had some connections, and started out playing Rick’s Café in Long Beach. Gerry says, “It was like starting over. Nobody had heard about the Uptones, though more people had heard about reggae.”

Things went well. The EP got airplay in the metro areas, and the Uptones could afford showcase performances in the major markets by playing the New Jersey club circuit. Although most towns in the East don’t have as many reggae bands as Tucson, reggae music is a viable cultural force there. In fact, John’s first serious exposure to reggae happened several summers ago, listening to WLIB-AM (New York), a commercial station that broadcasts reggae all day long. Still, the scene back East gets stale, especially when winter ventures along. After eight months on tour, the Uptones decided to go home, although the keyboard player, Jon Browning, chose to stay in NYC to pursue a career.

The Uptones think the energy in Tucson is great. John “Youth” Sferra comments, “I’ve never seen a better reggae crowd than in Tucson. There’s nothing like it anywhere else. I don’t know if it’s the sunshine or what. Everybody’s just feeling good all the time. You don’t find that back East ... this town is hip to reggae more than any place we’ve been except Brooklyn, which is 60-70% Caribbean.”

The Uptones returned to Arizona with twelve new songs, which everyone in the band helped to write, new equipment, and positive energy. Every member of the band thrives on performing reggae. Maybe Mark defines their philosophy best. “When we start playing reggae, first thing people start feeling is the beat in the music, and once you start dancing and getting into that groove, all of a sudden the words start coming through. There are great messages in reggae music. I personally love it. We’re not Rastas, we’re not Dreads. We belong to American culture. We try to apply reggae to the American culture and try to present some of that positive energy, the great love, and the great messages that are universal...we feel the messages of peace and love are for everybody.”

Gerry adds that the Uptones music is “Reggae plus. We’re sympathetic to Rastas in a lot of ways. We translate doctrines into our specific situations here in our culture, which is different.” A more intuitive explanation is given by John, who says, “We’re using all that we learned playing rock, jazz, and the blues, playing reggae... reggae gives you a more positive outlook. It puts you on the track– like seeing the paths better. It eliminates confusion...we love it, and people enjoy it.”

The Uptones will be performing here with occasional appearances by special guests including the Big Roach Horns, a section of trombone, trumpet, and alto sax, and Greg Armstrong who is a sax, flute and keys player of Ron Devous Revue renown. While the group is preparing to play Tucson and Phoenix area clubs, The Uptones are planning an outdoor show that allows amply-sized dancing areas.

In May, the band will return to tour the Atlantic Seaboard seeking cooler summer days, exposure and new fans. Concert tapes, videos and more recording may be possible. But, the Uptones say, “Tucson always will remain home.