Tenor Saw - born Clive Bright in Kingston, Jamaica on December 2, 1966 – was a dancehall vocalist and a pioneer of a mid-1980s electronic reggae movement called ‘digital reggae.’ Raised in a religious family, he began his musical journey by singing in a local church choir. He became interested in a career as a reggae artist and approached several Kingston-based producers before George Phang agreed to work with him. Their collaboration resulted in the release of Tenor Saw’s 1984 debut single, “Roll Call.” That same year, he moved to Miami, Florida and released his acclaimed debut album Fever. His most successful single was “Ring the Alarm,” which helped to expand his audience. Continuing to explore the digital reggae genre, 1985 also saw full-length collaborations with artists such as Cocoa Tea (Clash), Don Angelo (The Golden Hen), and Nitty Gritty (Power House Presents…). He recorded several songs - “Dancehall Feeling,” “Bad Boys,” and “No Work on a Sunday.” He then relocated to New York, where he cut the single “Victory Train” (with Freddie McGregor)” and his final song, “Chill Out Chill Out” (with General Doggie). While visiting Houston, Texas, Tenor Saw was the victim of a hit-and-run accident on July 31, 1988, dying two weeks later on August 13, 1988. While his career was extremely short, his music continues to influence reggae artists and has been sampled by Big Audio Dynamite, Super Cat, The Nextmen, and others.
