Tickets are already selling out for this summer's tour of Trenchtown Rock, legendary singer and guitarist Bob Marley's supergroup with guitarist Ben Harper, keyboardist Billy Preston, drummer Chad Smith and bassist Eric Wilson. While Marley fans can surely expect the group to perform many of the reggae master's classics on stage this summer, Harper says the band's performances will reflect the diverse talents and interests of its members.
"Clearly, Bob is the heart and soul of this band," Harper told Rolling Stone last week while rehearsing new iterations of his hit single "Diamonds on the Inside" with Wilson, "but I think we each bring something different and unique to the table. It won't just be reggae; Bob and I may do some more folksy acoustic songs, Chad and Billy can funk things up a bit, and Eric can play any number of styles on bass."
For Smith, of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, Trenchtown Rock represents something completely new and different. "But I like that," he says. "I'm used to dealing with big personalities before with the Chili Peppers, but these guys are so laid back I can fit in perfectly."
Preston, too, has played with some big names--the Beatles and Rolling Stones, for one--but says Trenchtown Rock ranks right up there with the best of them. "This is the perfect summer concert band," he says. "Bob's been kind enough to let me do my thing, bring some funk to the reggae, and I think the sound is beautiful."
Marley, for his part, declined to comment, saying he would "let the music speak for itself." Wilson, when asked about the band
said, "If you want to come talk to me, then you've got to talk to my man Marleeey."
Trenchtown Rock kicks off its summer tour with a performance at San Francisco's Candlestick Park May 27, and continues nationwide through September.