MJP: you mention Tosh as a guitarist, does he have any instrumental albums?
No. Very early on he made some instrumental singles as an organist (under the name Peter Touch - which was what everyone called him in Jamaica), but the only later instrumentals you'll hear are the versions (dubs), and they are hard to come by for Tosh. You have to have the 7" singles to hear most of them.
He wasn't comparable to Ranglin, he was not a lead guitarist, and he was not a formally educated musician. His playing was great
within the context of the songs. I imagine most people would not be impressed by an instrumental album of his music. I didn't even realize what he was up to until I saw him play, and watched him work the Cry Baby for an hour and a half (while singing, conducting and performing). His guitar weaved in and out of the music like an embroidery needle, always laying the perfect stitches right where they needed to be. It was something to see, and I've seen a lot of guitarists play.
Fiyah, I tell ya!
The component parts of reggae, taken by themselves, are usually unimpressive. They would not be particularly technically challenging to most musicians, but it's not as easy to play as it sounds. Kind of like Bukowski's poetry. Its simplicity hides its genius. The magic (when it happens) lies in the way all those seemingly unimpressive parts are put together. Then, in context, you can see how important each part is. The right method of blending the ingredients - that's what makes it
swing, babies!