Before there was Rihanna, there was Grace Jones.
The Jamaican-born model was a sensation starting in the late Seventies, bringing an exotic island flair to the music industry with funked-up reggae jams like the classics “My Jamaican Guy” and “Pull Up to the Bumper”. She also was wildly adventurous when it came to cover material, tackling music by Roxy Music, The Pretenders and Tom Petty, among others. She was a fashion icon as well as an acclaimed actress, with well-received performances in “Conan the Destroyer” and “A View to a Kill”, as well as a drop-dead hilarious role in Eddie Murphy’s “Boomerang” back in the early Nineties.
Although it’s been out overseas for some time, her latest album, Hurricane, is only now being prepared for a September release here in the States. Her backing band alone might be worth the price of admission, including longtime collaborators Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, as well as Brian Eno and Tricky.
Thirty-five years later, Grace has still got it, as the latest track, “Sunset Sunrise” should indicate. Check it out here.
Look for more on Hurricane as the release date draws near.