College Street Music Hall Weekly Round up: Beres Hammond announced

Beres Hammond
College Street Music Hall – 238 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510
August 15, 2025
Click here to purchase tickets

Beres Hammond

Don’t be deceived by Beres Hammond’s cool profile. The playful smile, the unassuming demeanor, the beard and the cap and the spectacles might lull you into forgetting that you’re in the presence of an awesome musical talent, Jamaica’s greatest practicing singer/songwriter. Beres remains cool, though he knows that he’s one of a handful of people responsible for maintaining a mighty legacy of soulful reggae music—a select group of artists like Toots and Gregory, like Dennis and Bob. “Father bless me with a song,” he pleads on the last cut of his latest album, Music Is Life, “to make the whole world sing along. Regardless of the race, regardless of the taste.” In the year 2021, the blessings just keep coming, and the world is just starting to catch on.

Over the course of five decade career, Beres has poured his smoky-sweet voice—an instrument of subtlety and power reminiscent of an Otis Redding or a Teddy Pendergrass—over every kind of riddim track, from the funked-up reggae jams of the ’70s fusion band Zap Pow to the lush instrumentation of his 1976 album Soul Reggae to the spare digital beat of his 1985 dancehall breakthrough “What One Dance Can Do.” In 1990, his album A Love Affair for Donovan Germaine’s Penthouse label raised his popularity to new heights. Cuts like “Tempted To Touch” and “Who Say” with Buju Banton are still as effective in the dancehall today as they were as pre-releases. The ’90s proved to be Hammond’s decade, during which he blazed a trail of modern classics for a variety of producers, from the strugglers’ anthem “Putting Up Resistance” (Tappa) to lovers’ laments like “Come Back Home” (Star Trail) and “Double Trouble” (Steely & Clevie).

Beres started building his home studio in the early ’90s, before it became the trend among successful reggae artists to take over their own production duties. But his spontaneous method of composing, and his unwillingness to compromise, made a home studio the natural choice. Although the trend of self-production as a whole has, at times, diluted the quality of music coming from isolated individuals poking at computer keyboards, Beres’s little music room attracts a steady stream of Jamaica’s most talented musicians.

“The room have a sound,” he says of his simple but effective analog sound lab. “Some of them say it remind them of the old days at Channel One.” Ace session bands like the Roots Radics, drummers like Sly Dunbar, hornsmen like Dean Fraser, and a variety of talented singers and deejays, both veterans and up-and-comers—all come to “hold a joy”, play a game of Ludi, share a smoke and a laugh, and to make music together. “When they go in my studio, they don’t want to come out,” Beres explains with humorous understatement. But he knows all too well that the survival of classical reggae music depends on such oases of creativity. “We a try bring back the golden days of the Seventies, when reggae had the live drums and horn sections.”

The rub-a-dub groove of his smash single “They Gonna Talk” (track two on Music Is Life) was recorded right there in the home studio by Flabba Holt and Style Scott of the legendary Roots Radics, whose riddims are clearly as powerful today as when they were the backing band for giants like Gregory Isaacs. No computer can rock quite as steady as these veteran musicians. “I personally don’t believe in a whole heap of technology business,” says Beres. “It’s all about what you have to offer. As long as your vibes is there, that’s what the people feel.”

Beres’s sophisticated musical taste is well suited to translate easily across cultural divides, yet the international reggae massive has remained his most loyal fan base. He did collaborate on Maxi Priest’s first American hit, “How Can We Ease The Pain,” in 1990. A brief encounter with Elektra Records in 1994 yielded the excellent but under-appreciated album In Control with its R&B-flavored single “No Disturb Sign.”

In 2002, the album Music Is Life was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. The album contained two of what would become Hammond’s top songs, “Rock Away” and “They Gonna Talk.” The album was supported by a sold-out concert at New York City’s storied Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center on April 21, 2001.

The album A Moment In Time, released in 2008, and One Love, One Life, released in 2014, respectively, topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, with “I Feel Good” and “In My Arms” becoming the standout tracks from each album. One Love, One Life was nominated for the 56th Grammy Award.

In 2018, the album Never Ending, debuted at number one on the Billboard Reggae Chart again and was also number one on iTunes Reggae Chart in the US, UK and Japan, lodging another hit song “My Kinda Girl” among his career standouts.

On February 28, 2021, Harmony House and VP Records presented Love From A Distance Live, a streaming event for Hammond’s global fanbase during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. The event, featuring special guest appearances by Buju Banton, Marcia Griffiths, and Popcaan, drew over 120,000 viewers from around the world and resonated as one of the great achievements of his long and storied career.

Share your College Street Music Hall experience with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram

Click here for the upcoming concerts in Connecticut
Click here for more information about College Street Music Hall
Click here for the latest news at College Street Music Hall
Click here for the upcoming events at College Street Music Hall
Click here for the latest news in New Haven
Click here for the upcoming events in New Haven
Click here for the latest news in New Haven County
Click here for the upcoming events in New Haven County

Click here for New Haven Merch

#thenewhavenlife • 203newhaven • I Clover New Haven • I Really Really Miss New Haven • I’d rather be in New Haven• Just a kid from New Haven • New Haven Coordinates

Connecticut souvenirs, Connecticut tee shirts, connecticut apparel • Finding Connecticut — shop.findingconnecticut.com

Don’t Miss

• Yale Schwarzman Center announces summer lineup of music, dance, and cirque
• Quassy Amusement Park partners with small businesses for new gift shop
• Melting Pot to open New Haven location, expanding city’s culinary scene with interactive fondue dining

•••• Message center – Connecticut savings and messages from our sponsors •••••••

Connecticut Merch

If you’re from Connecticut or just love it, then you’ve come to the right place. Show your state pride with our assortment of unique Connecticut merchandise.

Our popular collections 203 • Two o’ Three • 860 • Eight Six O’ • I Really Really Miss Connecticut • Just a kid from Connecticut • Love & Live • Connecticut Fall

We also have merch by town, not all towns are available yet. You can always contact us and we can order the design you are looking for.

Save 10% on all products with promo code Post10. Always free shipping

Matt Berninger of The National to Perform at District Music Hall on June 1

Matt Berninger, the distinctive baritone voice behind Grammy-winning indie rock band The National, is set to perform at District Music Hall in Norwalk, Connecticut, on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. This concert is part of his solo tour supporting his upcoming album, Get Sunk, which is scheduled for release on May 30. Known for his introspective lyrics and emotive performances, Berninger’s solo work continues to explore themes of vulnerability and human connection. Click here to purchase tickets.

Gourmet Cookies

Indulge in Keksi gourmet cookies, featuring classic flavors such as chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, as well as new monthly creations. Made with the highest quality ingredients, each bite is a delicious treat. Perfect for any cookie lover!

Movie showtimes at Prospector Theater

Looking to see a movie. Click here for showtimes

Save on CBD!

My name is Jillian, and I am the editor here at Finding Connecticut. When I came across New England Hemp Farm a few years ago, I had recently had my ankle fused. New England Hemp Farm’s Sports Relief Rub and 500 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil have helped with everyday and weather pain.

Finding quality products that can improve your day-to-day life can be tough, but with New England Hemp Farm, getting a good night’s sleep or relieving your pain and anxiety has never been easier. Plus, using our code Findingconnecticut35, you’ll save 35% on your first purchase. And don’t forget, returning customers can use code Findingconnecticut20 to save 20% on orders. Let us help you find relief and savings with New England Hemp Farm.

Products we use here at Finding Connecticut include Sports Relief Rub • 500 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil • Pet Drops • Pet Treats

Let’s create with Victory Designs

Need help with your creative needs? Our team has 20+ years of experience with Adobe, Shopify, and WordPress, and we offer affordable graphic design and web services. Let Victory Designs assist you with bringing your ideas to life.

Connecticut business owners:
Are you a local business owner in Connecticut looking to boost your visibility and reach more customers? Look no further! Our platform provides a unique opportunity to showcase your business to an engaged audience of people who love and live in Connecticut. By partnering with us, you can reach potential customers who are actively seeking things to do, places to dine, and local merchants and service providers to support. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow your business and connect with the local community!

Connecticut with us!

Stay informed with daily news directly in your inbox! Our service is completely free, and we guarantee your privacy – your email and information will never be shared, traded, or sold.

Stay connected with us on social media
Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Tiktok • X • Newsbreak • Bluesky
Join our Reddit community

Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram

Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page

Don’t miss our reviews

Concert reviews • Restaurant reviews • Family restaurant reviews

Looking for the latest news by region, topic, and events

Foxwoods Resort Casino announces May Entertainment Lineup

ICYMI: Our top 5 visited stories of the week

College Street Music Hall Weekly Round up: Beres Hammond announced