Keyboardist and vocalist Don Blackman made some notable contributions to the tight-knit Jamaica funk scene of the late 70s and early 80s.  He was a key contributor to Lenny White’s more soul-oriented projects, guesting on The Adventures of Astral Pirates in addition to being an original member of Twennynine, where he co-wrote and featured on “Peanut Butter.”  He was also a close friend of Weldon Irvine.

When Twennynine was disbanded, Blackman performed on Bernard Wright’s classic ‘Nard LP, doing the vocals for his composition "Haboglobatribin’.” Shortly after the record’s release, Blackman was signed to Wright’s label GRP.

His 1982 self-titled album is one of the highlights of 80s funk.  An excellent blend of smooth soul and hard-hitting quirky funk, essential cuts include “Holding You, Loving You,” “You Ain’t Hip,” and “Heart’s Desire.” Despite the high quality of material, GRP wasn’t able to promote him as well as, say, Tom Browne, and the album was considered a lost classic prior to being rediscovered on the rare groove circuit.  In the meantime, Blackman returned to playing keys with a variety of artists and produced music for commercials and television.

Blackman made a well-received comeback in 2002 with Listen, issued by Expansion Records.