10 Ft. Ganja Plant

by Dave Shim

Hailing from upstate New York, surely one of the more unlikely locales for an authentic reggae act, 10 Ft. Ganja Plant are a mysterious roots and dub collective and splinter group of the better-known Ithaca, NY-based eight-piece John Brown's Body. Known for impromptu -- rarely announced or promoted -- live shows that incorporate a loose, improvisatory jam band feel, the group garnered some renown in the Northeast U.S. live music circuit throughout the 2000s. 10 Ft. Ganja Plant debuted in 2000 with the independently released Presents, a more dub-flavored, instrumental affair than anything released by their parent group. ROIR, no stranger to classic dub and reggae, signed the band in 2001, releasing their follow-up, Hillside Airstrip. The group soldiered on with three more releases for ROIR -- Midnight Landing (2003), Bass Chalice (2005), and Bushrock (2009) -- that revealed influences and echoes of '70s roots, from the close vocal harmonies of the Meditations to the dark, bass-heavy productions of Black Ark-era Lee "Scratch" Perry.