W. B. Garvey
W. B. Garvey is a relative of the famous pan-Africanist and
Jamaican National Hero, Marcus Garvey. While going through
his deceased father's papers, Garvey learned that his
grandfather had been a railroad engineer who worked on the
Panama Canal during its construction. That revelation
sparked years of research and correspondence that led to the
writing of Panama
Fever: Digging Down Gold Mountain.
A classically-trained violinist, W.B. Garvey has
performed as soloist with
renowned symphony orchestras and as a recitalist in major
U.S. concert halls. Garvey has appeared with the New
York City Opera and the Black Music Repertory Ensemble and
made studio recordings with major artists such as Frank
Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett and Wynton Marsalis,
as well as playing for over a hundred film scores including
Martin Scorsese's Age of Innocence, Spike Lee's
Malcolm X and Woody Allen's Purple Rose of Cairo.
W.B. Garvey was born in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the
University of Southern California.
He has lived in Kingston, Jamaica, and London,
England, and currently resides in New York City.