Clinton Curtis grew up between the islands of Key West and Jamaica. The son of musicians and reggaehall owners, he was always surrounded by music. As a child, he helped sound-check all the acts that appeared at his parents’ legendary Club Kokua on Negril Beach. He played with and learned from some of the Jamaican giants — including Gregory Issacs and Desmond Dekker.

He was a classical pianist at 8, and formed his first group – a 10-piece R&B band at 13. Around that time, he started making ...