Winston Grennan’s approach to rhythm helped inaugurate the slow groove of Jamaican rock-steady in the mid-1960s, when he was the leading drummer in the island's top session bands. He continued to back every noteworthy artist in Jamaica, in the early reggae period, including Bob Marley, and trained a number of other notable drummers before leaving the island in 1972. Since then he has pursued a more diverse career in the U.S. that has included stints with Paul Simon and Dizzy Gillespie.

   In his native Jamaica, Winston Grennan holds legendary status, though his long absence from Kingston's recording scene has meant he does not always get a mention. But as a premier exponent of the rock-steady idiom and creator of the one-drop beat, Grennan is among Jamaica's original master drummers, one who has created a unique playing style and made important contributions to the island's popular music.