Aston “Family Man” Barrett is a living connection to Bob Marley’s legacy, and the leader of the Wailers, a band that began with Marley and lives on after the legend’s death in 1981.

With the Wailers, Barrett and band are coming to Hawaii, with 14 shows over seven nights, beginning Monday at the Blue Note Hawaii.

The band’s residency at Waikiki’s new sanctuary for jazz and roots music will give lovers of reggae a golden opportunity to see this storied group, and to hear the “one-drop” reggae rhythms fueled by the bass lines and arrangements of Barrett, architect of the Wailers’ current sound.

The legacy and spirit of the Wailers’ collaborations with Marley continue in the current band. Many of Marley’s most well-known songs are part of the Wailers’ repertoire, with vocals presented by lead singer Dwayne “Danglin’” Anglin.

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Listeners who come to the Wailers because of Barrett’s collaborations with Bob Marley know how important his musicianship is and has been to the band. He’s now been a linchpin of the Wailers for multiple generations, playing up to 200 dates a year around the world.

“I am keeping the promise made to Bob to spread this music with people all over the world, bringing positive vibrations for so many,” said Barrett, 69, responding to questions from Australia last week. “It is the greatest legacy we could leave for the music.”

“The same standards and style that we played these songs in back then is still followed today. Nearly all the songs that were performed live are also played at shows. The band connects with the audience through these songs.”

Barrett and his younger brother, Carlton “Carly” Barrett, started out as the studio rhythm section for Lee Perry, dubbed The Upsetters. From the time Barrett was a youth, he was part of a musical movement that would eventually reach and move listeners around the world, and often serve as a soundtrack to resistance.

In 1969, Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh recruited Barrett and his younger brother to play with them. After Wailer and Tosh left, in 1973, the Barrett brothers were the nucleus of the Wailers.

The “one drop” style of creating a back-beat on the third beat of each four, leaving the first beat empty, was popularized by Carlton Bennett, with his brother — as heard on Wailers megahits such as “No Woman, No Cry.”

Aston Barrett’s bass line informs Wailers hits including “Lively Up Yourself,” “Trenchtown Rock,” “One Love” and many more.

“My brother, Carlton, and I were the heartbeat and rhythm of reggae’s most well-known music,” Barrett said. “To meet up with so many people around the world who feel it in the one drop means that this, our greatest mission, is being fulfilled.”

When Carlton Barrett died in 1987, Aston Barrett soldiered on, leading the Wailers as the band continued recording and traveling.

And he is still enjoying the touring life in 2016, he said.

“The touring life has not stopped for me for 50 years, I am happy to have had the blessing to connect with so many over the years and spread this message of roots rock reggae,” he said.

“We are playing sets that represent albums like ‘Survival,’ ‘Exodus,’ ‘Uprising,’ ‘Babylon by Bus,’ ‘Legend’ — just as we did after they were released, so it is a joy to play these songs for the people.

“The audiences are the reason that we continue. … We just came from Australia; in the past year we have been to India, the U.K., South America, Dubai and more. As long as the people want to sing these songs of freedom, we will keep this movement of Jah people going.”

Together with Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold in excess of 250 million albums worldwide, but Barrett’s musical life is not solely tied to the past. His son, Aston Barrett Jr., is also a member of the band, and separately belongs to a band called Reggae Force, sometimes collaborating with his father.

Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Burning Spear. In recent years, they have collaborated with Kenny Chesney, Eve, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

“We use the time we have when not performing to constantly be recording new material,” Barrett said. “We have new Wailers music coming out soon.”

On this tour, in addition to lead vocalist Anglin, bassist Barrett and Barrett Jr., the band includes Joshua Barrett, who shares vocal duties, Audley “Chizzy” Chisholm on lead guitar, Basil “Benbow” Creary on drums, Mel “Ras Mel” Glover on rhythm guitar, Chaka Taylor on keyboards and Cegee Victory providing backing vocals.

Anglin, speaking by phone from his hotel room in Australia last week, echoed Barrett’s love for the music and the message.

“We get the strength to do what is needed,” Anglin said. “I look at it as an opportunity to play a part in life, to put forward the positive vibrations. There is much satisfaction in that. The people really rely on us to inspire.

“My ideal performance is attuned to the message, not just the mood,” he said. “We spread love and unity. Until these things are in place, it’s the people we focus on.

“We want to see people come forth, to be part of the solution,” he said. “If we’re inspiring, we’re doing the job.”

Aston Barrett leads the band and provides the tone for that inspiration, Anglin said, exuding an energy and spirituality that motivates him.

“It’s more observation than anything verbal,” Anglin said. “Family Man is more about actions and movements, rather than words. When we do have interactions, it’s often very brief, often very profound.

“More than people might expect, he has a keen ear for new music,” Anglin said.

In Australia, the Wailers shared stages with hip-hop sensation Kendrick Lamar and soul singer D’Angelo, and the band paid attention, Anglin said: “Yeah mon, our ears are open.”