Jamaican reggae artists in Reggae Music

"I'm So Proud: A Jamaican Tribute to Curtis Mayfield" (01/07/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Sanctuary (USA)Liner Note Author: Laurence Cane-Honeysett. No matter the official history, Jamaica's rocksteady movement of the late '60s wasn't just a response to the hectic rhythms of ska and a few summers of temperatures much sweatier than usual. No, the sweetly sung, down-tempo, rhythm lurch of rocksteady was greatly influenced by one of the biggest artists on Jamaican play lists between 1965 and 1969: Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. Most of the classic rocksteady artists -- the Heptones, the Jamaicans, the Uniques, the Gaylads -- recorded Impressions covers during the late '60s or early '70s, and though they rarely added much to the versions other than a distinct reggae tilt, most were up to the level of all the covers done by American groups. The Trojan compilation I'm So Proud: A Jamaican Tribute to Curtis Mayfield assembles 20 of the best covers (or inspired originals), and would serve well any fan of Mayfield or the Impressions; after all, it's simply not very far from the Impressions' "It's All Right" to Alton Ellis' "Rocksteady." ~ John Bush

"Am I Black Enough for You?: Jamaican Songs of Freedom" (12/07/2004) Reggae Various Artists, Sanctuary (USA)Liner Note Author: Stephen Nye . Black pride and cultural awareness were exploding across the globe in the '70s, from soul and funk rave-ups in the U.S. to Afrobeat and highlife workouts in Africa and finally to reggae meditations in Jamaica, ground zero for the Trojan collection Am I Black Enough for You? Jamaican Songs of Freedom 1970-1979. A slightly different stripped-down mix of Ken Boothe's classic (and hauntingly paranoid) reading of Syl Johnson's "Is It Because I'm Black" leads off the set. Covers of U.S. soul tunes have always been popular with Jamaican crowds and artists, yet the resonance between the two black communities is particularly high here, as Jamaica's independence in the early '60s coincided with the peak momentum of the civil rights movement in the U.S. The Chosen Few, from Jamaica but based for a brief time in Miami, deliver a delicious synth intro to their cover of Billy Paul's "Am I Black Enough for You," and Derrick Harriott glides effortlessly across Eddie Kendricks' classic falsetto in his version of the Temptations' "Message from a Blackman." With their own history of slavery and a deep history of identification with African roots, especially with regard to Rastafarianism, Jamaica's black pride wasn't a mirror of America's Afro-American zeitgeist. The best tracks on Am I Black Enough for You? are homegrown: the Heptones anthem "Black On Black (Be a Man)," "Black Man's World" by Alton Ellis, and Bob Andy's "Fire Burning" are just a few examples. A few choice rarities, including the little-heard "Black Oppressor" from Leo Simpson and "Don't Call Me Nigger" from the Soul Twins, round out this inspired set. ~ Wade Kergan

"Arise Rootsman: Jamaican Roots 1965-1983" (09/23/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Sanctuary (USA)Liner Note Author: Michael DeKoningh. A two-disc set drawn from the Trojan vaults, Arise Rootsman is a varied and well-sequenced tour of Jamaican roots reggae. Highlights are frequent, including the opening track, "After a Storm," by Justin Hinds & the Dominoes, "Train to Glory," by the Ethiopians, and the best version the Heptones did of one of their best songs, "Hypocrite." An early Wailing Souls track, "Harbour Shark," is a particular delight. ~ Steve Leggett

"The Reggae Box [Box]" (11/13/2001) Reggae Various Artists, Hip-O RecordsRecorded between 1962 and 2000. Includes liner notes by David Katz and Dana G. Smart. Digitally remastered by Gavin Lurssen (The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, California). Personnel: Steven "Cat" Coore, Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Michael "Ibo" Cooper (vocals, keyboards, marimba, percussion); Dr. Israel (vocals, programming); Desmond Dekker (vocals, background vocals); Dave Barker, Derrick Morgan, Divaship, Donald "Tabby" Shaw, William "Bunny" Clarke, Junior Menz, Barry Llewellyn, Jackie Robinson, John Holt , Justin Hinds, Leonard Dillon, Max Romeo, Norris Weir, Brenton Dowe, Tommy Cowan, Toots Hibbert, Winston Rodney, Bernard Collins, Sydney Crooks (vocals); Danny Browne (guitar, keyboards); Bertram Ranchie McLean, Dalton Browne, Dwight Pinkney, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, Eric Frater, Ernest Ranglin, Harry Haughton, Bobby Aitken , Radcliffe Bryan, Geoffrey Chung, Glen Browne, Al Yasha Anderson, Hector Williams, Cleon Douglas, Winston Bowen, Julian Marvin, Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, Lyn Taitt, Alva Lewis, Peter Tosh, Tony Chin, Barry Reynolds, Willie Lindo, Noel Sowell Bailey, Hux Brown, Robert "Billy" Johnson, Bunny Rugs (guitar); Lennox Brown (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jackie Mittoo (alto saxophone, keyboards); Dean Fraser, Mark West, Headley Bennett, Herman Marquis, Lester Sterling, Carl Bryan (alto saxophone); Dirty Harry Hall, Bobby Gaynair, Roydel Johnson, Dennis Campbell, Glen DaCosta, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Val Bennett (tenor saxophone); David Madden, Oswald "Baba" Brooks, Raymond Harper, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Dick Cuthell, Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Don Drummond, Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Ronald "Nambo" Robinson, Ron Wilson , Rico Rodriguez, Carl Masters (trombone); Ansel Collins (organ, keyboards); Handel Tucker (keyboards, percussion); Earl "Wire" Lindo, Franklyn Waul, Tyrone "Organ D" Bownie, Lawrence Lewis, Gladstone Anderson, Glen Adams, Ian "Willy" Winter, Harold Butler, Joe White, Keith Sterling, Leslie Butler, Neville Hinds, Richard Ace, Robert Lyn, Sidney Mills, Aubrey Adams, Augustus Pablo, B.B. Seaton, Theophilus Beckford, Wally Badarou, Winston Wright, Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson, Bernard Touter Harvey, Errol "Tarzan" Nelson, Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale, Bobby Kalphat (keyboards); Cleveland "Clevie" Browne, Fish Clarke, Joe Isaacs, Max Asher, Fil Callender, Albert Malawi, Hugh Malcolm, Arkland "Drumbago" Parks, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Lincoln Style Scott, Lloyd Knibbs, Neville Grant, Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Winston Grennan, Paul Douglas , Lloyd "Tinleg" Adams, Mikey "Boo" Richards, Basil "Benbow" Creary, Melbourne Miller, Carlton "Carlie" Barrett (drums); Herman Davis, Bongo Les, Christopher Blake, Irvin Jarrett, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ruddy Thomas, Winston Riley, Alvin "Seeco" Patterson, Noel "Scully" Simms, Larry McDonald, Denzel Laing, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion); George Dekker, Tony Anderson , Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Michael Bennett , Rita Marley (background vocals). Audio Remixer: Hugo Dwyer. Recording information: A-Class, London, England; Anchor Recording, Kingston, Jamaica; Aquarius, Kingston, Jamaica; Basing Street, London, England; Channel One Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Dynamic Sound Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Federal Recording Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Harry J. Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Island Studios, London, England; Jamaica Broadcast Company (JBL), Kingston, Jamaica; Jamaica Recording & Publishing Studios, Kingston, Jamai; Jammy's, Kingston, Jamaica; Joe Gibbs Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; King Tubby's, Kingston, Jamaica; Mixing Lab, Kingston, Jamaica; Musicworks; Penthouse, Kingston, Jamaica; Randy's Studio 17, Kingston, Jamaica; Sliekshan Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Sonic Sounds, Kingston, Jamaica; Stone Love, Kingston, Jamaica; The Black Ark, Kingston, Jamaica; Treasure Isle, Kingston, Jamaica; Tuff Gong, Kingston, Jamaica; West Indies Record Label, Kingston, Jamaica. Director: Dub Organiser. Photographer: Ebet Roberts. Arrangers: Harry Mudie; Lloyd James; Stuart Brown; Sug

"Original Jamaican Sound System Style: 21 R'n'B Scorchers" (08/12/2003) R&B Various Artists, EMI Music DistributionIt'll take a while to explain this record to your friends, but what a concept. To be brief, Jamaican sound systems were once hungry for music (hard to imagine since rocksteady and reggae records would soon be issued as fast as newspapers), so the DJs turned to the world of American R&B. Original Jamaican Sound System Style features many of the American tunes Jamaican DJs were spinning in the '50s, and it's evidence that they had excellent taste. The liner notes are fantastic, and you can't even pretend that every song on here isn't anything but jaunty and rollicking Friday night fish-fry fun. But don't forget that the sound systems overdrove these tracks through monolithic but cheap speakers; they mixed the tracks in with their own Jamaican R&B, and entranced audiences with shouts of babble. To hear it would be amazing but the ultraclean digital remasters here only hint at the experience. It's unfortunate that no one dug up a tape of the real deal, but this is evidence that someone should try. ~ David Jeffries

"Down Santic Way (Santics Jamaican Productions 1973-75)" (04/26/2005) Reggae Various Artists, Pressure Sounds

"Jamaican Lovers Reggae" (12/14/1999) Reggae Various Artists, Roots & Culture

"Trojan Box Set: A Jamaican Story [Box] [Limited]" (05/22/2001) Reggae Various Artists, Trojan (Cityhall)This is a numbered limited edition 30 CD box set. Performers include: Bob Marley, Lee Perry, I-Roy, Desmond Dekker, Dennis Brown, Justin Hinds, Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis, Dave & Ansel Collins, The Upsetters, Tommy McCook, U-Roy, King Tubby, Gregory Isaacs, Derrick Morgan, Delroy Wilson, Dennis Alcapone, The Pioneers, Toots & The Maytals. Contains 500 tracks. This whopping 30-CD box set gathers together the best of Trojan's three-disc box set series. Included are the Ska, DJ, Dub, Instrumentals, Jamaican Superstars, Lovers, Producer Series, Rocksteady, Roots, and Tribute to Bob Marley volumes, each of which can be found under Trojan Box Set for their individual reviews. What's lacking here is a booklet with additional notes and information; the bulk seems to demand some extra coverage and care, yet all that's here are the original notes of each volume -- only as much text as can fit on the back of the CD sleeves. From a music standpoint, however, this box is excellent; a truly diverse and comprehensive collection. Of the 500 songs, less than ten reappear on another volume, so you get a more-than-satisfying amount of music spanning the history of the Trojan label. ~ Joslyn Layne

"Out of Many, One (Jamaican Music 62-75)" (02/15/1989) Reggae Various Artists, Trojan (Cityhall)

"Ska-ntastic: Vintage Jamaican Ska 1963-66" (11/23/1999) Reggae Various Artists, Richmond (USA)Ska-ntastic: Vintage Jamaican Ska 1963-66 is a terrific compilation of classic rock-steady ska from the mid-'60s. It includes better-known artists such as the Skatalites (with six songs, including "Love in the Afternoon" and the band's take on Duke Ellington's "Caravan" entitled "Ska-Ra-Van"); vocalist Jackie Opel (with the soulful "Pictures of Smoke") and trumpeter Baba Brooks (here with the Trenton Spence Orchestra on "Five O'Clock Whistle"); and virtually unknown but strong performing groups like the Jetts ("Someone"), Bibby and the Astronauts ("Please Beverley," and the Angelic Brothers ("Ten Virgins"). The sound quality is not the clearest, but there is no hiss, and the slight muddiness resulting from the age of the tapes does not detract from this excellent music. ~ Joslyn Layne