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Irie Time - In Another Time Having been to Houston, Texas on a couple of occasions, I can attest to the multicultural vibe of the place. Reggae is of course a key component, and a big part of that is Irie Time, a supremely skilled quartet of players and singers who also bring helpings of soca, dub, pop and jazz to their celebration. The title track of In Another Time, presented in both English and Spanish versions, is in fact more Trinidad carnival than Kingston sound system, as is the chipper “Wings of Love.” Plus, the brooding simmer of “The Calling” and measured pensiveness of “With You” show signs of rock and roll balladry. But reggae fans need not fear; their favored riddims are front and center on cuts like the Lucky Dube-ish “I know It’s True” and warm opener “I’d Choose You,” both of which are reprised as dub versions later in the disc. Then there’s “Won’t You Come Love Me” (again with corresponding dub), which is equal parts reggae and calypso. Guitarist and lead vocalist Scottie McDonald has just enough Texas gravel in his playing and singing to mark this as an album from beyond Caribbean shores, and with the able support of Abayomi Oluwole (keyboards), Jairus Mage (bass and vocals) and Yemi Ajayi (drums and vocals), things are tied up tight and yes, very irie indeed. I’m pretty sure this is the band’s second release, and it’s full of lively island music that’s guaranteed to please. -Tom Orr Inherent Music	Joshua Alo - Orchid Unknown A Hawaiian, a U.S. Air Force veteran and a singer/songwriter/guitarist, Joshua Alo made a pleasingly mellow reggae album called Answer Your Calling back in 2007. Seems he’s opted to take his own advice and continue making music, and that’s something to be glad of. On that first disc Alo was pictured hooded, eyes hidden and a bit mysterious. Open up the sleeve of Orchid Unknown and see how he appears four years later: dreadlocked, bearded, holding his baby daughter like a lion protecting a cub. I’m guessing he’s not a convert to Rastafari, since Christ Jesus is given prominent thanks in the liner notes and bigged up more than a few times lyrically. The big change is that the militant thrust of this new release comes across as appreciably harder (occasional ukulele riffs notwithstanding) and more rootsy than the fairly laid-back air of its predecessor. Alo’s singing is fresh and direct, with only a minimal edge of Jamaican accentuation and a delivery that oozes like molten lava throughout songs structured around classically structured one drop and rockers riddims played by a full band including horns and female backup singers. If that sounds like the basis for blazingly good reggae music, well, get yourself a copy of Orchid Unknown and have a listen. You might find the lover’s-rock-with-substance “Treasure In My Chest” a particular favorite, or think the soldierly tribute “Hold On” hits the mark no matter how much you abhor war. Perhaps the sincere spirituality of “Feel It In The Air,” “Lukewarm,” “Psalm 146” or acoustic closer “The Essence” will be more to your liking. Or maybe you’ll find the whole thing one fiery reggae statement that never ceases to burn bright. Quite impressive. -Tom Orr World Souljah Music
Various Artists - A Blessing of Love Vol. 1 The descriptions “Conscious Reggae Vibes” and “Niceness” are among the words spread across the blue sky/blue sea cover of this CD, and the music is a slackness-free selection that delivers as promised. With songs composed by Glenn Middleton and arranged and produced by keyboardist Michael Hyde, A Blessing of Love presents its title topic in both personal and divine terms. So roots and lover’s rock each get a share of the spotlight and each refresh in equal measure. Soulful crooner Carl Smith is the primary lead vocalist, sounding silky strong on love songs like “Don’t Fight the Feeling” and pop-ish “From Jah With Love” as well as travelogue endorsement “Sweet Belize.” The title track is sung with gusto by the Wailing Souls’ Lloyd “Bread” McDonald, who’s also in peak form on “It’s All About You.” Veteran guitarist Tony Chin provides typically sharp punctuation throughout the album plus lead vocals on “Cool Down Jah Children” and “Without Jah Love,” reminders of his often-overlooked singing skills. A real rarity is a lead vocal by drummer Santa Davis, who narrates the tale “Telling My Story” with take-heed authority. From opener “Living in Uncertain Times” to appropriately reassuring finish “Thank You Jah” (Carl Smith’s best vocal of the lot), A Blessing of Love will come in handy whenever you’re in need of music that will give your aching heart or flagging spirits a lift. -Tom Orr Rising Star Records	Dub Vision- Counter Attack! They get a lot of their licks in and earn a good part of their living as the touring backup band for Don Carlos, but Dub Vision is leading their own charge on Counter Attack! It’s a great listen, but before you cue it up, take a moment to get an eyeful of the cartoon cover art. An urban crowd of all types is seen dancing to music piped in by a trio of mysterious-looking dudes in a helicopter as a cop looks on sternly and one guy in the foreground runs away with his ears covered and his face looking pained. Count me in with the crowd from the get go. Counter Attack! opens with the title track, a scorching reggae/dub/ska instrumental hybrid followed by the mellow breather “Cool Summer” and echoey urgency of “Gimme Jah Love.” The dub heavy riddim and ghostly melodica of “Trod On” is enriched with conscious commentary from Don Carlos himself, one of three appearances he makes on the album. Another familiar voice, that of Wadi Gad, gives “Rebel Sounds” added potency atop a somber pulse and distantly thundering guitar chords. The inclusion of those guests would be enough to make the disc a keeper, but once you factor in the contributions of lesser-known but talented singers like Malika Madremana on the Afrocentric “Child of Israel,” another hard-hitting instrumental by way of “Double O Stash” and the band living entirely up to their name as they roll out the concluding “Extrication,” there’s enough variety and pure reggae satisfaction to push this one from keeper to killer. -Tom Orr Big Cup Music
Shango Trex - Shango Trex I don’t know where this guy is from or how his self-titled CD (apparently released in 2009) reached me. But whoever Shango Trex is, he can sing, and apart from a few tiresome girl-you’re-so-sexy sentiments, he’s singing about things that matter. He pleads for help for the younger set on “Fi Di Youts Dem,” gets smoky on “High Grade,” spells out what we all must do to bask in “Our Glory,” reads the “Writing On The Wall” and advises people everywhere to “Rise and Unite.” The backing, aside from some real guitars, horns and percussion, is mostly digital and the riddims mostly straight-up reggae with some dancehall and r & b in spots. The disc seemed pretty undistinguished the first time I listened to it, but on the second go some finer points, like strong background vocals and nyabinghi subtleties, began to emerge. I took a closer look at the credits and saw the familiar names of Jerry Johnson on sax and Glen Brown on kette drums, plus the fact that the disc was mastered (and presumably recorded) in New York City, which has certainly been one of Jamaican music’s second homes. Some truly outstanding songs aside, this isn’t really killer or crucial reggae. But if not great, it’s certainly good. Shango Trex has a clear, assured voice, and with any luck at all, his next album will truly be the one that heralds his arrival on the scene. -Tom Orr Stashang/E2 Recordings	Zion - Crying For Freedom If you were to simply read the names of the songs on this CD, you’d conclude that it was one bummer of an affair. Aside from the title track, there’s “Freedom Cry,” “Crying To World Leaders” and “Can’t Stop These Tears.” Okay, there’s a theme at work here, and you’d be correct in assuming that weeping and wailing play major roles in it. Just don’t go thinking they’re the be-all and end-all. This is roots reggae (“the freshest on the planet,” according to the back cover blurb), and although the sense of truth that goes with such music can lead to the shedding of tears, the more hopeful and lighthearted aspects of reggae enter the picture during Crying For Freedom’s 70-minute running time. The last album by Dominica’s Desmond “Zion” Albert’s was 2010’s Strictly Roots, which managed to sound worthy of the title despite being recorded entirely by Zion himself on a Roland 2480. His new one takes the same approach (though I’m pretty sure I hear some female background vocals in there) and sounds just as good, with Zion’s Marley-ish vocals setting comfortably atop layered riddims comprised of drum, bass, guitar, keyboard and percussion parts that sound none the worse for being less than organic. And the songs are all strong, with “Man From Galilee,” Hearts Of Man,” “Is This The Way,” “Live As One” and “New World Order” particular standouts. You could easily compare Crying For Freedom to Strictly Roots and call it more of the same, but that “same” is crisp, high quality reggae from start to finish. Now let’s hear what this guy can do with a live band. I bet it’d be truly great. -Tom Orr Skank Records
Blue Glaze Mento Band - We Will Wait Before ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub or dancehall, Jamaica gave us mento. It was and is the music affiliated with the island’s rural regions, and like the calypso music from elsewhere in the Caribbean, mento is a melodic examination of topical matters, cultural concerns, longstanding traditions and human quirks. There’s likely to be a few cheerfully bawdy lyrics in the picture as well, albeit with a subtlety that makes warning stickers unnecessary. The Blue Glaze Mento Band have been masters of the style since 1967 but haven’t recorded many albums, so this new release of theirs is a must for anyone wanting an earful of delightfully deep Jamaican roots. And I’m talking real roots. The instrumentation is an all-acoustic mash of guitars, banjo, percussion and anchoring rhumba box providing low end in place of a bass. Such an array is precisely what’s needed to accompany the rustic, comfortably worn lead vocals of front man and main composer Vernal Morgan as he weighs in on celebratory matters (“Wheel and Turn Me,” “Skanking Mood”), everyday struggles (“Suffering Time”) and humorous anecdotes (“Parson, Don’t Bury the Man,” “Mo Bay Chinaman,” “Night Food”). Some heavyweight guest artists give the whole affair even more of a classic feel, including Stranger Cole providing suitably resilient singing for his composition “Rough and Tough,” Toots Hibbert in finest gospel mode on “Great Jehovah” and Bunny Wailer likewise calling out to a higher power on the title track. While such names suggest that reggae fans will find enjoyment in this album, the jaunty, thumping rhythms (seasoned throughout by another esteemed guest, percussionist Sticky Thompson) assure as much. For all its vintage shadings, We Will Wait sounds perfectly fresh and ready to provide repeated listening pleasure. -Tom Orr Bilmon Productions	The Green - Ways & Means I was plenty impressed by last year’s self-titled debut from The Green, a young Hawaiian outfit that nailed the nuances of roots and pop reggae with strong songwriting, solid riddims and rich singing marking them as one of the very best reggae acts to represent the 50th state. (I believe I mistakenly referred to them as The Green Band when their first one came out, for which I apologize.) It’s good to see and hear them back with a follow-up so soon, this time on the noted independent reggae label Easy Star. They haven’t dropped so much as a notch in quality; in fact, Ways & Means is better than its predecessor. The music is more confident, and as the titles and lyrics of such songs as “Keep On,” “Gotta Be” and “That’s The Way” show, The Green know their strengths and play to them. Such strengths include both love songs and consciousness, some comfortable mixing of pop structure hooks with reggae beats and keeping it real so far as using all-real instruments goes. They’re pretty free and easy with their arrangements, too. Listen to how “Decisions” ditches the beat and goes ballad at the end or the tightness with which the title track jumps from one drop to near-ska and makes room for guitar and keyboard solos in the process. Respect is due to the additional musicians who augment the four Greens and to Jacob Hemphill of SOJA, who roughs up the smoothness of “Come In” with his guest vocals. The grass is getting greener for The Green, and spending your green on this sweet release is advised. -Tom Orr Easy Star Records
Digitaldubs - Digitaldubs #1 You could take the name of this Brazilian collective as “dig ital dubs,” since they add a good deal of organic embellishments (such as real bass, percussion and horns) to keyboards and programmed drums. The result is a dynamic, hard-hitting blend of roots accents and modern pulses. Reminders of the music’s Brazilian origins are to be heard in Dada Yute, Tiano Bless and Jeru Banto’s vocal contributions, but mainly it’s Jamaican and U.K. reggae/dub echoed here. Ranking Joe, Earl Sixteen and Aswad’s Brinsley Forde step up to the microphone as well, each in good form and adding to the international feel. A handful of instrumental tracks guide the way in between vocal selections, with “Kaliman Dreams” a standout via its kalimba-fueled melody. Vocally, everyone rises to the occasion. Ranking Joe is at his syllable-rolling best, Banto chants mightily in praise of both Jah and herb, Earl Sixteen decries modern day piracy and Forde, interestingly, sings atop the track that most skillfully joins Jamaican and Brazilian rhythms, “Your Love is Overdub.” And like Banto, Yute and Bless show how well Brazilians have absorbed reggae and worked their own linguistic and musical angles into it. As a roots lover, I found a lot of satisfaction in this album. But it’s likely that those who want their reggae to sound contemporary in equal measure will also find Digitaldubs’ skillful blending of old and new quite absorbing. -Tom Orr ROIR	The Simpkin Project - Everything You Want The latest from the Huntington Beach, CA-based Simpkin Project is another smart set of inspired and dance-inducing reggae from a band that’s on the rise and sounding great. Their players of instruments -two guitarists, two keyboardists, bassist, drummer and percussionist -lay into the opening instrumental “Showtime” with the expertise of a crack Jamaican studio band, fortified by the blazing addition of Jah Horns. The title track of Everything You Want takes up a more somber beat in pleading to a lover and provides the first sign that the group’s always dependable lead and harmony vocals are going to be as solid as the musical backing. “Check Yourself” goes a little Latin and keeps the lyrical delivery smooth even at its most rapid fire. There are tunes that lament (“Harder,” “What Seems to be the Problem”), songs that make sweet reggae music of opposing factions (“Good Times,” “Bad Things”) and tales of more personal concerns (“That Girl,” “Tell Me So”), all served with the Simpkin gents’ expert blend of Jamaican riddims and American additions evident in the high quotient of guitar solos and distinctly California-mellowed vocals. Never ones to rush through a song, the band here stretches out on 14 tracks and more than 79 minutes of reggae that comes from the heart, reaches the same and is welcome to take all the time it wants getting there. The Simpkin Project’s previous releases Walk On Tall and In The Wake are both recommendable, and this latest work of theirs is the best showcasing of them yet. -Tom Orr Hughes Drive Productions
Jahmel and the Rhythm Factory - Reflections Jahmel, a Jamaican who, like many an island ex-pat, calls Los Angeles home, has been heading up his band the Rhythm Factory for quite some time. He knows his reggae and can always be depended on for quality. Reflections holds to that standard nicely, a collection of truths and a few trifles that are made to enrich both dance floors and dread reasonings. The disc starts off in conscious mode with “Ethiopian Anthem,” “Dreadlocks Congo,” “Third World Countries” and “Freedom Song” before easing into such lighter fare as “Girl Like Mine,” “Lover Like U,” “This Love of Mine” and “Puppy Love.” I suppose the intent was to clearly show the artist’s roots and lover’s rock sides, though a more interspersed approach wouldn’t have hurt any. Vocally, Jahmel might remind you a bit of Horace Andy here and a touch of Sugar Minott there, taking on an ease-up air that suits both of those sides mentioned earlier. Given the backing riddims’ tendency to sound nakedly digital at times (as though the factory might be heavily automated these days), the producers here have compensated with ear-tugging touches like ricocheting sound effects or chiming steel pan. And the concluding “Guiding Star” is bright enough to make you forget the unexceptional track or two that may have come before it. -Tom Orr JMRF	10 Ft. Ganja Plant - Shake Up The Place America’s hands-down absolute finest anonymous reggae and dub band is back, dropping planeloads of redder than red roots vibes in undisclosed locations all through the night. We still don’t know for sure the full personnel of the 10 Ft. crew, but some ongoing leadership by former John Brown’s Body frontman Kevin Kinsella is now by and large acknowledged. The group’s profile has risen considerably, thanks to the brisk (though never seemingly hurried) pace at which they put out albums and the collaborators (credited or not) whom they attract. On Shake Up The Place, Jamaican vets Prince Jazzbo and Sylford Walker each voice a couple of tracks, the Meditations’ Winston Watson sweetens the deal with harmony vocals, and the ‘70s-heavy sound that 10 Ft. Ganja Plant is known for not only shakes up the place but makes it pleasantly smoky as well. Mastering engineer Kevin Metcalf (who’s had a hand in making many a reissue from the U.K. Blood and Fire label sound so good) put on the finishing touches, lighting a slow fire under the instrumental pieces, serving the vocals raw and elegantly channeling the group’s classic ways. Walker’s opening statement of intent, “My Roots,” (to which the words “and culture” are naturally added) begins a journey through nothing but as real instruments play in real time and real voices at the mic chat up a mix of eccentric, ominous and blissful. 10 Ft. Ganja Plant continues to have some of the deepest roots outside of Jamaica and Shake Up The Place is another example of the riches flowering as a result. -Tom Orr ROIR
Cornerstone - Cornerstone This disc’s leadoff track “Run To The Hills” is an immediate grabber of a song, with the sound of an explosion giving way to insistent vocals, a riddim to match and apocalyptic lyrics. It had me taking a second look at a fairly nondescript cover image in order to see the name of the band responsible. I haven’t heard anything else by Santa Barbara, CA’s Cornerstone, so I’ll have to be content to let this self-titled slab of fresh roots music be my introduction to them. Check the way the CD cover is meant to resemble a worn-out vinyl sleeve, and then find upon listening that the songs likewise have the feel of old friends revisited. There are a number of expert deejay breaks taking double-tracked vocals higher and tighter on songs of pure pleasure (“Sweet Spot,” “Lover’s Rock”), and urgent business (“Make Up Your Mind,” “Talking About My Freedom,” “Breaking Down,” “Country”). Occasional hip hop cadences do not detract from the genuine reggae vibe; in fact the vocals are as dynamic as the rock-hard musical backing laid down with all real instruments and suitably aggressive drums and bass ably leading the way. Subtle guitar and sax punctuation add gritty grace to the steady forward motion of several selections, but the main attractions here are the sense of committed consciousness with which Cornerstone delivers their reggae and the fiery talent that’s equally important in enabling them to do so. -Tom Orr Mesa Music Productions	Alborosie - 2 Times Revolution I was lucky enough to catch this guy live last year when he was out touring in support of his previous release Escape From Babylon to the Kingdom of Zion. The club in which he performed was packed and Alborosie delivered, putting on a high-energy show full of roots vibes and dancehall looseness. There can be no doubting that the man born Alberto D’Ascola in Italy did right by moving to Jamaica to embrace Rastafari and reggae music. Alborosie’s records attest to the fact as much as his stage presence, and “Rolling Like A Rock,” the opening track from his new 2 Times Revolution, makes it lyrically clear just how much forward momentum he has in his favor as he continues to win over the worldwide reggae massive. His gruff but bubbling singjay style bounces easy atop roots statements “I Wanna Go Home,” “Grow Your Dreads” (something Alborosie has certainly done), “Jesus Is Coming” and “Tax War” as well as mixing it up nice with Etana on the lovers rock mellowness of “You Make Me Feel Good” and sharing some “One Blood” sentiments with Junior Reid on “Respect.” You’d be correct in assuming that the gun-shaped guitar Alborosie brandishes in the accompanying photos means he’s got militant concerns in mind, but for better or worse he’s not above occasionally getting a bit loopy. Witness the slaphappy “Camilla” (apparently a new term for herb) for a good example and skip the forced-sounding “Ragamuffin” (the only unappealing track to be heard) to avoid a bad example. The disc ends strongly with “What If Jamaica,” a nyabinghi/dancehall/mento mash up that envisions a more utopian island home from which Alborosie shall certainly continue his runnings. I’m not a deep enough thinker to fully understand the distinction between the “good” and “right” revolutions advocated in this album’s liner notes, though the varied, hard-hitting reggae it contains clearly points to victory on both fronts. -Tom Orr VP Records
Stephen Marley - Revelation Pt. 1 The Root of Life There’s no denying that the recorded works of Bob Marley’s children have at times been spotty, hit-and-miss affairs. Of course, when it’s fair game to criticize someone for everything from sounding too much like Bob Marley to sounding too little like Bob Marley to straying too far from the reggae roots Bob Marley planted, it can be hard to win. Putting all excess baggage of the family name aside, the new release by Stephen Marley (who’s always been considered the closest to Bob vocally and I’m inclined to agree) is a crackling good disc of primarily roots reggae that may well be his best work to date. And yes, I know he’s recorded only one other album under his own name, but he’s also had a hand in many projects within and without the Marley family that any complete discography should include. Stephen starts Revelation Pt. 1 The Root of Life off in nyabinghi mode with “Made in Africa,” praising the Motherland’s glory alongside the cast of the Broadway musical “Fela” and the (unfortunately obtrusive) rapping of someone named Wale. From there, a rich roots wave is ridden through “False Friends,” “Break Us Apart” (featuring Capleton in good form), “Can’t Keep I Down,” “No Cigarette Smoking” (with Melanie Fiona sweetly chiming in) and “Freedom Time.” “Jah Army” goes more ragga and features Buju Banton in a larger supporting role than is really necessary, but the remainder of the disc flows satisfyingly between conscious tunes, a few passages detouring into dancehall and lovers rock that includes the truly beautiful “Pale Moonlight.” As is typical, there are other Marleys in on the action: Damian helps make “Tight Ship” tight and Ziggy joins his brethren on a striking version of the previously obscure Bob Marley song “Selassie is the Chapel.” The backing tracks, provided by players like bassist Chris Meridith, drummer Wilburn Cole, percussionist Sticky Thompson and Stephen himself on a large measure of guitar and keyboards, sound modern without sounding cold, and are a smart fit with the similar warmth of Stephen’s many vocal moods. Revelation Pt. 1 The Root of Life is indeed something of a revelation, and very well done all around. -Tom Orr Tuff Gong / Universal Republic	Takana Zion - Rasta Government A Rasta government? Well, that would make the question of ganja legalization a no-brainer and quite likely cut down on superfluous weaponry. Guinea’s Takana Zion may not have such visions in mind, but on this album’s horn-laden title track he does paint a righteous picture of what such a ruling class could be like. He’s got a lot to say about the evils of slavery, the greatness of God, the power of music and the necessity of love as well. Born into a Muslim family, Zion left home at 17 to trod the path of Rastafari. That path took him to Jamaica for the recording of his third album. His first two were plenty good thanks to Zion’s melodious singjay style and the guiding hand of Mali-based French bassist/producer Manjul, but he’s really hit his stride here. Singing mainly in English and taking the majority of his cues from the classic roots sound of the pre-dancehall era, Zion sets the tone with “Give Thanks to Jah” and keeps it burning all the way through to the concluding Satan-debunker “Three Six Clash.” The vocals come across clear and strong as Zion avoids syllabic clutter and excess scatting while still proving to be a most nimble combiner of song and chat. A guest spot from Capleton on “Glory” adds an extra measure of just that to Rasta Government, a most recommendable disc whether you’re a head of state or just want a head full of great reggae. -Tom Orr Soulbeats Records
Kevin Kinsella - Great Design Though still a reggae band of considerable power and creativity, John Brown’s Body hasn’t been quite the same without Kevin Kinsella. But once a solo career beckoned, Kinsella (who’s also part of the mysterious reggae/dub collective 10 Ft. Ganja Plant) heeded the call. He frequently focused his works on the inspiration of the Almighty when he was part of JBB and that hasn’t changed, as songs like “Faith,” “Light of Love” and the title track of his new album Great Design show. What’s different is that Kinsella is trying his hand at non-reggae arrangements. Risking the possibility of putting off some longtime fans with such a move, he does a respectable job spinning tales of militancy (“No Battlefield”), longing (“Lovers in a Time”) and mankind striving to get it right (“Turn it Around”) while harnessing reggae, acoustic rock, down home twang, bits of techno and whatever else fits his expanding musical view. Of the tracks that aren’t reggae, I’d have to peg “Let Me Be,” with its Afrofunk feel and empathetic message, as the best. And the ones that are reggae? All first rate, as is to be expected from an artist of Kinsella’s caliber. At less than 40 minutes in length, Great Design is perhaps not enough of a good thing. Nonetheless, it’s an exceptional set by a singer/songwriter/guitarist who has reggae as his starting and ending points and covers some sturdy and thought-provoking ground in between. -Tom Orr ROIR	David Solid Gould vs. Bill Laswell - Dub of the Passover Another breakaway from John Brown’s Body is bassist David “Solid” Gould, who, like Kevin Kinsella, often has spiritual matters in mind when he makes music. Gould and his Temple Rockers band created one of reggae’s most intriguing pieces of cross-religious syncretism a couple of years ago with Feast of the Passover, a blend of Jewish and Rasta mysticism set on a foundation of reggae as rootsy as the Old Testament is old. The not-of-this-world vibe of the original is recaptured and in ways accentuated on the killer dub version, even though the cantor-like vocals that characterized much of the first album are minimal or merely implied here. Gould’s bass is the anchor alongside the drumming of Tommy Benedetti, still a member of John Brown’s Body but lending his considerable skill. Laying down the dub mix around that core and many other fine players besides is Bill Laswell, who has gotten quite a bit better at mastering the balance of restraint and creativity necessary when it comes to dubbing reggae. His hand is particularly effective in putting some chill to the ska heat of “Who Knows Dub?” and opening up cavernous expanses of space to let “Divine Dub,” “May the Dub Arise” and the rest roll forth on the strength of minor-key melodies, bubbling tar pit riddims and Laswell’s added sonic jolts. Even if you haven’t heard the album from which such a fine, divinely inspired dub disc is spun off, passing over its dub successor would be meshugge. -Tom Orr Tzadik
See-I – See-I Brothers Arthur “Rootz” Steele and Archie “Zeebo” Steele have been active on the Washington DC reggae scene for quite a few years and sound more than ready to step beyond. An ongoing affiliation with the eclectic and innovative band Thievery Corporation gave the Steeles a knack for infusing their reggae with funk, soul and hip hop shadings while keeping the Jamaican pulse at the center. Their self-titled first album manages to be both edgy and danceable, opening with a lyrical statement as unequivocal as “things are getting dangerous” but not for one minute letting that potential danger get in the way of a good time. Indeed, tracks like “Haterz 24/7,” “Talkin’ About the Peace” and “Disturbancy (Face to Face)” combine irresistible grooves with conscious chatting and rhyming (in a manner that tends to remind me of the late great Gil Scott Heron) so unassumingly that you may well find your waistline winding several seconds in advance of your head wrapping itself around the words seeping into it. Or maybe you’ll find the opposite to be the case. Either way, “Soul Hit Man” and “Soul Universe” work their mojo as handily as “Reign in 2 Light” (voiced with harrowing elegance by Candice Mills), “Homegrown 2011” and “Seasons (Come On)” go nice and deep by mixing layers of dubby effects with ghostly repetition. The reggae beat is not always prominent, yet the dub factor is consistently high enough to please the mix-minded. This isn’t roots or reggae in the traditional sense, but it’s got riddim, it’s got rhyme and it’s got much more going for it besides. Well worth checking out. -Tom Orr Fort Knox Recordings	Saritah - Ancient Forward Not strictly a reggae artist, Australia-based Saritah nonetheless has enough Jamaican flavors in her music to please the reggae massive. Plus she’s got a voice that’s equal parts angelic and sassy, she plays a variety of instruments and she mixes things up in ways that are unexpected yet totally embraceable. Check, for example, how “Blessings” goes from folksy reggae to Latin dance, or the intriguing blend of dancehall beats and Brazilian percussion that underpins “Most High.” But while this CD might easily be filed in the ever-dicey “world music” category, reggae lovers will no doubt appreciate the jaunty nyabinghi feel of “Serious Times,” guest toaster Ranking Roger providing sharp commentary in response to Saritah’s testifying on “Time Will Come,” the sparse electro-ska tempo that jolts “Do What Lifts,” the melodica-kissed utopia of “Our Future” and an emphasis on heartfelt matters of the spirit all throughout the album. Even when the sound is at its most lively, Saritah maintains a relaxed, meditative air that lets both music and message get across. It’s an approach that suits the then-and-now implications of the album title, the celestial imagery of songs like “Sunrise” and “Stargazing” and Saritah’s visionary outlook. There is an unabashed, optimistic sweetness to Ancient Forward that makes it instantly appealing, and the appeal holds fast after repeated listening. Reggae fans take note, along with anyone else looking for music that’s a balm for what pains you. -Tom Orr Time to Shine Records
Danny I - To Your Majesty The first time I heard Virgin Islands reggae artist Danny I, which was on his 2007 release Unchangeable, I was struck by the similarities between his voice and that of Jamaican veteran Ijahman Levi. Humble but assertive, relaxed yet urgent, Danny I’s singing is a large measure of what makes his new one To Your Majesty so good. Another sizable factor is the backing by I Grade Records’ group of fine in-house musicians, who compliment Danny’s delivery in a manner that brings renewed confidence that the roots are back to stay in reggae. The album’s spiritual starting and ending points -the title track and the acoustic “Hailing Tafari”- bookend a first rate collection with no weak tracks and its heart in the right place throughout. “Pure Lovers Rock” offers as much in spades with guest vocals from Dushane, and Danny shows equal affection for “My Island Home” on another of the disc’s lighter moments. But it’s mostly business as “On the Streets Again” laments those who hustle for a living, “Sometimish Rastaman” stresses authenticity in one’s ways, “All Skin” takes a surreal look at Ethiopia from atop Mount Kilimanjaro and “Never Lay Down” sticks to its guns as persistently as “Hold On.” Don’t be concerned about the vocal comparison made earlier (with which you may not even agree); Danny I is a rootsman to embrace on his own terms no matter who he may sound like, and To Your Majesty is reggae done absolutely right. -Tom Orr I Grade Records	Youssou N’Dour - Dakar-Kingston Well, what do you know. Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, one of the greatest voices in African music (or any sort of music, for that matter), has made a reggae album. Actually, I had read a lukewarm review of Dakar-Kingston in the U.K. press last year and wondered two things: if it was really as unexceptional as the reviewer opined, and if the album was going to be available over here in America. Now that Dakar-Kingston has apparently gotten distribution on these shores, let’s address the first question. To my ears, this disc is, though no masterpiece, a highly enjoyable and well constructed melding of reggae one-drops, Senegalese m’balax beats and N’Dour’s soaring singing. A number of re-done songs from N’Dour’s Afropop back catalogue are given shots of reggae riddim, plus a few new ones hint at an affinity for reggae that seems to have existed all along. Reggae is, after all, highly popular and respected in its African spiritual home, and N’Dour has always been an active supporter of worthy causes (such as human rights through Amnesty International) that any conscious reggae artist could rally round. It certainly helps that the bulk of the album was recorded at Kingston’s Tuff Gong Studios with such greats as guitarist Chinna Smith and keyboardist/arranger Tyrone Downie lending a hand and guest spots by Mutabaruka and Morgan Heritage further seeing to the reggaefication of N’Dour’s African visions. Remakes of songs like “Medina,” “Pitch Me,” “Don’t Walk Away” and “Africa Dream Again” represent both the pop-inclined and more traditional sides of N’Dour’s past works, and if originals like “Marley” and “Black Woman” sound a little trite in comparison, they’re still pretty good. Actually, the only really sour spot on Dakar-Kingston is the version of “Redemption Song” that wraps things up. It’s a noble attempt to give the tune a new African lilt, but it just doesn’t work. That weak ending aside, N’Dour does an appreciable job of helping to prove the assertion that reggae music has always been an African music. -Tom Orr Universal/Emarcy
Professor - Madness Not to be confused with U.K. dubmaster Mad Professor, Madness is the latest side project from Harrison Stafford (aka Professor), leader of California reggae band Groundation. Unlike Rockamovya, his collaboration with jazz guitarist Will Bernard, this one’s closer to straight up roots though a bit funkier and not quite as meditative as Groundation’s best work. No problem, since the 16 cuts here (eight songs and as many dubs) are amply loaded with consciousness and spirit. Stafford’s customary way with pertinent lyrics and melodic hooks is evident all through “Jah Sending Out,” “Intifada,” “East Jerusalem,” “Madness” and the rest. He’s also toned down some of the usual gruffness in his voice, so he’s sounding better than ever. I’m not sure who all else is in on the act, but one of the faces on the back of my sleeve-only copy of the CD is that of drummer Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace and it’s either U Roy or someone who sounds a lot like him toasting on one of the tracks. I suppose naming names isn’t so very important; suffice to say that Stafford must be in great company, since the method to his newfound Madness is great reggae. I hope he continues to do his thing with Groundation, but if he wants to step away to do some other professing now and then, Jah bless. -Tom Orr Groundation Music / Soulbeats Records	Sheya Mission - Nine Signs & Heavy Bliss While Sheya Mission is new to me, I recognize the name of Jonahgold, who produced Nine Signs & Heavy Bliss, co-wrote most of the songs, plays keyboards and had a similarly sizable hand in Daweh Congo’s Ghetto Skyline from a few years back. He’s done a good turn with Nine Signs & Heavy Bliss, applying an echoey, dub heavy atmospheric grace that fits the album’s mystical title. But as to the name above that title, she’s a bit of a mystery as well. There’s no picture of her on the outside or inside of the CD packaging, and the sparse promotional materials that accompanied the disc describe her simply as “a young woman of African descent growing up in a Western metropolitan environment.” It seems she didn’t like that environment much and traveled to Jamaica to soak up a better one. It was there that she was taken in by a kindly Rasta elder whose teachings provided the inspiration for this album. And inspired it is, informed by an almost new age aura where water images (“Feels Like Rain,” “Come Rain,” “Show Me The River”) abound and the seeking of the Almighty’s guidance (“Pray,” “Never Let Me Down,” “Reveal Thyself”) is key. Vocally, Mission is equal parts Sade and Bim Sherman, and the music that surrounds her -reggae for sure but with detectable influences from outside Jamaica- is alternately dread serious and silky smooth. Apart from an interesting cover of George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” this release is original on more than one level. It’s roots, it’s progressive, it’s reggae as you know and love it, yet it’s not quite like any reggae you’ve heard before. Get it. -Tom Orr Goldheart Music
Richie Spice - Book of Job His stern, Mutabaruka-like countenance is all business and thus it comes as no surprise that Richie Spice’s Book of Job is an album that’s got a concern or two or more to address. And if you’ve heard this conscious artist (of whom I’ve had the chance to hear not nearly enough), you know he’s got the means to sing up a storm or just bring on the threat of one when he’s not at his most tightly wound. Spice doesn’t have it anywhere as bad as the Bible’s most renowned sufferer, but as a spokesman for Job and his ilk, he sure does sing like he understands. Opening shot “Better Tomorrow” has Spice pleading vocally for the hope of just such a thing in a nimbly unpolished singing style that drops into a growl as easily as it slips its moorings and breaks away into falsetto territory. He then proceeds to preach like a prophet of new on “Find Jah” and “Jah Never Let Us Down,” disclose the details of “My Life,” endorse reggae music with a “Soothing Sound” and give “Mother of Creation, “Black Woman” and “Serious Woman” due respect to the ladies on divine and earthly levels. The production, primarily by Donovan Germain, rolls forth in a combination of real and digitized instruments that enhances such sumptuous musical backing as the nyabinghi grandeur framing “Legal” and quietly rousing backup vocals on “Father.” Book of Job would be a real page-turner if it weren’t a CD, but this nod to the lessons of that Biblical tome by means of powerful modern roots reggae will no doubt hold listeners similarly absorbed. -Tom Orr VP Records	The Ambassador - New Roots A reggae artist from down San Diego way, Stephen Gabriel Lewis seems to have embarked on a diplomatic mission of sorts, though his assumed name The Ambassador doesn’t mean he’s in the pocket of any government or politician. No, he’s bringing reggae to the table, and after one listen I’m ready to begin full diplomatic relations. This Ambassador has brought along a finely sharpened crew of musicians, a knack for composing melodies and lyrics that both hit hard, a clear and convincing vocal style and guitar chops that enable and entitle him to throw in a rockish intro or solo from time to time and do some fine acoustic playing. Further, he knows that reggae is good time music as sure as it’s hard times music, and he covers both ends of the spectrum and much of the middle ground. An easy skanking love song like “Reunion,” for example, lightens the load after such serious declarations as “Fighting Song” and “Rise and Shine” (the latter a sharp jab at Babylon’s ongoing thievery). I’m betting that Lewis has given a good listen to the many reggae greats whose names he drops into the words of “A Tribute,” ‘cause he’s following very handily in their footsteps on New Roots. Keeping to that title and such songs as “Change (Got to Have It)” and the redemptive “One,” The Ambassador is making great contemporary reggae inspired by the old and bringing a clear-minded diplomacy of love and overstanding to all. -Tom Orr Self Released
Dub is a Weapon - Vaporized After being knocked out by some of this band’s online videos, it’s a joy to have a CD of theirs find its way to my front door. Dub is a Weapon is the fruition of an idea by Dave Hahn, a New York City guitarist and dub organizer who’s played in such Jamaican-flavored outfits as the Slackers and David Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7. It was his vision to form a group that could play live dub as deep and mind-bending as the studio creations of Jamaican masters like King Tubby. Sure, Vaporized is a studio recording, but it was one done with the entire band playing together and Hahn’s dub effects rendered on the spot. The results are dazzling. But let’s be clear- this is not just a copping of the classic Jamaican dub sound. The tempos tend to be a little faster than most reggae riddims, and there is an abundance of rockish lead guitar that further stretches the boundaries without breaking them. Hahn’s guitar often shadows or trades melodic jabs with the tenor saxophone of Maria Eisen as hard-chopping grooves blaze away underneath, rhythm guitar and keyboards nail the offbeats, shots of echo and other brain-altering sounds are tweaked in and out and drums and bass seal it airtight. Deeper roots are provided by veteran Jamaican percussionist Larry McDonald, whose array of African, Caribbean, Latin and Brazilian accents punctuate perfectly. The nine lengthy tracks are instrumentals save for “Forwarding Home” a Rasta-centric bit of reasoning nicely voiced by Rob Symeonn. There are numerous ways I could attempt to be clever in describing this sonic weaponry: that it’s dynamite, it’s fully loaded, it’s of a very high caliber, it’s killer, and so on. All would be applicable. But none would take the place of actually hearing it, something any lover of reggae and dub needs to do. -Tom Orr Harmonized	The Expanders - The Expanders The Los Angeles-based Expanders have been around for a while, building a fan base and providing backup for some of the Jamaican vets who pass through California. Their self-titled debut disc has been a few years in the making, and as to whether or not it’s been worth the wait, one listen will have you proclaiming “Yes, I!” and subsequent spins will do nothing to dampen that enthusiasm. The Expanders know just how deep the roots of reggae go and what can be gleaned from them, but, true to their name, they expand upon those roots to create a sound as powerful as the album cover suggests with its depiction of music repelling Babylon soldiers. Opening track “Evilous Number” gets right down to it, hitting the mark with a bubbling ‘70s vibe, an Abyssinians-like spirit and superb vocal harmonies by rhythm guitarist Devin Morrison, lead guitarist John Butcher and bassist Chiquis Lozoya. Then there’s no lapse in niceness as the disc continues through the self-examination of “Something Wrong,” conscious declarations like “Think Ruler” and “Merciless Deeds,” the wistful “Gone Away” and the oddly moving love-gone-wrong song “Snow Beast” (a depiction of which would seem to be on the CD’s rear cover). The backing tracks- all real instruments and expertly played to boot -are lean and stark, with sonic influences of Studio One, Channel One and Lee Perry’s Black Ark in evidence. A couple guys from Hepcat lend their voices to “Merciless Deeds” and Jah Faith adds a side of toast to “Turtle Racing,” further strengthening an already very impressive inaugural album. The Expanders are clear standouts in a region with a lot of reggae and, for that matter, among the very best you’re going to hear in the larger picture of homegrown U.S.A. reggae. -Tom Orr Broken Complex Records
Etana - Free Expressions Etana’s name isn’t new to me, but her music is. And I see from the liner notes of her latest release Free Expressions that her first album The Strong One came out in 2008, so I haven’t been missing out for too very long. In those same liner notes Etana pegs reggae as music for “real raw soul rebels,” though her own stance isn’t as consistently militant as that declaration would suggest. That’s good, because she’s got a voice that can go sweet and vulnerable on songs like “Heart Broken,” “I Know You Love Me” and “Moving On” and is versatile enough to convincingly grab onto a dancehall cadence over nothing but strings on the opening “Free.” Naturally, a disc with a title like this one isn’t going to be limited in terms of style or substance. The R n’ B of “I Got You” and digital-tinged assertion of “My Name Is” hint at a toughness not immediately apparent in Etana’s prevalent easygoing vibe, and sure enough, the harder stuff that comes along in the album’s latter half -“War” (not the Bob Marley song), “Retribution,” “August Town,” “Venting”- bring Etana’s soul rebel intentions to light. Things cool down as “Day By Day” seeks solace in ballad mode and “Dance” bubbles along with a sprightly riddim and coy lyrics to match. Tracks laid by the likes of Kemar “Flava” McGregor, Dean Fraser, Sly Dunbar and Alborosie tastily decorate Etana’s varied vocal moods, and the free reign she shows is graceful and lovely. -Tom Orr VP Records	Little Roy - Heat Little Roy (born Earl Lowe) has been little known compared to some of his Jamaican peers. Even though over the course of a 45-year career he’s recorded at such notable locations as Studio One, Channel One and Black Ark and had his songs covered by the likes of John Holt and Freddie McGregor, his name isn’t going to ring the same sort of bells as the artists he could be easily compared to. (His sound reminds me of the Wailing Souls, but Culture, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear and others come to mind also.) Roy calls England home these days, and it’s there that he recorded this set of a dozen roots scorchers, mainly updates of past tunes. As is the case with any number of reggae singers who’ve been at it a long time, Roy’s got a voice that sounds seasoned yet still supple and vibrant. His are the sort of pipes that couldn’t be better suited to these songs of pure consciousness, no matter if they’re addressing the folly of “False Teachers,” a Rasta perspective on “Pyaka,” “Jah Can Count On I” and the tender “Mama,” or plainspoken common sense that cuts to the heart of “Living Ain’t Easy” and “No Guns No Bombs.” Assisting Roy in bringing his works up to the present moment are Mafia and Fluxy on drums, bass, keyboards, percussion and production, plus real live guitars, horns and a harmony chorus that includes George Dekker of the Pioneers and Winston Francis. All help to make the tracks burn the way the title suggests they should, and if Little Roy is seeking redress for the times when he wasn’t getting the recognition he clearly deserves, this terrific CD more than gets the job done. -Tom Orr Pharos Records
Easy Star All-Stars - First Light We all know the NYC-based Easy Star All-Stars are unbeatable when it comes to providing backup for reggae vets like the Meditations, Sister Carol or Sugar Minott (may he rest in peace). And sure, their remakes of classic albums Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in reggae style as Dub Side of the Moon and Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band are undeniably great (I never heard their Radiohead remake or the original, so me nah know ‘bout dat one). But now they’ve taken a step that’s commonplace for many bands but rather bold for them: a new album of original material. And should it come as any surprise that First Light contains high quality reggae from start to finish? The ranks of the ESAS are packed with players and singers who know how to do reggae with rock edges, pop sensi-bilities, roots reasoning, shades of dancehall and dollops of dub, and all those facets and more combine to make this disc a landmark for the Easy Star label and their namesake house band. Minott tribute “Easy Now Star,” opener “Don’t Stop the Music” and the whimsical “Reggae Pension” all take differing though equally valid looks at the power of reggae music, and the rest of the songs back up such contentions beautifully. Rocksteady and soul find common ground on the title track, “Something Went Wrong” brims with humble self-examination, label mate Cas Haley digs deep into “Unbelievable,” “One Likke Draw” spins a funny story of a cop deciding to get in on the ganja action and rousing tunes like “All the Way” and “I Won’t Stop” show just how mighty this band can be on their own stuff. The All-Stars also give both their male and female singers ample turns at the mike, keep their arrangements creative and fresh, don’t seem to give a damn about trendy riddims and bring in guests that include Tony Tuff, Junior Jazz and the Meditations to make the niceness level truly bubble over. They can feel free to keep up those reggae redo albums, but the Easy Star crew has found just as true a calling with First Light, sure to be one of my top picks of the year. Highly recommended. -Tom Orr Tom Orr Easy Star Records	Bushman - Bushman Sings the Bush Doctor: A Tribute to Peter Tosh If you’re going to do a tribute to Peter Tosh, one of the most iconic figures (and quite possibly the most enigmatic figure) in all of reggae, you’d better do it right. Or else you might hear one of Tosh’s ras claat-laden reprimands coming down at you from Zion on High. Thankfully, Bushman, whose vocals have invited favorable comparisons to Tosh’s in the past, has bigged up his subject in very fine style. After a heartfelt (if overlong) “Creation,” the threefold herbal endorsement consisting of “Bush Doctor,” “Legalize It” and “Buck-in-ham Palace” (the last featuring many of the same players who boogied in unabashed disco style on Tosh’s original) show Bushman to be as much a pundit of the pipe as Peter was. And the smoke barely has time to dissipate before “Stepping Razor” cuts as sharply as when Tosh or Joe Higgs issued the same warning and “Mawga Dog” and “Brand New Second Hand Gal” splendidly revisit vintage Wailers territory. The covers (of covers) of pop hits that follow could have been problematic, but Bushman makes “Don’t Look Back” (featuring Tarrus Riley) and “Johnny B Goode” his own with the same mixture of reggae reinvention and measured crossover appeal that Tosh’s own takes cleverly balanced. “Mamma Africa” (on which Buju Banton shares lead vocals) is a little disappointing only because it doesn’t groove to the same ecstatic lengths or heights as its predecessor, but the concluding “Equal Rights” and “Igziabeher” are genuine stunners. Bushman’s singing throughout the disc is a commanding blend of Tosh’s trademark menacing tones and more than enough embellishments to avoid copycatting, while the musical backing rocks it to the roots every time. I’ve no doubt that Peter Tosh, wherever he may be, is loving this. You will too. -Tom Orr VP Records
Gavinchi Brown - Release Di Truth… Volume One I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the warning label on the cover of this album. “Spiritually Conscious and Explicit Lyrics,” it cautioned. As someone who isn’t the least bit put off by spiritual references in music (reggae or otherwise), I took the first part as a joke. As someone who finds unnecessarily explicit content to be silly and rather pathetic, I braced myself for what the second part might have in store. The leadoff track passed without incident as Gavinchi (a dancehall artist previously unknown to me), launched into some good deejay patter atop classic instrumental backing on “Rockfort Rock (Di Intro).” A number of strong shots followed, including “Jah Love,” “Gonna Get Hurt,” the title track, “Hit Dem Again,” and “No Longer Cry,” but just as many fell flat. Let’s face it- there’s not a whole lot you can do to save a song entitled “Yow!!!” Guest spots by such folks as Edi Fitzroy and Luciano don’t make the album particularly noteworthy, nor do samples taken from tracks by Augustus Pablo, Linval Thompson, Bob Marley and Sly and Robbie. Gavinchi’s got a strong voice and a way with rhyming cadences. Too often, though, he’s done in by uninteresting, stiff accompaniment or lyrics that ramble into banality. I didn’t even pick up on the supposed explicit ones, which goes to show how generally unengaged I was by this. -Tom Orr Phenix Records	Riddimentary - Diplo Selects Greensleeves This is reggae the way you might hear it in a club on a night when Jamaican riddims are the featured attraction. Producer and remixer Thomas Wesley Pentz (aka Diplo) is the selector here, and he offers up a spin through crucial cuts from the roots and early dancehall eras, totally seamless with no breaks between tracks, some enhancing effects (both subtle and not) and a perfect feel for what sort of riddim will segue into another. Alpha and Omega’s haunting “Who Is The Ruler” is the starting point, and such classics as John Holt’s “Police In Helicopter,” Gregory Isaacs’ “Night Nurse” and a bass-heavy dub of the Abyssinians’ “Satta Massagana” are part of a 15-track lineup in which deejays (Eek-A-Mouse, Ranking Dread, Lone Ranger, Clint Eastwood & General Saint) are also well represented. Some of the songs get lopped off before they run their full length, but the transitions are always smooth and the uncut final declaration by Prince Far I, “Survival,” is a killer conclusion. A great disc for getting your own reggae dance party started, be it public or private. -Tom Orr Greensleeves / VP
Clinton Fearon - Mi Deh Yah It’s more than 20 years since Clinton Fearon made the dicey move of relocating to Seattle, but the reggae career he’s continued to forge with his Boogie Brown Band has been fruitful. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Fearon was once a member of the Gladiators, anchoring that seminal group on bass, singing harmony vocals and taking the lead every so often. A few songs on his new Mi Deh Yah album sound, in fact, very Gladiators-like in the way they’re arranged, played and sung. It makes sense, since true reggae is all about the roots and Fearon isn’t about to deny any of his. Still, Mi Deh Yah means “I am here” in Jamaica-speak, and Fearon seems to be stating not so much where he is literally as showing where he is musically. That means uncompromising roots tunes like “Life is a Journey,” “Better Days,” “John Jones” (which has a distinct nod to Studio One in its riddim) and “Working for the Man.” It also means Fearon’s at a point where a little whimsy can nice up the runnings as well, so the lighter fare of “Jamaica,” the ska instrumental “Focus” and the Latin rock tinge that seasons “De Casa” show that the flame he’s pondering on the CD cover is a source of more than one type of heat. Vocally, Fearon remains at his gruff-but-supple best. He lays into every word and phrase as deeply as he plucks out the aggressive bass lines that propel the band and bolster some sonic surprises (are those strings I hear?). Fearon’s fire is burning very brightly. Go toward the light and have a listen. -Tom Orr Makafresh/Makasound	Alpheus - From Creation Dividing his time between New York and London and recording his latest album in Spain haven’t kept Alpheus from sounding Jamaican-inspired. In fact, he sounds terrific. His soulful, unencumbered vocals on From Creation are matched by crisp arrangements, bass and lead guitar on an even keel, precise one-drops, riddims that hint at those from bygone days without entirely copping them and just enough pop sensibility tossed in with the roots. So lover’s rock sentiments “Ultimate,” “Inside Out,” “Call it a Day” and “Always” skank as heartily as the stick-to-it advice of “In Time” and “Keep the Faith” and unity-promoting tunes like “Live and Learn” and the title track. Ska gets its due with “We Are Strong” (a lively warning to potential downpressors) and “Do the Ska,” which will have you readily obliging. The disc’s name is partly a nod toward reggae’s foundations, as the ska numbers plus added nyabinghi drumming on the dub version of “From Creation” make clear. And in case “Creation Dub” and “Keep the Dub” don’t convince you of how skilled the backing of the Iberia-based Lone Ark Riddim Force band is, Alpheus graciously lets them have a go at a pair of non-dub instrumental retakes. So “Far Away” is recast as “Far Melody” and “Call it a Day” finds its inner rocksteady with the help of some very sharp sax. This disc is a strong, satisfying hookup of a singer and players who compliment each other in a manner that’s both hard and smooth. -Tom Orr A-Lone Productions
Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae 1975-1976 The Photographs of Kim Gottlieb-Walker If a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, then this book, with its strikingly simple images, passionately presented subject matter and enlightening symbiosis of photos and written reminiscences, is worth a review many thousands of words long. Thankfully, I’ll keep my comments far briefer. It’s no secret why so many reggae fans regard the ‘70s as the music’s best era. Reggae then was newly bristling with the cultural, political, spiritual and personal potency that most popular music, including the protest tunes of the ‘60s, was starting to lose. And if the deeper meaning of some reggae songs wasn’t readily clear to non-Jamaican listeners, there were the throbbing rhythms, the closest thing to the human heartbeat in any sort of music, to enjoy. Just as reggae’s signature sound was established during the ‘70s, so too was its signature look, born of and defined by Afro-Jamaican aesthetics, soul power and the Rastafarian faith. That look is captured, usually in perfectly unencumbered black and white, by the photographs of Kim Gottlieb-Walker, a budding young shooter and wife of Jeff Walker, National Director of Publicity for Island Records from 1974 to 1977. The Island label was a trailblazer in bringing reggae to the world, and the journeys the Walkers took to Jamaica in 1975 and 1976 were fact-finding missions to uncover just what was behind this emerging musical movement. The trips proved perplexing, pleasurable, revealing and mysterious, and the words and pictures are a testament to all those aspects. As the title suggests, Bob Marley is as much the foundation of this book as he was the most renowned reggae artist of the time it highlights. But a number of others who had roles to play are covered as well. Thus Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Burning Spear, Toots Hibbert, Lee Perry, Third World, the Heptones, Max Romeo, Ras Michael and others are rightly credited with putting much of the shine in reggae’s Golden Age. And the impact of the music’s early forays into America is examined, with accounts and photos of Marley’s 1975/1976 Southern California excursions. So what about the photos? At their best they’re nothing short of stunning. The subjects are consistently unfettered, natural and just plain real. Here we see Bob Marley beaming after being introduced to George Harrison, there we see Peter Tosh looking similarly delighted in the company of the Walkers’ infant son Orion, Augustus Pablo strolling alongside Inner Circle, Kiddus I gesturing broadly in mid-conversation, Jack Ruby’s Black Disciples in individual and group shots, Toots meeting Linda Ronstadt and so very much more. Some familiar images are seen, but the majority of the shots depict moments before or after the better-known ones, giving the book an expanded sense of time and place (helped by detailed captions) previously untapped in reggae photojournalism. Kim Gottlieb-Walkers’ knack for getting just the right picture, seldom fancy or artsy but always genuine, is evident again and again. Small wonder that her best known works have been so widely reproduced. While the photos are Kim’s, the marvelously detailed accompanying text was written mainly by her husband Jeff. Noted music writer-turned-filmmaker Cameron Crowe (who was just out of high school when he accompanied the Walkers to Jamaica in 1976 and looks impossibly young in a few of these frames) contributes a finely thoughtful essay that examines reggae’s early place in the larger realm of popular music. There’s also some typically absorbing background information courtesy of noted reggae historian Roger Steffens. (Bwoi, just when you thought that guy had already written down everything he knows about reggae, he comes up with more interesting stuff.) Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae is neither a history of reggae nor a Marley biography. It covers the years noted in the title along with some salient background points and a postscript. Thus the focus is when reggae was poised and ready to be unleashed in all its primal, pulsating glory to the ends of the Earth. Despite a few minor errors -such as crediting the song “Israelites” to Justin Hides (sic) and the Dominoes rather than Desmond Dekker and the Aces- what we have here is a massively terrific tome that reggae lovers will not want to be without. So get the book, put on one of your favorite ‘70s roots records to provide proper mood music, open the cover and prepare to savor every page. -Tom Orr Titan Books	Wingless Angels - Volumes I & II In addition to his centuries (okay, decades) as a Rolling Stone, Keith Richards has had a hand in many other musical projects. His reggae dabbling includes collaborations with the likes of Max Romeo and Lee Perry, but it’s his Wingless Angels project that really gets down to the roots. And I mean the roots: heartbeat nyabinghi drum beats and chants are at the center of both discs here, including the back-in-print original collection from 1997 and the more recent second set of recordings completed before the 2005 death of key participant Justin Hinds. Richards had been attuned to the Rasta and reggae scenes ever since the Stones recorded their Goat’s Head Soup in Jamaica in 1972. Indeed, he was so taken with the island (and the fact that his rock star status meant little to the locals) that he bought a house in Ocho Rios, where some of the dread brethren he’d befriended would gather to drum and sing even when Richards was elsewhere in the world. It wasn’t until the mid-‘90s that a fully realized recording of one such session was produced. It was a fairly off-the-cuff affair, with bass, funde and repeater drums resounding like slow motion thunder, Richards decorating the rough edges on acoustic guitar and a non-stop rollout of Rasta hymns and traditional Jamaican songs easing forth. Spoken patter between tunes was left in, added bits of keyboard, flute, accordion and violin formed celestial melodic backdrops, and the entire thing made Richards’ chosen name for the group (who sounded like angels but couldn’t fly) perfectly fitting. A predecessor to the Inna de Yard series of more recent times, the first Wingless Angels album remains an essential collection of songs (“No Dark There,” “Keyman,” “Rasta Army,” “Rivers of Babylon,” “Bright Soul,” etc.) that have long been spiritual staples and testaments to the resilient spirit of both Rasta and Jamaica. Volume II is a more polished, more electrified studio recording in which blues and funk accents boost the binghi basics and the voice of Justin Hinds is in more of a lead role than a supporting one. It’s a perfect extension of and natural progression from the first disc, with a similarly inspiring song selection partly revisited from Volume I. These deepest roots are livicated to not only Justin Hinds but also group members Vincent (Jackie) Edwards and Locksley Whitlock, who have likewise passed on to eternal life in Zion. For a hint of what the music there must be like, we here on earth have a double dose of Wingless Angels to provide what Richards calls “a release- an uplifting moment where you can actually forget all your sorrows and cares.” Ain’t it the truth. -Tom Orr Mindless Records
I-cient-cy Mau & the Mau Mau Warriors - When Words Come to Life “Welcome to the next great era in reggae muzik!!” declares the inside cover of this CD. Such an era apparently includes, as the liner notes further elucidate, a time when “reggae muzik once again is brilliant and safe.” And if “safe” in this case means safe from slackness and commercial compromising, I’m there. Icientcy Mau (sometimes the hyphens are in his name, sometimes they’re not) has a cautionary singing style with hints of Big Youth-ish deejay cadence and among the musical warriors he has at his disposal are Squidly Cole, Christopher Meredith, Asher Brissette, Dean Frazer and Sticky Thompson. So what we’ve really got here is not so much a next era as a nod to the first roots era that, in my mind and the minds of many others, never ended. Mau gets right down to it with “Jah Blessings” (not to be trifled with) and keeps the heartfelt musical guidance flowing with “Caan Follow None a Dem,” “Struggle,” “Give Thanks and Praises” and the credential-affirming “We Are From Trench Town.” He comes across as both gentle and piercing, most prominently so on the title track (on which he does just what said title promises) and “Everyday Dem Warr,” a reminder of just how much conflict there is all across the earth. A very solid and satisfying effort, capped off by an “Outerview” (with version accompaniment) in which Icientcy explains his name, his viewpoints and a few other choice bits that bring the words to life on a different level. -Tom Orr I Mau Mau Production	Dubblestandart - Marijuana Dreams Austria’s Dubblestandart has been mixing dub and technology since 1988 in much the same manner as the U.K.’s Dub Syndicate, right down to the use of guest artists voicing their tracks. Such guests on Marijuana Dreams (which the liner notes claim is not an endorsement of cannabis use despite the title and an inner photo of a vast ganja field) include Lee Scratch Perry, Anthony B, Elephant Man, David Lynch and William S. Burrows. That eclectic lineup and song titles like “Saints Go Marchin’ Through All The Popular Tunes” aside, I’d have to say that the riddims are the real attraction here. Dubblestandart core members Ali Tersch (drums, percussion), Paul Zasky (bass, keyboards), Herbert Pirker (guitar) and Robbie Ost (keyboards, programming) clearly understand that a true reggae foundation, even one every bit as studio-treated as most of the old dubmasters would have deemed appropriate and often then some, is key. The reveries this album will bring about -and it will, whether you’ve got some sensi on hand or not- are thanks to the unhurried, expansive feel of the tracks (most of which top the five-minute mark), the cavernous center around which the effects dance and skank, and the equal footing of real instruments, techno gadgetry and ghostly vocals. This wonderfully wicked CD will appeal to those who like their dub both rooted and progressive, both familiar and unpredictable. -Tom Orr Collision/Echo Beach