Across four discs and 87 songs, The Reggae Box tells the tale of Jamaica's modern social and political history through a well-rounded survey of the island nation's popular music.
A quick internet search brings up some extraordinary footage of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry producing a session at the Black Ark. Taken from the film ‘Roots, Rock, Reggae’, directed by Jeremy Marre, the sequence shows Junior Murvin collaborating with members of the Congos and the Heptones on a song improvised on the spot for the film crew. Before the vocals are recorded, the Upsetters lay down the backing track. The musical director of the session is the afro-haired bass player, Boris Gardiner; unusually, it is he who counts in the band to start each take. After a long conversation with Boris a few years back, I asked Lee about his contribution to the Black Ark sound.
INNA DE YARD bring to life the unique and original passion of singing with acoustic reggae music. Several iconic figures from Bob Marley's island and spirited young musicians are gathered on the terrace of a house, in the hills of Kingston, to bring the essence of their musical culture back to life. United in the same place, and united in time, because they have recorded an original album in just four days. They are Ken Boothe, Cedric Myton from the Congos, Lloyd Parks, Derajah, Var, Kiddus I, Steve Newland, Bo Pee, Kush & Winston McAnuff. You've never heard a Jamaican sound like this before.
Bill Laswell has worked closely with many of the greatest names in Reggae: Sly and Robbie, Lee Scratch Perry and many others. A Dub Master Supreme, he turns his fabulous creativity to the classic Tzadik release Feast of the Passover. Featuring some of the greatest Passover seder songs, it is perhaps David Solid Gould’s most varied and spiritually inspired project. Connecting the Rasta and Jewish traditions through the miracle of music, Laswell’s imaginative dubs are the perfect background to anyone's 21st century seder. Moody, atmospheric and essential!
This stunning new release looks at the explosion of music that came out of the Congo in the years leading up to independence in 1960. Congolese rumba, a wild combination of African, Jazz and Latin influences, created future stars of its now legendary creators – Franco, Grand Kalle, Tabu Ley, Dr. Nico, Papa Wemba - and all feature here in their ground-breaking early groups such as O.K.Jazz, Brazzos, Rock-A-Mambo, African Jazz and The Beguen Band.