12 calypso-ish tracks: "Riverbank Jump Up", "Benwood Dick", "El Negrito", "The Road March", "Jamaica Jump Up", "Happy Wanderer", "Elaine, Harry & Mama", "Second Hand Piano", "St Thomas", "Village Ram", "Laziest Man" and "Surprise Merengue". (Reggae, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". CD

Excellent sounds from Ojo Balingo – a Nigerian juju artist from the same stretch as King Sunny Ade – but one whose music is much more obscure to audiences on this side of the Atlantic! Balingo's group here has the loose, spontaneous vibe that characterizes juju at its best – this real sense of jamming, especially in the criss-crossing of the percussion, which is tremendous throughout – a real driving force of the music, and exploding with all these melodic elements as much as rhythmic ones – so much so, that the talking between the drums speaks volumes, even before the vocals come into the mix. The whole thing's a masterpiece of creative percussion, mixed with other elements that creep in a bit more strongly on side two – and titles include "Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo", "Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe, "Igbe Eiye Oloburo", "Jide Babaloa & Bayo Babalola", and "Ile Aiye Ile Ese Ile Aiye Ogun". LP, Vinyl record album

Anthony Joseph takes a trip back to his roots – recording this album in his home turf of Trinidad, for a set that may well be his best record to date! The music sparkles with all the sunny touches you might guess from the title – but also has all those deeper, righteous currents that Joseph has brought to recent records – a very hard-to-define blend of jazz, funk, Caribbean roots, and other global elements – served up here with plenty of guest help from Meena Joseph, 3 Canal, John John Francis, Ella Andall, and Brother Resistance. The sound is great – with a powerful vibe that's gotten Anthony huge acclaim overseas, even if he's yet to take hold on this side of the Atlantic. Titles include "Sufferings", "Sans Souci", "Bandit School", "Dealings", "Dig Out Your Eye", "He Was Trying", "People Of The Sun", "On The Move", and Jungle". (New Grooves, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album