A nice batch of tracks from Boris Gardiner, collecting numbers he recorded in a variety of settings over the years, crossing over and back between reggae, soul and rhythm and blues. This set covers a lot of ground, with some of his more pop numbers mixed in amongst heavier reggae tracks and those funk nuggets we know you're digging for, like the great break track "Ghetto Funk". 25 tracks in all, including "Elizabethan Reggae", "Dynamic Pressure", "Scarface", "Reggae Me Dis, Reggae Me Dat", "What's Happening", "A Groovy Kind Of Love", "Ain't No Sunshine", "The Bold One" and tons more! CD

The second US album by the team of Phillip & Lloyd – much more in the Miami soul mode than their first record, cut for the Konduko subsidiary of TK with a feel that's almost Caribbean disco! The style's still got some traces of the duo's reggae roots, but the production's also more traditionally TK – with tight Miami funk in the backings, and strings arranged by Mike Lewis. Lots of choppy groovers – and titles include "Do What You Want To Do To I", "Juke Box Lil", "Keep On Moving", "Soon You'll Be Gone", "I Gave You Love", and "I Don't Know". (Soul, Reggae) CD

A third healthy dose of music from the early years of the Jamaican scene – work that's a direct precursor to the trio group soul mode of the rocksteady years, and which provides a great bridge into the way that American soul music went on to have such a strong influence on reggae! The "doo wop" in the title is key here – as these tracks are definitely heavy on harmonies and lighter on instrumentation – very much tied to American expressions of the genre, and delivered by artists who'd both go on to later fame, and disappear in the shifting sands of time. Titles include "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. LP, Vinyl record album