A loving portrait of key figures in Jamaican music – a book done during the 21st Century, but filled with classic artists from back in the day – dozens of giants pictured in full color images, alongside some words on their art and music, plus standout tracks and details of their best qualities! The book is on an academic press, but it's a great read for anyone – and features a brief introduction by the author, before diving into the dozens of entries – of subjects who include Derrick Harriott, Ras Michael, Mr Fix It, Bobby Aitkin, Deadly Headley, Bob Andy, Cedric Im Brooks, Max Romeo, Ken Parker, Lee Scratch Perry, Boris Gardinier, Gladdy Anderson, Steely & Clive, Sly Dunbar, and many others. The softcover edition is 230 pages, with full color photos throughout, and features helpful indexes on key recordings and the locations and timing of the interviews within. Book

A really great book if you're digging for reggae records – one that features hundreds of listings of albums, both classic and hard to find – each with a small color image of the cover, dates and labels in English, and a small review in Japanese! You've probably seen this format for other Japanese disc guides on jazz, funk, or soul – and this volume brings that same approach to reggae records, tracing the music from the start of the 60s onwards – in chapters on The Ska Era, Rocksteady Era, Early Reggae, Roots Rock, Early Dancehall, Digital Dancehall, Neo Roots, Modern & Hybrid Era, and Reggae Revival. The book is softcover, over 300 pages, and has full color images throughout – and even if you can't read the Japanese text, you can likely use Google on your phone to make a translation. Book