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

Soul stirring rocksteady and deeply moving melodies from unfailingly great singer Slim Smith and the Uniques – just a beautiful compilation of late 60s material that's provides ample evidence for those of us that contend that Slim Smith and the Uniques are among the greatest and most soulful combos in the history of reggae vocals! Includes nice early production by Bunny Striker Lee throughout – and backing musicians including Lynn Taitt & The Jets and Bobby Aitken & The Carib Beats. Nice steady rockers and lover's tunes, with sweet harmony vocals. 14 tracks on the LP version: "Give Me A Love", "You Lied To Me", "People Rock Steady", "Facts Of Life", "This Feeling", "Trying Hard To Find A Home", "You Don't Care (You'll Want Me Back)", "I'm Lost", "Love & Devotion", "Where Do I Turn" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz have done it again! As with their classic NuYorica, Strata East, and Black Jazz comps, this one's a definitive sampling of rare funky stuff that you'll never find otherwise. The set brings together 14 classic Jamaican tracks from the 60's and 70's – and unlike a lot of the other weak-ass reggae comps out there, every cut on here is a winner (or if you prefer, 100% Dynamite!) Great cuts include "Armageddon Time" by Willie Williams, "Stereo Freeze" by Jackie Mittoo, "Granny Scratch Scratch" by Sound Dimension, "Popcorn" by The Upsetters, and lots more! There's also some great Jamaican covers of American funky soul classics – like The Marvels' version of "Rock Steady", and Phyllis Dillon's great remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto". Lots more goodies, and the usual Soul Jazz high standard – which is 100% Dynamite! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure dynamite throughout – a really killer batch of cuts that easily steps between 60s and 70s styles in Jamaican music – shaking things up with soulful late 60s numbers, funky 70s gems, and some dubbier tracks from a time when production styles really opened up! As with other volumes in this excellent series, the choice of cuts is wonderful – really well-chosen tracks that go past the hits, but also feature some numbers that have become underground classics over the years – but all at a level that's got a lot more bite than some of the oft-played reggae that's been keeping dorm rooms running for decades. There's a total of 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Rocker's Rock" by Augustus Pablo, "No No No" by KC White, "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw, "One Two" by Sister Nancy, "Woman Of The Ghetto" by Kim Harriott, "Heatwave" by Johnny Organ, "King Tubby Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Agrovators, "Earthquake" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ready Or Not" by Johnny Osborne. CD

Pure dynamite throughout – a really killer batch of cuts that easily steps between 60s and 70s styles in Jamaican music – shaking things up with soulful late 60s numbers, funky 70s gems, and some dubbier tracks from a time when production styles really opened up! As with other volumes in this excellent series, the choice of cuts is wonderful – really well-chosen tracks that go past the hits, but also feature some numbers that have become underground classics over the years – but all at a level that's got a lot more bite than some of the oft-played reggae that's been keeping dorm rooms running for decades. There's a total of 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Rocker's Rock" by Augustus Pablo, "No No No" by KC White, "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw, "One Two" by Sister Nancy, "Woman Of The Ghetto" by Kim Harriott, "Heatwave" by Johnny Organ, "King Tubby Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Agrovators, "Earthquake" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ready Or Not" by Johnny Osborne. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible! This is quite possibly the best of this legendary series of Jamaican soul, funk, and reggae tracks – and it's a masterpiece! The track selection is amazing, and the set has a bit more crackle than earlier volumes – with loads of great 70s production, including nice dubby bits, and some excellent instrumentation. Titles include "Mission Impossible" by Randy's Allstars, "Make It Reggae" by Shark Wilson & The Basement Heaters, "Rebel Soldiering" by Johnny Clarke, "Jungle Lion" by Lee Perry, "Take It Easy" by Hopeton Lewis, "Jackie's Theme" by Jackie Mittoo & Randy's Allstars, "Uptown Top Rankin" by Althea & Donna, "Cincinatti Kid" by Prince Buster, and "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy. 15 cuts in all – and all great! (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

There's been plenty of great reggae collections issued over the years, but this excellent series seems to do a better job than most – in part because it bypasses the hits, and ends up pulling together some wonderful work from the wider world of the Jamaican 7" single! The tracks on here were originally issued on a variety of labels that now live under the Trojan umbrella – imprints that include Randy's, Amalgamated, Grape, Treasure Isle, and Duke – and with that variety of sources, there's also a great variety of sounds too – nicely gritty work that booms out of the speakers nice and loud – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Soup (version)" by JJ All Stars, "La La" by The Inspirations, "Arabian Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Red Ash" by Carl Bryan, "Lottery Spin" by Zap Pow, "Warricka Hill" by The Love Generation, "Reggae Dance" by Owen Gray, "Feel All Right" by The Cables, and "A Testimony" by Upsetter Pilgrims. LP, Vinyl record album

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Tracks include "Double Barrel", "Confucius", "Stalag 17", "East Of The River Nile", "Redemption Song", and "Israelites". CD

A deeper dig into the career of Carl Dawkins than the previous volume with the same title – and a set that really gets at the more righteous energy that Carl brought to the years of early reggae! The image on the front really gets at the power of the music here – this up-close, very soulful style that moves the music past some of the simpler themes of the ska and rocksteady years, and maybe even comes as a strong precursor to the roots years – at least in the way that Carl delivers the material. Titles include "Not Another Woman", "My Whole World", "Persevere", "Hot & Sticky", "This Land", "Don't Get Weary", "Why Oh Why", "Dreadful Situation", and "No Happiness Here". LP, Vinyl record album

A deeper dig into the career of Carl Dawkins than the previous volume with the same title – and a set that really gets at the more righteous energy that Carl brought to the years of early reggae! The image on the front really gets at the power of the music here – this up-close, very soulful style that moves the music past some of the simpler themes of the ska and rocksteady years, and maybe even comes as a strong precursor to the roots years – at least in the way that Carl delivers the material. Titles include "Not Another Woman", "My Whole World", "Persevere", "Hot & Sticky", "This Land", "Don't Get Weary", "Why Oh Why", "Dreadful Situation", and "No Happiness Here". LP, Vinyl record album

The title on this one says it all – Mojo Rocksteady Beat! The Brentford Road big timers come correct on this explosive Soul Jazz revisitation of their 100% Studio One dynamite tracks! The names of the heavies that rotated through this bunch are already well known: Jackie Mittoo, Vin Gordon aka Don D Junior, Deadly Headly Bennet, Ernest Ranglin, Leroy Sibbles, and more, and the jams here are no less well known, whether it is on their own, or as the mad, soulful rhythm foundation for any of Coxsone's top numbers. 18 earth shaking blasts of Jamaican soul, including "Rockfort Rock", "Funky", 'Real Rock", "Reggae Time", "Mojo Rock Steady", "Drum Song", "Ironside", "Heavy Rock", "In Cold Blood", "Jamaica Underground", "Reggae Time", "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga", and of course, "Mojo Rock Steady". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of work from the ultra-rare Links label – a short-lived imprint from the ska/rocksteady years of the scene in Kingston – and one that only issued a handful of records, all of which were pretty darn great! The label was founded by BB Seton of The Gaylads, and all the cuts here have a similarly soulful vibe as work from that great group – the growing emphasis on strong lead vocals over instrumentation on the Jamaican scene – sometimes with harmonies that were almost strong enough to blow away American soul groups of the time! Titles include "Looking For A Girl" and "Let's Fall In Love" by The Gaylads, "Can't You See" and "I Remember Someone" by Ken Boothe, "Give Love A Try" by Delroy Wilson, "Hog In A Minty" by Prince Glen, "Sweet Melody" by Big Joe, "It Comes & Goes" by The Melodians, "Small World" by Randall Thaxter, and "Something New" by Conscious Minds. CD

A really great collection of work from the ultra-rare Links label – a short-lived imprint from the ska/rocksteady years of the scene in Kingston – and one that only issued a handful of records, all of which were pretty darn great! The label was founded by BB Seton of The Gaylads, and all the cuts here have a similarly soulful vibe as work from that great group – the growing emphasis on strong lead vocals over instrumentation on the Jamaican scene – sometimes with harmonies that were almost strong enough to blow away American soul groups of the time! Titles include "Looking For A Girl" and "Let's Fall In Love" by The Gaylads, "Can't You See" and "I Remember Someone" by Ken Boothe, "Give Love A Try" by Delroy Wilson, "Hog In A Minty" by Prince Glen, "Sweet Melody" by Big Joe, "It Comes & Goes" by The Melodians, "Small World" by Randall Thaxter, and "Something New" by Conscious Minds. LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of rocksteady people here – served up in a killer selection of work from the small JDI label in Kingston – an imprint named after the Johnson's Drive-In club where most of the acts worked! The cuts here have a lean, gritty vibe – that really special quality that comes from the early 45s of this generation, when the Jamaican scene was really experimenting with new sounds of its own – all set to production styles that really let the best elements in the tunes pop strongly, especially the jazzy horns and organ lines! The Diamonds Band or Los Caballeros Orchestra back up all the singers – and titles include "Beware Rudie" and "Control Your Temper" by Roy Panton, "Rock Steady People" by Lloyd Williams, "Rude Boy's Prayer", "Danger Man", and "Press On" by Desmond Tucker – plus instrumental cuts "Expo 67" and "Look Away" by The Diamonds – and "Rigmarole" "Hot Nosh", and "Make Yourself Comfortable" by Los Caballeros. CD

Great early work from the legendary Studio One – and some important sounds that really show the link between Jamaican reggae and American soul! The grooves at this point draw heavily from the US soul and R&B that had been hitting Jamaican shores via radio broadcasts from up north – but they also already have a Kingston influence coming heavily into the mix – in the stepping rhythms, bubbling instrumentation, and mellow production of the cuts! The instrumentation here is wonderful – lots of special little touches on organ, tenor, bass, or drums – in that key Studio One way – and the vocals have a flow that really works well with the echoey production on most numbers too. A few tunes show some early social and political themes – and titles include "Stars" by The Eternals, "Joy In The Morning" by The Gaylads, "My Ambition" by Marcia Griffith, "Throw Me Corn" by Larry & Alvin, "Lick It Back" by Duke Morgan, "Pack Up" by The Classics, "Fancy Make Up" by John Holt, "Whisper To Me" by Cecile Campbell, "Hurting Me" by Alton Ellis, "Our Thing" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Row Fisherman Row" by Wailing Souls. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Dandy – one of the key figures in the Jamaican musical community in London during the second half of the 60s, and an artist who was really important in helping the UK forge its own version of music from Kingston! The set begins with Dandy's classic album for the Giant label – a masterpiece of well-done rocksteady, with production and instrumentation that are nice and lean – shifting the groove from the previous ska generation, while also allowing for some great horn work, especially on saxes, to flesh things out next to Dandy's great vocals! There's a nicely different vibe to the set than most Jamaican material, but also none of the cliches that might later mark some London recordings – a really fresh vibe that's totally great, served up on tracks that include "Keep Them Fretting", "Turn Your Wheel", "You're No Hustler", "Rhythm Of The Rain", "Sock It To Me", "Soul Power", "Play It Cool", "People Do Rock Steady", and "Turn On Your Lovelight". This massive 2CD set adds in 31 bonus tracks, for a total of 43 tracks in all, 32 of which appear here on CD for the first time ever – with great notes, sound, and a wonderful package! CD

A rocksteady classic from The Ethiopians – but a set that also has plenty more going on as well! The duo work here as a Jamaican counterpart to American soul groups – one of the first and best to hit the Kingston scene – but they also open themselves up to lots of other ideas in the process, and sometimes lay back vocally to just let the album open up and groove! Harmonies are The Ethiopians' strongest calling card – but they're often first directed by the rhythms, then slide in to warm things up and give a larger presence to the slow-stepping, midtempo grooves – all delivered with a classic Kingston head-nodding approach. The album's a key genre-building moment in Jamaican music – and titles include the classic "Train To Skaville", plus "Engine 54", "My Love", "You Got The Dough", "Woman's World", "Long Time Now", and "Unchanged Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also feels as if they're leaning a bit more heavily on sweet soul modes from the early 70s too – coming across with the warmth of a harmony vocal record on the lyrics, while still also reveling in the best sort of slow-stepping, dub heavy rhythms in the music! Dan Klein handles the vocals, always with a great sense of echo – and Chuck Patel adds lots of great organ and keyboards to the music – including some great spacey effects. Victor Axelrod did a superb job with production – and titles include "30 56", "You Still", "Profilin", "Expectations", "Tuesday", "Always", "Maybe Isle", and "Why Does It Feel Like A Curse". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of charmers from legendary producer Lloyd Charmers – served up here with lots of bonus tracks too! First up is the classic Sweet Bitter Love from Marcia Griffiths – a set that helped cement her reputation as one of the most soulful female singers in Jamaican music at the time – and one that really helps bridge worlds by serving up some great reggae-styled takes on American soul music! Marcia serves up sublime takes on tunes by Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Roberta Flack, and others – completely reworked by Charmers' instrumentation – which also includes some wonderful keyboards! Titles include "Play Me", "Gypsy Man", "Sweet Bitter Love", "Green Grasshopper", "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", and "Everything I Own". Far & Distant features wicked guitar work from Willie Lindo – spun out here over an all-instrumental set that almost feels more like Jamaican records of the late 60s than you'd guess from the mid 70s date of the album! The grooves are definitely more 70s – certainly with a strong reggae current – but the spare, stripped-down manner of presentation takes us back more to some of the instrumental rocksteady records – especially in the way the production allows for lots of focus on the core musician – which means you really get to hear all the wicked, trippy currents of Lindo's instrument – used in a heady style that almost makes him come across like the Phil Upchurch of the Jamaican scene! Lloyd Charmers produced, and also plays piano and organ – and titles include "Drum Song", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Midnight train To Georgia", "Samba Pati", "Chopper", "Hear I Am Baby", "Charmers Mood", "Mystic Mood", "Breezing", and "Holly Holy". 2CD edition features 20 more bonus tracks – 17 of which are new to CD – a full alternate mix of the Marcia Griffiths album, the tune "Midnight & You" by Willie Lindo, and more Lloyd Charmer productions from rare 7" singles – work by Big Youth, Drifting Blenders, Bob Andy, BB Seaton, Errol Thomas, and others. CD

A massive package – the full rare Undertaker album from Derrick Harriott & The Crystalites, plus an insane amount of bonus tracks too! The core album is instrumental – a wicked set of rhythms from The Crystalites, a group who have a vibe that's right up there with the best of the late 60s Kingston scene, but a groove that's definitely their own – almost a razor's edge to some of the rhythms, as they snap through some excellent late rocksteady/early reggae modes! Harriott produced, and adds in all these cool touches and sounds that almost predate some of the later experimental modes of Lee Scratch Perry. Titles include "The Undertaker", "Bombshell", "Biafra", "The Bad", "Lady Madonna", "Fistful Of Dollars", "The Barefoot Brigade", and "Dr Who". 2CD set features 14 more instrumental tracks from The Crystalites – plus 27 more Harriott-produced numbers, including work by Rudy Mills, Junior Murvin, Keith & Tex, The Chuckles, Eric Donaldson, Pat Satchmo, Tinga & Ernie, and The Ethiopians. CD

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller". LP, Vinyl record album

Derrick Morgan's a superstar in Jamaican music, but this album's one of his most obscure – also one of his most righteous too, as you might guess from the gritty 70s image on the cover! The set's got a soulful flow that's in the late rocksteady mode, but also bubbles with some of the roots energy to come – a headier vibe that has Morgan's vocals cresting over the tunes in a way that almost echoes some of the shifts that Marvin Gaye was making at the time – even thought Derrick's vibe here is completely his own! Morgan arranged and produced – and titles include "Festival 10", "Me Na Run", "Bring In The Guns", "One Morning In May", "Father Killam", "Send A Little Rain", "Never See My Baby", "Hold Your Jack", and "Still Around". LP, Vinyl record album

If there's anyone who could make the idea of Italian westerns and Jamaican grooves come together, it's the young Lee Scratch Perry – the mad musician who always had a great talent for mixing it up! Eastwood Rides Again follows the theme of The Upsetters previous classic, Return Of Django – and like that one, the groove isn't just the rocksteady rhythms you'd expect – but also maybe this more spacious version of the style, with a bit more space between the notes than some of their Kingston contemporaries – almost a mode that could be inspired by the spacious soundtrack scoring of the Italian scene, then delivered with a much grittier vibe. Most tunes are instrumentals, and titles include "Eastwood Rides Again", "Salt & Pepper", "Red Hot", "Tight Spot", "Catch This", "Popcorn", and "You Are Adorable". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of classic covers and original tracks – all served up with a mellow groove and plenty of influence from Jamaican music! Years back, Soul Sugar were more of a jazzy funk combo – but over the years, they've evolved into more of a reggae/rocksteady mode – one that's a perfect setting for the Hammond, Fender Rhodes, and other keyboards handled by Guillaume Metenier – a player who solos strongly on the instrumental tracks, then steps back a bit more on the few vocal numbers that grace the set! One of those, a sweet remake of the Curtis Mayfield classic "The Makings Of You", is worth the price of admission alone – and other tracks include "Black Byrd", "Happy Riddim", "Just A Little Talk", "Fly Away", and "Tubby's Ghost". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest records of the roots reggae generation – a set that was so far ahead of its time, it never saw release until a decade after it was recorded! Sylford Walker has this very powerful way of putting over his words – part singing, part chanting – and often set to rhythms that are maybe a bit grittier than the usual Kingston studio modes of the late 70s – especially the percussion, which can have a very raw vibe alongside the basslines. Horns are nice and stark, too – and the whole thing almost feels as if someone took a trip back to the rocksteady years of recording, to put together a roots-oriented album. Glen L Brown produced and arranged – and titles include "Chant Down Babylon", "Lamb's Bread", "My Father's Homeland", "Eternal Day", and "Deuteronomy". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the cheapo look of the cover, as the set's a classic batch of gems from the Trojan Records catalog – 2CDs worth of material, with 55 titles that go way past the obvious hits – served up in a great mix of rocksteady and early reggae modes, and filled with the kind of tunes that instantly bridged the space between Kingston and London at the end of the 60s! The package takes off from a mainstream Trojan set from back in the day, and offers the much deeper dig that we love from the Doctor Bird label – tunes that make the whole thing more of a journey of discovery than you might guess from the simple statement of the title. Tracks include "Build It Up" by Tito Simon, "Sweet Sensation" by The Melodians, "This Is Reggae Music" by Zap Pow, "Floating" by Greyhound, "Black Pearl" by Horace Faith, "Liquidator" by Harry J Allstars, "Elizabethan Reggae" by Boris Gardiner & The Love People, "I Need Your Sweet Inspiration" by The Pioneers, "Red Red Wine" by Tony Tribe, "Think About That" by Dandy Livingston, "Down In The Boondocks" by Delroy Williams, "Reggae From The Ghetto" by John Holt, "Yesterday Man" by Nicky Thomas, "Who's That Lady" by Paris Connection, and lots lots more! CD

A fab bunch of ska and rocksteady numbers, one of those compilations that Trojan has oddly let go out of print. 18 great tracks, including "Big Bamboo" by Lord Creator, "Latin Goes Ska", "Beardman Ska", "Street Corner" and "Ball O Fire" by the Skatalites, "hallelujah" by the Maytals, "Garden Of Love" and "Let George Do It" by Don Drummond, "Rough & Tough" by Stranger Cole, "Shame & Scandal" by Peter Tosh & The Wailers, "Bonanza Ska" by Carlos Malcolm, "Dance Crasher" by Alton Ellis, "Rudie Bam Bam" by the Clarnedonians, "Ska Jam" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "Doctor Dick" by Lee Perry & The Soulettes, "Owe Me No Pay Me" by the Ethiopians, "Independence Ska" by Baba Brooks and "Don't Be A Rude Boy" by the Rulers. LP, Vinyl record album

The soulful sound of Trojan Records, mixed superbly here by Japanese DJ Holiday – who comes across with a killer blend of cuts from the rocksteady and early reggae years! A number of tracks here are Jamaican remakes of American soul tunes, and they're mixed with originals that really echo the spirit of mellow grooves that were especially strong in the early part of the 70s – served up here on a set of 20 tracks that are all pulled from the farther reaches of the Trojan catalog, including a fair bit of under-discovered nuggets! Titles include "Let's Get It On" by Lloyd Charmers, "Lean On Me" by BB Seaton, "Tears On My Pillow" by Derrick Morgan, "It's You I Love" by Merlene Webster, "Somebody's Baby" by Pat Kelly, "Pain In My Heart" by Derrick & Naomi, "Target" by The Gaytones, "Love Letters" by Phyllis Dillon & Alton Ellis, "Sitting In The Park" by Slim Smith, "Keep It Like It Is" by Louisa Marks, "Emergency Call" by Judy Mowatt, and "Our Day Will Come" by The Heptones. CD

A set with a familiar title – similar to a Soul Jazz compilation of vintage work from Studio One – but a package that's nicely different, and which digs even deeper into the legendary catalog of the famous reggae label! The style here is nicely open – there's vocal and instrumental cuts, ska, rocksteady, and early reggae – and while there's certainly a theme of freedom in the music, there's lots of other righteous energy going on too! Many of these numbers are quite obscure – and titles include "Freedom Street" and "Funny Man" by Freedom Singers, "Wire Higher" by Jackie Mitoo, "Stay A Little Bit Longer" and "Rome" by Larry Marshall, "Lee Arab" by Ernest Ranglin, "Your Love Gets Sweeter" by Irvin Brown, and "Soul Food", "Midnight Soul", and "Mun Dun Gu" by Im & David with Sound Dimension. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady helping of rare singles from the farther reaches of the indie scene in early reggae – labels that include Duke, Grape, Splash, High Note, Explosion, and JJ – all tiny companies that are now part of the larger Trojan Records empire! The work here is nicely varied – as many styles as promised in the title, but with maybe the soulful edge of rocksteady at the core – a strong focus on the kind of late 60s singles that had more than enough depth to cross the Atlantic and get plenty of play on the London scene too! Titles include "Old Time (dub)" by GG All-stars, "Black Power" by Dave Barker, "Wondering" by The Hippy Boys, "Let My People Go" by The Rulers & The Carib Beats, "It's Too Late" by Chosen Few, "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars, "Love Brother" by Herman, "Rim Bim Bam" by The Ethiopians, "Fire Fire (take 3)" by Tony & His Group, "Night Of Love" by Ansel Collins, "Pony Ride" by Winston Groovy & Pat Rhoden, "Dee's Special" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, and "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars. LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from the Jamaican scene – a set that includes cuts by artists who'd later record classic tracks in the rocksteady years, but who here are working in a much different mode! The title is plenty apt, but only gets at part of the sound – as this isn't straight doo wop as you'd know from the American scene, but instead some early group harmony – of the sort that would flourish even more strongly on famous Jamaican trio recordings of the late 60s – handled here with much more stripped-down instrumentation, and a shifting set of rhythms that mixes US influences with other more Caribbean modes. Titles include "Muriel" by Alton & Eddie, "Dearest Darling" by Jiving Juniors, "Til The End Of Time" by Chuck & Dobby, "Dearest Beverly" by Jimmy Cliff, "Heavenly Angel" by Laurel Aitken, "Do You Know" by Owen & Millie, "I'm Going Back" by The Charmers, "Diamonds & Pearls" by Dobby Dobson, and "Album Of Memory" by The Mellowlarks. LP, Vinyl record album

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

A heavy package of treasures from the vaults of Studio One – tracks from the early days of the label that really illustrate the special touch that Studio One had right from the start! The work here is some of the most soulful from the early years of reggae – Jamaican music that's clearly drawn strong inspiration from American work, but which is already really finding its own sort of special groove – mellow burning rocksteady, early reggae, and more – still sounding every bit as righteous and powerful as it did back in the day! This double-length set brings together both volumes of the original compilations – and titles include "Peeping Tom" by Brentford All Stars, "Honey Come Back" by Jerry James, "Get You Off My Mind" by Larry Marshall, "I'll Be Waiting" by Alton Ellis, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "My Eyes" by John Holt, "He Don't Love You" by Larry Williams, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Life" by Hortense Ellis, "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Winston Francis, "Old Time Saying" by Burning Spear, "Riddle I This" by Dennis Alcapone, "Feel Good All Over" by King Sporty, "Zion Higher" by Burning Spear, and "Home Home Version" by Dennis Alcapone & Ken Boothe. CD

A great little set of rocksteady and early reggae tracks – featuring 16 gems recorded in the late 60s by producer Leslie Kong. Titles include "Monkey Man" by The Maytals, "Rivers Of Babylon" by The Melodians, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, "Monkey Girl" by The Maytals, "Freedom Street" by Ken Boothe, "Peeping Tom" by The Maytals, "Samfie Man" by The Pioneers, "Night Flight" by Ansell Collins, and "Gave You My Love" by Delroy Wilson. CD

Fantastic sounds from the rocksteady years in Jamaica – tracks that are a fair bit more rare and obscure than some of the bigger singles that circulated at the time – even though they feature a fair bit of the same artists and musicians! The work here all came from the studios of Federal Records – one of the first indies in Kingston, headed by the visionary Ken Khouri – who put things together and learned the process as he went – which often made for a very organic approach to the music! Khouri handled a lot of other Jamaican styles in the years before these sides – but he really seems to have hit his stride with rocksteady – coming up with a perfect balance between the new rhythms, the sharp instrumentation, and the soulful styles of the singers. Titles on this second volume include "Real Gone Sweet" by The Tartans, "Walk On By" by The Zodiacs, "We Gonna Make It" by The Termites, "Fountain Bliss" by The Dynamites, "This Music Got Soul" by Hopeton Lewis, "Batman (early take rehearsal)" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, "I Don't Want Trouble" by Hopeton Lewis, "Rolling Rolling" by The Tartans, "Lester Sterling Special" by Lester Sterling, "Take Me Back" by Henry Buckley, and "Sounds Of Silence" by Roland Alphonso. LP, Vinyl record album