Various Artists:
Coxsone's Music, The Downbeat 1960-62:
Soul Jazz Records:
3CD/DD/2xDLP:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★★★☆
The story of Jamaican R&B and reggae supremo Coxsone Dodd starts long before this impressive compilation kicks off. Chronologically speaking, Dodd had set up his first soundsystem in 1954 and played a broad spectrum of styles from American jazz to rhythm 'n' blues, all of which essentially became the backbone for bluebeat, ska, reggae and beyond.
Here across three discs, Soul Jazz have drawn from a very deep well featuring some of Dodd's downbeat classics from his pre-Studio One days. There's a smorgasbord of calypso, rock and roll, soul beat, ska in its purest form, R&B, jazz, doo-wop, boogie-woogie and gospel, in fact some of the greatest names in Jamaican and American musical history grace its grooves. The role-call is impressive enough - Don Drummond, Derrick Harriott, Theo Beckford, Clancy Eccles and Roland Alphonso feature throughout - but the relative unknowns also raise the bar.
Not surprisingly, the three discs contain enough bangers to hold a party. Busty & Cool's What a World is an exemplary ska-shuffle from '62 while the sweet sax and trombone-driven Counter Punch by Alphonso might sound like it's been rescued from a dusty trailer but it's truly enthralling. The melodies might be simple, repetitive even but the joy of the creative process is easy to hear. And if you don't wiggle a hip or two to twistin' Owen Gray's cuts then you're officially dormant. There's even a seasonal Christmas tune in the shape of Simms and Robinson's White Christmas.
A thumping 46 tracks are complimented by an informative booklet and great sleevework sourced from various posters of the time.
Coxsone's Music, The Downbeat 1960-62:
Soul Jazz Records:
3CD/DD/2xDLP:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★★★☆
Here across three discs, Soul Jazz have drawn from a very deep well featuring some of Dodd's downbeat classics from his pre-Studio One days. There's a smorgasbord of calypso, rock and roll, soul beat, ska in its purest form, R&B, jazz, doo-wop, boogie-woogie and gospel, in fact some of the greatest names in Jamaican and American musical history grace its grooves. The role-call is impressive enough - Don Drummond, Derrick Harriott, Theo Beckford, Clancy Eccles and Roland Alphonso feature throughout - but the relative unknowns also raise the bar.
Not surprisingly, the three discs contain enough bangers to hold a party. Busty & Cool's What a World is an exemplary ska-shuffle from '62 while the sweet sax and trombone-driven Counter Punch by Alphonso might sound like it's been rescued from a dusty trailer but it's truly enthralling. The melodies might be simple, repetitive even but the joy of the creative process is easy to hear. And if you don't wiggle a hip or two to twistin' Owen Gray's cuts then you're officially dormant. There's even a seasonal Christmas tune in the shape of Simms and Robinson's White Christmas.
A thumping 46 tracks are complimented by an informative booklet and great sleevework sourced from various posters of the time.