Juno Recommends Reggae Classics November 2021

Review: There's nothing particularly revolutionary about the idea behind the Disco Reggae compilation series - contemporary artists deliver reggae-soaked covers of boogie and disco classics - but the sets themselves never fail to impress. The latest volume, the fourth in total, once again contains some genuinely brilliant covers. It opens with a wonderfully woozy and sumptuous take on Roy Ayers' 'We Live in Brooklyn' by Booker Gee's Soul Sugar outfit and ends with a frankly genius dub-wise take on Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity' courtesy of Taggy Matcher. In between, you'll find highlights including a reggae-boogie revision of Chemise's 'She Can't Love You' (again by Taggy Matcher), a wonderfully soulful re-interpretation of Errol Walker classic 'In These Times' (here re-titled 'Summertime') by Wolfgang, and a killer collaboration between Blundetto and Booker Gee.

Review: Harlem Shuffle has firmly established itself as one of the best reissuers of killer reggae anthems from the 60s and 70s. The Hot Sauce series started with a great first volume last year and now comes a second instalment of seriously seductive dub, rocksteady and roots reggae. This volume specifically covers the years 1965 to 1975 and is dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels. These outstanding Jamaican originals include a number of rare and lesser known roles, some hidden treasures and a number of more widely celebrated tunes. It is the musicality of each cut which has determined its place in this collection, meaning this is a water tight listen for all sorts of reggae fans.

Review: Japan's ability to take in culture from around the world and perfect it with their own unique aesthetic knows no bounds. From denim to rockabilly, streetwear to dub, the country is a treasure trove of niche and unexpected scenes. Rock A Shaka is an outlet that champions the country's rich dub heritage and here they reissue a 2014 classic. It features Spanish Town Skabeats serving up the timeless and swaggering ska sounds of 'Stop That Train', with its big horns and deep cut riddim. Prince Buster's All Stars serves up 'Stir the Pot' on the flip with just as much elan.

Review: Having previously largely focused on Afro-funk and Afro-soul, the Africa Seven label has decided to mix things up with its latest compilation. Inspired by a desire to dig into the overlooked history of African reggae, their latest collection charts the development of the sound on the continent between 1972 and '88. Presented chronologically (earliest recording first, most recent last), the set does a brilliant job in showcasing the rich variety of Caribbean-African musical fusions released during the period. The plentiful highlights include the gently funky skank of Georges Happi's 'Hello Friends', the sublime sweetness of Chrissie Essien's 'I'll Be Your Man', the Wailers-esque loveliness of 'Bobby' by the Lidaju Sisters, the synth-laden haziness of Pasteur Lappe's 'Babette D'O (Rastaman)' and the conscious roots reggae brilliance of Carlos & Miki's 'All This Nonsense'.

Review: Acid Jazz's latest 7" is a particularly lovely one from the Soul Revivers. But alongside original members reggae veteran Nick Manasseh and David Hill formerly of the Ballistic Brothers, they have enlisted the next level trumpet talents of Ms Maurice, who is the bandleader of excellent Afro-jazz ensemble Kokoroko and also a member of jazz septet Nerija. Their 'Look No Further' is full of nostalgic dub sounds but also a serene sense of soul. A flipside live-on-the-mixing-board dub from Soul Revivers' Nick Manasseh pairs things back to an even more immersive and pillowy groove.

Review: It was in 1973 that Bob Marley and the Wailers somehow became stranded on the West Coast of the United States. They had been famously asked to leave the Sly & The Family Stone tour as Sly thought they were being outperformed every night and getting better reactions from the crowd. Rather the hanging around, the band headed to Los Angeles to perform this session at the famous Capitol Studios. Famed producer Denny Cordell was given full permission to record the band during the session and now the full and intimate session of 12 complete tunes has been remastered for this special release. It comes on limited edition green vinyl and is a fine collector's piece as well as a nice bit of reggae history.

Review: Roots reggae crew Danakil hail from Marly-Le-Roi close to Paris in France and was initially made up of college students from the city. They formed in 2000 and have put out 13 albums while playing plenty of high profile concerts and festivals around the country. Danakil songs often have a strong message that is based about a belief in humanism. Singer Balik takes inspiration from current events and distills them in his work, with themes such as North-South inequalities, difficulties in Africa and the hypocrisy of politicians. All of that and more features in this latest record with rolling reggae rhythms and world music influences.