Ska music reviews

Deep nyabinghi drumming and chanting on a version of the Ethiopian national anthem gets things underway on Slave Call, a majestic journey through the spiritual roots of reggae. Later songs add guitars, bass, keyboards, and horns to build a more standard reggae sound on that foundation, but there's always a dignified restraint and the profundity of the nyabinghi beat. This is not your jumping-around reggae; it's more suited to a solemn procession, although the tempo picks up a bit for the joyous sound of a version of "Train to Skaville," The Ethiopians' signature song. Just as the Ethiopian national anthem is a recital of Rastafarian creed rather than that country's real national anthem, there's a Rastafarianized version of "Let It Be" that demonstrates the truly inspiring universality of any soulful music. Slave Call belongs in all serious reggae collections. --Jonathan E.

Early reggae artists were known for plucking obscure American soul and R&B gems from obscurity by giving them a revitalizing reggae makeover. As reggae gained status and took on the credo of the emerging Rastafarian faith, it found its own voice and message. Still, reggae's always had a core of soul, and the merger makes sweet sense. U.S. indie label Pow Wow has made waves with three rock-to-reggae cover records, so it's totally fitting and somewhat overdue for reggae to rewind to its past with these 15 interpretations of some of America's leading soul anthems by a reggae vocalist elite. The marriage of material and talent here is consistently tasty, and it's hard to single out favorites. But Al Brown--a Toots Hibbert sound-alike--with Skin, Flesh & Bones delivers a rousing reggaematic version of "Here I Am Baby" that captures that old soul feel. The inimitable Big Youth wails the heck out of "Wake Up Everybody." Derrick Harriott's cover of "The Loser" was a huge hit back in the day, and it makes a great fit in this collection. John Holt, former lead singer for the Paragons, draws every possible nuance from "Never, Never, Never" with that smooth crooning style. Reggae's crown prince, Dennis Brown, whose towering career was built on a canny balance between covers and searing originals, contributes his interpretation of "Let Me Down Easy"; Ken Boothe, one of the music's finest veteran singers in a funky soul-man mode, turns it loose for "(It's the Way) Nature Planned It." The Heptones kill with music on "Swept for You." A lilting rhythm track underpins Chosen Few's sublime "Everybody Plays the Fool," and Slim Smith's rendition of "Sitting in the Park" possesses a hushed, exotically accented aura that elevates it even above the original. So it goes throughout, with equally revelatory turns by Toots & the Maytals, the Techniques, and Tony Jay with the great Alton Ellis that should appeal equally to reggae fans and any connoisseur of soulful music, no matter what the genre. --Elena Oumano