I’ll never lose sight (or sound) of reggae as a musical mainstay of mine, be it through amassing of vintage material or up-to-date reaffirming of the foundations.
The late Lloyd Charmers made his mark in reggae music as a singer, producer, and keyboard player. His talent triumvirate meant a varied career that included songs considered risqué for their time, polished covers of pop, country and soul hits, many a tune for lovers and enough conscious material to reach the roots crowd. Moody & Blue – The Best of Lloyd Charmers 1973-1979 (Doctor Bird, 2023) is a 2-disc sampling of what made him great, heavy on material first popularized by others (“Play Me, “Let’s Get It On,” “Skin Tight,” “I’m Not In Love”) but also an ample nod to Charmer’s own compositions like “Save the People,” a unifying declaration laid down by The Messengers, a short-lived reggae vocal supergroup. And lest you get too dreamy listening to Charmers’ infectiously charming voice, instrumentals including “Sweet Organ” remind you that his touch on the keys was equally seductive.
This is the first Charmers compilation in my reasonably extensive reggae collection, and a very welcome addition it is.
On the various artist side, a splendid and generous helping of rocksteady and early reggae tracks produced by the great Alvin “GG” Ranglin fly suitably high on Reggae Flight 404 (Doctor Byrd, 2023). The Maytones, that ever sweet-sounding duo, are behind many of the more familiar tunes. Additional joys include songs that were embraced by the skinhead contingent, asides of a softer sound dubbed “country reggae,” hard instrumental slabs of what made Ranglin’s house band, The GG All Stars, so great and the work of trailblazing players like keyboardist Winston Wright. At more than 50 tracks all told, this is a thorough overview of a producer whose work stands with Jamaica’s very best.
Italy’s Alborosie has earned the right to be called his nation’s top reggae ambassador, and Destiny (VP, 2023), continues his run of fine releases. A multi-instrumentalist, powerful singer and crafter of modern roots with classic vibes, Alborosie once again shows his ample worth with a declaration of going “Viral” (which I’m sure he has in spades), paying homage to the “Royal Throne,” giving ganja its customary due on “Rastazeneka’ and a good deal more besides. Along the way he gets vocal assistance from two Bantons- Buju and Burro -Kabaka Pyramid and, on the particularly heartfelt “Faith, ”Jazelise. This disc is a full-on real reggae winner.
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.