Caribbean Roots

Poet and spoken-word performer Anthony Joseph was born and raised in Trinidad, but has long lived in London, where he has been performing and releasing albums for several years. Across the continent listeners have embraced Joseph while the UK has, so far, remained indifferent. Caribbean Roots should change that. For a start, this is a far stronger album than any previous Joseph effort – his 2014 release, Time, produced by US bassist Meshell Ndegeocello stripped him of Caribbean flavour for antiseptic funk settings – and, at its best, matches the fine work he has done when guesting on Italian post-fusionists Mop Mop's albums. Joseph spins stories, sometimes surreal or absurd, at other times personal and political, that deal with Caribbean history, race, identity and exile, backed by a brilliant band of musicians. The groove here veers from a Gil Scott-Heron-style jazz-funk vibe on ‘Our History’ through the intense jazz pulse of ‘The Kora’ to the updated calypso folksiness of ‘Neckbone’. Nothing is wasted here: every note counts as the band play up a hurricane, while Joseph sounds assured as he speak-sings stories with real resonance. Trinidad's soca star David Rudder and steel pan master Andy Narrell are among several name guests, but Caribbean Roots is most definitely Joseph's album.