Greater Jamaica

Producer Duke Reid's compilation advertises ‘Reggay at its best’ – that's reggae circa 1969, as connoisseurs will note from the Toots and the Maytals-derived spelling of the genre. Split over two discs, this piece of history boasts largely instrumental, church-organ driven grooves featuring snippets of vocals from artists such as John Holt, The Ethiopians and The Gladiators. The first disc also introduces the little-known Dave Barker, a Jamaican James Brown soundalike whose grunts and squeals are met with funk guitar licks. Disc Two is dominated by the legendary Tommy McCook, a man who had a knack for a catchy tune.

But the real star of the show is organist Winston Wright. There's something about his wild, breaking-into-church organ riffs that make you want to crank up the volume. Fans should check out the 1969 Upsetters album Return of Django which also relied heavily on Wright's organ work. That album hits harder than Greater Jamaica due to Lee Perry's unsurpassable creative energy; Greater Jamaica is rather a showcase of Reid's slick production values.