Put on Your Best Dress: Sonia Pottinger Ska & Rock Steady 1966-1967

Showcasing the work of Jamaican producer Sonia Pottinger, Put on Your Best Dress is packed with rocksteady and its musical siblings. Based on a 1990 LP of the same name, over a dozen of the recordings on this double album are new to CD. Tracks include rarities, such as the haunting vocals of Hazel & The Jolly Boys, alongside more prominent artists like Eric ‘Monty’ Morris, and house bands led by Lynn Taitt and Baba Brooks.

The compilation captures a crucial point in Jamaica's musical history, as rocksteady evolved from ska and peaked. The sounds dominating these years are well-represented, including increasingly popular electric bass and group vocals. Many of the lyrics provide insight into the prevailing socio-political environment, exemplified in The Valentines' ‘Gun Fever’.

Equally abundant love songs reflect rocksteady's typical sentimentality.

Other pieces stand out for their stylistic differences: Count Lasher's happy dose of mento, Count Ossie's spiritual Nyabinghi drumming, or Jo Jo Bennett's deliciously dark, instrumental take on Gershwin's ‘It Ain't Necessarily So’. This extensive collection is a worthy celebration of Pattinger's contribution to music; the sounds remain rich, with discoveries awaiting even the most seasoned rocksteady listener.