Vocal Superstars at King Jammy’s

Probably the most inventive of producer King Tubby’s dub apprentices, King Jammy took computerised reggae and gave it a defibrillating jolt to restart its human heart.‘I prefer singers and instruments,’ said Jammy of Jamaica’s deejay revolution. Vocal Superstars celebrates just that through four roots singers: three with successful solo careers behind them – Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and Horace Andy – and a lesser-known contemporary, Sugar Minot, who later found fame in dancehall. Like Tubby, Jammy’s engineering qualifications gave his sound-tinkering a distinctive authority.

Sugar Minot’s Bitter Sweet catches the tail end of the 70s roots reggae wave, utilising the slick techniques popularised by, among many others, Gregory Isaacs circa Cool Ruler. Of course, Sly and Robbie feature on bass and drums. Isaacs’ highly rated late 80s comeback Come Along sees him embrace dancehall, the genre having now fully evolved. Dennis Brown’s The Exit is less memorable, hanging in a tinny limbo between roots and dancehall. Horace Andy’s Haul and Jack-Up, however, awarded him an impressive rebirth equal to that of Isaacs. This is the voice that caught the ear of trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack, who, like King Jammy, recognised its incredible versatility.