Hortense Ellis – Hell & Sorrow

From Death Is Not The End‘s Bandcamp site: “The outstanding original cut of Hortense Ellis‘ Hell & Sorrow, originally produced and released by Jimmy Radway for his Fe Me Time label in the mid 1970s and backed with Big Youth’s DJ counteraction Tribulation – now sees a valuable reissue through Continue Reading

Various Artists – Tape Rolling! with Bunny Lee and Friends

England’s Pressure Sounds continue to release mind-blowingly good reggae compilations.  This one features the production work of Bunny Lee pairing up with such luminaries as Eric Donaldson (whose raw version of Cherry Oh Baby adds grit to the warmly produced original. From the Bandcamp release website: “In 1971, despite his Continue Reading

Jerry Jones – Jerry Jones at the Hotel Kingston

According to the legendary Studio One Records Bandcamp site, “Geraldine “Jerry” Jones arrived in Kingston in May of 1970 to perform at the Miss Jamaica International Model Pageant held at the Hotel Kingston. She would also appear at the House of Chen, VIP Club, Hotel Flamingo, Runaway Bay Hotel and Continue Reading

Various Artists – Studio One: Dancing the Ska

I can’t think of a music more joyful than ska.  Jamaica’s finest export (next to reggae and its sub-genres, of course) is wonderfully represented on this compilation put together by the legendary Kingston-based record label Studio One.  Lee Perry, Delroy Wilson and The Wailers feature prominently on this comp, and Continue Reading