Search - Byron Lee & Dragonaires :: Best Of Ska: Rock Steady & Reggae, Vol. 1

Having single-handedly raised soca's quotient in reggae-ruled Jamaica, the hard-working and resourceful Byron Lee now casts his eye at the most "skalicious" tunes of the '60s, covering everything in this set from Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop," Jamaica's first international smash hit, to Bob Marley's reggae love anthem, "No Woman No Cry." This selection does speak to Lee's impeccable taste. Prince Buster's "Oh Carolina" has enjoyed at least nine lives at the hands of various artists, including through Shaggy's funkified treatment. "Carry Go Bring Come," originally recorded by its writer, Justin Hinds, with the Dominos, is a paradigm of ska's cheerful shuffle, instrumental chaos, and jaunty horn sections counterpointing a sour social message--in this case, aimed at the wife of Jamaica's first prime minister, Lady Bustamante. "Cherry Oh Baby" is one of ska's most persuasive musical seductions. The overview provided by Lee's interpretations of these golden nuggets shows Jamaican music in the early '60s finding its own voice and expression, and while he and his band deliver crisp renditions, this collection should send listeners scurrying for compilations featuring the tunes as recorded by the original artists. --Elena Oumano