Great album
Enjoy
Courtesy Brightons Roots Garden, lovely Instrumental/Dub by Vin Gordon mixed by Nick Manassah
Inspired by his memrories of writing songs under the mango tree, in the iconic Jamaican ‘Studio One’ yard at 13 Brentford Road. Vin delivers a blazing horns instrumental, his confident style and sophisicated phrasing cementing his credentials as a true master of his craft. Brighton based saxophonist Leroy Horns adds further harmonies and majestic vibes to this contempoary roots classic.
Manasseh strips the rhythm back to its raw elments on the flipside, it’s organic drums and deep bassline providing a heavyweight dubwise outing.
Vin Gordon - Is a true giant of Jamaican music, undoubtedly the most prolific Trombonist in Jamaica’s music history he has played an integral role it’s evolution from Ska to Reggae, Rocksteady and beyond. The body of work he has both composed, written and contributed to is of truly staggering proportion including many of the most notable and iconic Reggae songs ever made, including seminal works by The Wailers, Burning Spear and Aswad!
Vinyl soon come or download digital now…
Nice album still available, vinyl or digital
More Vin Gordon dubstrumental goodness…
Solo album excursion from the legendary Jamaican trombonist. Brand new compositions by Vin on new original rhythm tracks from Nat Birchall & Al Breadwinner. All recorded old-school analogue style at the Bakery Studio in Manchester. Produced by Nat Birchall & Al Breadwinner, recorded and mixed by Al Breadwinner.
Review Chris May AllaboutJazz.com;
British saxophonist Nat Birchall is celebrating twenty years as a bandleader. His specialism is post-John Coltrane spiritual jazz. Since 1999 he has released an album every two years or so. The most recent was the outstanding Cosmic Language (Jazzman, 2018). The next is due later this year. Fittingly for an anniversary year, it will be Birchall’s first 2xLP set.
Before Birchall became a jazz musician, his big love was reggae, which is where African Shores is coming from. The album is released on Birchall’s reggae-focused label Tradition Disc. It is headlined by Jamaican trombonist Vin Gordon with Birchall sharing the frontline and the writing credits.
Birchall grew up during the 1970s, reggae’s belle epoque, when the style which became known as “conscious reggae” carried the swing. He made weekly shopping trips from his rural home in the north of England into nearby Liverpool to pick up the latest Jamaican imports from specialist shops in the city. Many of the discs Birchall bought would have included Gordon in the line-up. The trombonist joined the ubiquitous studio band the Skatalites in 1964 and went on to play on literally hundreds of sessions during the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras. Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label was his home from home.
In 2018, Birchall co-founded Tradition Disc with dub producer Al Breadwinner. The label bowed in with the Sounds Almighty album, which was billed as “Nat Birchall meets Al Breadwinner featuring Vin Gordon.” The same band (minus guest trumpeter KT Lowry) steps forward again on African Shores, another instrumental set.
On the rear sleeve of Sounds Almighty, Birchall wrote that it was “respectfully livicated to the great Jamaican artists who originated this music.” Artists, that is, such as Gordon. The album did them proud and was greeted with widespread acclaim. African Shores will create a similar buzz. Rocking rhythms, four horns, fundamental bass and drums, a mellow vibe and in the tradition dub versions. You can feel the sunshine. You might also smell the sensi or taste the rum, depending on your recreational preferences. Either way, the music is vibey enough to put a smile on the face of an Easter Island stone-head statue.
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Courtesy Dougie Wardrop’s Conscious Sounds studio
Heavy, meditative UK Digi Dub
Interesting podcast/interview from a year or so back with Dougie Wardrop, well worth a listen for anyone remotely interested in the development of UK Dub, Hackney, Camden Market, Record Shops, Sound Systems, parents cutting your power off 
(my dad was always doing that!)
I can highly recommend having a listen to these podcasts, Life In Dub.
A fascinating collection documenting an oral history of the UK & International Reggae/Dub movement.
31 Episodes, brilliant project!
Talking to people who live their lives in Dub & Reggae. A series of in depth interviews with artists, sound systems, promoters and all kinds of people that have spent their lives in the world of Dub & Reggae. It’s hosted by Steve from Vibronics, who has been producing Roots Reggae Dub for over 20 years, runs the SCOOPS Records label and performs regularly all over the world.
Life In Dub is a new podcast series hosted by longtime dub advocate and Leicester roots collective member Steve Vibronics. For the recordings Vibronics plans to travel to where the artists live or work, airing interviews with different dub and reggae producers every two weeks.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of the people behind the music, their experiences, motives and what we can all learn from each musicians’ individual journey,” he says. “Simultaneously I became very interested in podcasts about music and the characters behind the sounds, but noticed there were no high quality dub/reggae/sound system podcasts conducting interviews.”
First to star on the show is Keety Roots who talks about his life in music, growing up in London and the formation of his Black Legacy Recording label.
Future subjects include Macka B, Iration Steppas and Mungos HiFi, among others.
Subscribe via the usual podcast channels, or follow the link on Steve Vibronics’s website.
In the mid seventies Robert Schoenfeld & Leroy Pierson founded Nighthawk Records in Missouri USA, the label was mainly dedicated to Blues music but by the early eighties for some reason turned solely to producing Roots Reggae.
Nighthawk was a superb label and one of the first to treat the music with the seriousness it deserves and properly present and document it.
I have a few original records including the essential compilations Wiser Dread, Knotty Vision & Calling Rastafari which I discovered from London specialist Dub Vendor, these were among the first albums to inspire me to dig deeper into the roots of the music and learn more about it. I’ve previously posted about those on The Reggae Thread.
Nighthawk founders put their money where their mouths were and travelled to JA holding recording sessions with the cream of JA artists, musicians, studios and producers building a fine catalogue of quality roots music, including Gladiators, Itals, Morwells, Junior Byles, Justin Hinds, Ethiopian, Ronnie Davis, Winston Jarrett…
This was the early eighties and traditional roots was on the wane as the nascent Dance Hall style was starting to carry the swing. Against this backdrop its remarkable that Nighhawk seemed to secure the trust and love of the artists and produce such lovely music, theres a real palpable vibe and spirit thats captured and shines through.
Long before the internet and easy worldwide access to music, those Nighhawk records werent easy to come by in the UK and rarely seen except the occasional title that cropped up in specialists like Dub Vendor and then promptly vanished.
I thought the Nighthawk label was long out of print…fast forward nearly 40 years to the present and I’m really heartened to accidentally discover that Omnivore Music US (new name to me) is remastering and reissuing the Nighthawk label on LP, CD and Digital streaming.
I’ve not yet heard any of the reissued physical releases yet but I’ve streamed a few including this beautiful gem from the great Leonard Dillon AKA Ethiopian forthcoming on a gatefold 2LP
Ethiopian & His All Stars - The Return Of Jack Sparrow
Are you loving me like I’m loving you? Leonard asks on the track Are You Loving Me.
Absolutely!.. respect due!
http://omnivorerecordings.com/?s=Nighthawk&post_type=product
Streaming…
Remastered, 1982 roots reggae classic, includes four previously unissued tracks.
“Dread is me culture, know wha’ I mean? Me could not a sing reggae music and really be a man that trim. Ha fe be a dread. When I say dread, a Rastaman, know wha’ I mean? I ha fe dread because every song that I sing is dread. The way I sing it is dread. Yeah, the music itself dread… Just I way deh. One o’ the humble, one o’ de meek, one o’ de cool, but very vicious when I deal with music… A real reggae singer ha fe be forceful. A forceful reg¬gae singer will always survive. Reggae music, man—it might look simple, but it naw so simple, you know. You ha fe ready and you ha fe ready with the punch. You ha fe ready to attack and very swift. You see a karate man punch a man, you know, and move again. Well it’s just same way reggae. You ha fe tense your body to sing reggae.”
—Albert Griffiths
Albert Griffiths founded the Gladiators in 1966 after some success on his own. The group scored their first hit, produced by legendary producer Coxsone Dodd, with “Hello Carol” in 1968. During the ’70s the Gladiators made their way through releases on labels like Studio One, Upsetter, Virgin, and Groovemaster. 1980 found the Gladiators working with producer, and pre-“Electric Avenue” hitmaker, Eddy Grant on the album Gladiators, which also featured members of the band Aswad lending a musical hand.
On 1982’s Symbol Of Reality, their first for the Nighthawk Records label, they revisited their own catalog of songs re-recording their classics, “Dreadlocks The Time Is Now” (appearing here as “Streets Of Gold”), “Watch Out” and “Big Boo Boo Deh” (returning retitled as “Cheater”) while also paying homage to The Wailers with covers “Small Axe” and “Stand Alone,” both written by Bob Marley.
This newly remastered CD of the album features the original ten tracks, the two bonus tracks that were added to the original 1997 Nighthawk CD reissue, “Symbol Version” and “Righteous Man Version,” plus four previously unissued tracks, “Streets Of Gold Version,” “Not Afraid To Fight Version,” “Symbol Of Reality Instrumental Dub” and “Streets Of Gold Instrumental Dub.” Original liner notes are also included. The reissue has been overseen by original Nighthawk Records’ producer Leroy Jodie Pierson and Grammy® Award-winning producer, Cheryl Pawelski, and has been remastered from the original tapes by Grammy® Award-winning engineer, Michael Graves. The remastered LP contains the original album’s track list with liner notes and a gatefold jacket.
Really enjoying the Dub Session album ! Thanks for sharing. 
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A pleasure!
Fine album from Rico with a stellar line up of JA musicians and a few from The Specials. Rico recorded two fine albums for 2Tone, That Man Is Forward which I have but somehow Jama Rico passed me by at the time and became hard to find since.
Chrysalis have re issued both as very welcome 40th Anniversary Vinyl editions.
Rico - Jama Rico
Before he called time on his lengthy career in 1982, legendary ska trombonist Emmanuel “Rico” Rodriguez became a regular contributor to the Two Tone label, recording two albums for the Coventry-based imprint. Both are now 40 years old - hence this reissue of the second, Jama Rico. Unlike its predecessor, That Man’s Forward, Jama Rico looks further afield for inspirations, with the trombonist’s usual easy-going reggae and ska instrumentals being joined by a handful of tracks that draw inspiration from West African rhythms and spaced-out jazz-funk. As a result, it’s arguably one of his most vibrant and interesting solo sets, while the inclusion of the Special AKA on final track ‘Easter Island’ highlights his link with the Specials (famously, Rodriguez performed on ‘Message to You, Rudy’).
Edit: I’m convinced something is not right with this mastering, all the instruments sound pumped up, at the same volume, no dynamics or tonal palette. Some tracks by contrast are less loud but sound distant/veiled with the same lack of dynamic. Its thus lacking musicality and involvement, boring and sleep inducing which is just not how this music should sound.
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The Poor People Governor, Rodney Price aka Bounty Killer…
Superb Dance Hall/Ragga album from 1994 produced by King Jammy in fine form.
Controversial and accused of glorifying gun culture (particularly for the song Coppershot which was actually recorded in response to his being innocently shot in the head at age 14 on his way from school when he strayed into the crossfire of waring politically motivated enforcers) rather Bounty’s lyrics are a genuine reflection, documentation and commentary on the harsh reality of life for the underclass in JA’s notorious gang run Ghettos and exposure of the corrupt society that holds poor people down.
Amongst ghetto reality tunes like Down In The Ghetto, Defend The Poor, is the track Prophesy Fulfil celebrating the presidency of Nelson Mandela.
Vibrant, edgy, not for the faint hearted, thought provoking and brilliant
Lord A’ Mercy!
Probably my all time favourite in the Dancehall genre. One time bitter rival of Bounty Killer the great Beenie Man.
Many Moods Of Moses, is just that a diverse selection of styles from real name Moses Davis. Taking in hardcore dancehall, soul, modern RnB styling, country but more importantly imo lifted above most Dancehall of the period with some fine spiritual and conscious themes along with a more polished, international and musical production from Shocking Vibes.
Brilliant and entertaining
Zim Zimma whos got the keys to my Bimma…! (BMW)
Nice review from Allmusic
AllMusic Review by Jo-Ann Greene
Having showcased his talents on Maestro, Beenie Man along with executive producer Patrick Roberts no longer felt the need to overwhelm audiences with a smorgasbord of sound, and thus Many Moods of Moses is a more coherent set than its predecessor. Of course, that doesn’t mean Roberts doesn’t mix up the sound, or that the DJ is reverting to one-topic toasting – there’s still plenty of diversity within. Again the album bundles up a few recent big hits, including the novelty-laden “Who Am I?,” which drove its beamer straight into the U.K. Top Ten. The smoking “Oysters & Conch” was an even bigger hit back home, while the party piece “Foundation” shared credits with backing band the Taxi Gang. But what struck most fans were the cultural gems hidden among such heavy hitters. Beenie takes the “Long Road” to righteousness, calling down fire on the heathens along the way on this driving number. For when the gates of Zion close, the DJ has “Got to Be There,” another strong number boasting particularly rich rhythms. But best of all is the inspiring “Steve Biko,” which versions Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” to pay heartfelt homage to the martyred ANC hero. However, in the Rastafarian faith, prudery gets you no closer to Zion, which is a good thing, considering the sexual escapades Beenie gets up to elsewhere on the album.
“Oysters” may have been a smash, but it was also slack. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Beenie album without the DJ fawning over the equally explicit tongue of Lady Saw, and the pair turn up the fire with “So Hot.” Little Kirk helps sweeten up “Have You Ever,” but even his lovely tones can’t conceal the unmentionable acts that Beenie is getting up to behind him. So, most girls would be a bit wary when the DJ declares his love on “Sincerely,” but with the backing’s insistent nyahbinghi beats, the lovely choral harmonies, and Beenie’s hypnotic performance, it’s hard not to fall under his spell. Moving out of the dancehalls, the DJ and A.R.P. join forces on two tracks, a gorgeous cover of the soul hit “Heaven on Earth” and the emotive R&B-flavored “Miss You.” But the most surprising pairing is on “Ain’t Gonna Figure It Yet,” a note-perfect country song, recorded in Nashville with country singer Bob Patin. And just in case anyone had forgotten what a tough, hard man Beenie really is, “Monster Look” is a potent reminder, while “Bad Man” makes a similar point to the hip-hop crowds. With a phenomenal album like this, it’s difficult to believe that there were still haters out there, but Beenie puts them straight on the lethal “Bad Mind Is Active.” From the dancehalls to the bedrooms, rudeness to reverence, Beenie is a man of many moods, and this album is filled with emotion, fabulous performances, and stellar musical accompaniments. Something for everyone, and more than enough classics to keep listeners dipping back into this record time and time again.
Edit what the review misses is that not only does Steve Biko version Redemption Song in fine style it’s also over a brilliant Shocking Vibes lick of the classic Eric Donaldson Cherry Oh Baby riddim, now that’s inspired!
Kicking off Friday in fine rootical style streaming this marvelous 3CD compilation from Doctor Bird.
Many will be familiar with Cultures Two Sevens Clash & Baldhead Bridge albums but perhaps lesser known, and in my opinion better or at least are the records I most return to, are the sessions Culture recorded with Sonia Pottinger in the late seventies which made up the albums that came out on Virgins Frontline label.
If you have those albums some of this will be familiar but what makes this an essential listen is it gathers up all the original singles and 12" versions and dubs backed by The Revolutionaries that came out on the High Note label and many rare as hens teeth.
Audiophiles beware SQ is what it is but the music, message and vibe shines through.
I saw Culture way back in the day at a rammed Brighton Top Rank, the experience was transcendent and has remained etched in my heart and psyche ever since.
Check it out…
Edit:
Culture - Children Of Zion - The High Note Singles (Doctor Bird 3CD)
The lovely 3CD set landed at Dread Mansions just now, chilling in the sun drenched roots garden with this perfect vintage Roots Reggae drifting out the windows
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Not sure if this will be of interest to anyone - Sounds of the Universe have uncovered a bunch of Trojan compilation vinyls. Can’t vouch for quality or condition.
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Just completed watching Steve McQueen’s 3 part documentary Uprising on iplayer.
Essential viewing examining that hideous and wicked fire at a house party in New Cross that left 13 young people murdered, still unsolved and no justice.
A powerful and moving reminder of the race hate endemic in our society then and sadly still
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Making History
Just completed watching Steve McQueen’s 3 part documentary Uprising on iplayer.
Essential viewing examining that hideous and wicked fire at a house party in New Cross that left 13 young people murdered, still unsolved and no justice.
A powerful and moving reminder of the race hate endemic in our society then and sadly still
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Making History
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Nice article from Lloyd Bradley in The Guardian and new single from Jimmy Cliff
(Lloyds description of Rastafari is a bit wide of the mark though)
New U Roy album from Zak Starkey’s Trojan Jamaica project now sadly released posthumously. Also a sad parallel with Toots Hibbert who’s last fine album was also recorded and released from Trojan Jamaica at the time of his passing.
RIP & Respect due Ewart Beckford aka U Roy
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Sad sad news again, RIP Mr Lee Scratch Perry, thank you for the music…
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Just returned from my rural offline retreat to hear the terribly sad news of the passing of Lee Scratch Perry.
JA music has lost some true heroes in the last few months alone,Toots, Bunny Wailer, U Roy and now Scratch who no doubt will be dubbing them up somewhere travelling the cosmic universe in his Black Ark.
From the water, earth to outer space, never a boaster but a positive toaster…
RIP and respect most definitely due Hugh Rainford Perry aka Pipecock Jackson aka Lee Scratch Perry.
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