A spirited meeting of reggae legends and relative newcomers curated by British guitarist/drummer
Zak Starkey,
Red Gold Green & Blue offers distinctly Jamaican takes on a number of classic blues, R&B, and early rock songs. The compilation also serves to inaugurate
Trojan Jamaica, the new label founded by
Starkey and musical partner
Sharna "Sshh" Liguz, who also sings on a track here. The album is essentially an all-star jam session showcasing heavyweights like
Toots and the Maytals,
Freddie McGregor,
Big Youth, and
Mykal Rose on vocals, and the house band is anchored by the classic rhythm battery of
Sly & Robbie with
Starkey and
Albert "Tony" Chin covering most of the guitar. Percussionists
Cyril Neville and
Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace also kick in, as does keyboardist
Michael Rendall. While parts of the set play like the amiable exercise that it is, there's some inevitable magic in the combined talent pool here.
Big Youth's fiery take on
Bo Diddley's "Gunslinger" and
Rose's dark telling of
Johnny Otis' "Bad Luck Shadow" are standouts, while
Phylea Carley's energetic rendition of "Baby, Please Don't Go" proves the younger generation has just as much command of this repertoire. For
Trojan Jamaica, it's a solid enough introduction from a number of top-shelf participants. ~ Timothy Monger
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