Inna de Yard (Makasound, 2004)

Earl "Chinna" Smith is arguably the great reggae guitar maestro, a legendary musician who played with a "who's who" of reggae acts, often as part of the prolific Soul Syndicate band.  He rarely gets the spotlight, but the sublime Inna de Yard is perhaps the best showcase for his talents you can buy.  There have been several attempts to fuse folksy acoustic guitar with reggae -- by Mishka, Screwdriver, Qushan Dia, and Ziggy Marley, to name a few -- but none has done is as successfully as Smith does on Inna de Yard.  This album is a true marvel in this modern age: totally acoustic with little more than a guitar and an occasional distant drum to support the vocalists.  It's even recorded outdoors, which brings new meaning to the title Inna de Yard.  This all lends a serene, meditative quality that, though it may not appeal to everyone (those looking for an adrenaline rush -- say, athletes or scorned postal workers -- may want to search elsewhere), is a uniquely affecting experience.  Only three tracks ("Well Ah Oh", "All With Life", and "Dem No Know") have a typically reggae hiccupping "one drop" rhythm, and that's because they share the same music.  The rest is distinctly folk-inclined, yet they still retain a reggae base, anchored by the excellent, rootsy vocals.  Think Bob Marley's "Redemption Song".  Chinna sings on half of the songs here, and it's surprising that he's not sung more on recordings; his voice is warm and soulful in the vein of Dennis Brown or Freddie McGregor.  His creative powers, however, are fully realized when you factor in that he wrote Soul Syndicate's "Mariwana" and "We Got Love" (remade later by McGregor), as well as Keith Hudson's "Satan Side".  In case you didn't know, he covers all three on Inna de Yard (He also wrote Junior Byles's "Fade Away", but that's not remade here.).  The acoustic guitar sound shines a new, refreshing light on these tunes, particularly the latter (attributed to Smith using the pseudonym Earl Flute; see Rebel Music), which had previously relied on a thunderous, distinctly non-acoustic bass line.  Chinna's originals are even more impressive, though. "Home Grown" is a sincere ganja anthem, while "Humble Servant" is a placid statement of his faith.  Chinna shares the spotlight with veteran singer Ken Bob and lesser-known artists, including Ras Michael's son, as well as his own.  While Earl Smith Jr. provides a solid DJ turn on "Dem No Know," Ras Michael Jr. contributes the most striking tune, "Medicine Man".  It presents a vivid tale of a dreadlocked "bush doctor" who indirectly has ties to Jesus Christ and is sung with exquisite emotion.  Bob's "A Chapter a Day" (the non-acoustic version of which is on his Reggae Rider album), DJ Jah Youth's "Well Ah Oh", and Maestro's "Are You Ready" -- sung with an eerily Junior Murvin-like falsetto -- also stand out, although virtually the entire album shines.  Until this point, the French label Makasound has focused on reissues of old music, but given the quality of this original effort, let's hope they continue to put out newly recorded works as well.