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| Rumble Jumble Life (Massive B, 2005) *GUEST REVIEW* Presumably not timed to cash in on the movie of the same name, this release features another King Kong -- a veteran singer who combines roots and early dancehall. Indeed, this sounds like it could have been recorded 20-plus years ago with Junjo Lawes at the controls. It even features the Roots Radics in classic style on three tracks. And Kong's style and phrasing sometimes sound so much like the late Tenor Saw (of "Ring the Alarm" fame) that you might find yourself checking the name on the cover more than once. The grooves are clean, direct and full of vintage riffs, leaving room for Kong's elastic mid-range vocals to take hold. He reaches for spiritual heights (though not the tops of skyscrapers) on "Ethiopia," makes an earnest plea for "Unity" and shows where his allegiance lies with "Jah's My Best Friend" and "Selassie Rise." If this disc seems to be trying hard to recall a bygone era in reggae, it will also remind you of what a great era it was, before dancehall dissolved into the flat-out Jamaican equivalent of rap. Go ahead and use a tired phrase like "old school" if you like, but this music sounds plenty fresh to me. -Tom Orr |
| Track Listing 1. Rumble Jumble 2. I Feel a Joy 3. Troubles 4. Earth is the Lord 5. Ethiopia 6. Call Mr. Madden 7. Unity 8. Free Speech 9. Legalize it 10. Jah's My Best Friend 11. Paradise Lost 12. Bag Juice 13. They Don't No 14. Selassie Rise |
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