Ten Strings (I Grade, 2008)

I don't know if there's much crossover between fans of reggae and fans of smooth jazz, but the few who enjoy both should relish Ten Strings, the second solo album from guitarist Tuff Lion (after 2007's Utterance), whose finger-licking sound has been heard throughout the current wave of Virgin Island reggae acts, including Midnite, Dezarie and Bambu Station. Ten Strings presents the intriguing concept of reworking 14 riddims from the I Grade vaults with Tuff Lion's guitar leading the way. He and ubiquitous producer Laurent "Tippy" Alfred even throw in four new riddims to boot. The result is a dub album with a light jazzy/bluesy air, courtesy of Tuff Lion's (mostly electric) guitar, conveying the sort of tranquility that Augustus Pablo's dubs used to do. It's not an exciting sound -- although the regal horns of "Vibes Preservation" and "Majestic Honor" prove invigorating -- but it sets the mood if you're in for a night of rest and relaxation. Fans of I Grade's Virgin Island output of the past decade might find it particularly intersting to identify the musical selections (personally, I recognized some but had a hard time narrowing them down; it might've been nice if the liner notes helped). In the end, though, I think many listeners might find 18 tracks a bit much for this type of laid-back album; it'll probably end up fading into the background for a lot of people.