Following are additional albums released in March 2021 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingTag Archives: Reggae
December 2020 – January 2021 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released December 2020 and January 2021 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingNew Box Set and Books Commemorate Bob Marley’s 75th Anniversary
Title: The Complete Island Recordings
Artist: Bob Marley
Label: UMC/Island
Format: 11CD box set, vinyl reissues
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Fans of Bob Marley will have no shortage of Marley-related releases to choose from this holiday season. In December, UMC/Island will release The Complete Island Recordings, a new 11CD box set featuring all nine Bob Marley & The Wailers studio albums recorded for Island Records as well as two live albums (Live! and Babylon By Bus). The set spans a decade, beginning with 1973’s Catch A Fire and concluding with 1983’s Confrontation, a posthumous album released two years after Marley’s death. Additionally, on November 20, Universal is reissuing the same 11 albums and the compilation album Legend on vinyl as half-speed mastered editions. A third set of these albums, which are being pressed at the legendary Tuff Gong International headquarters in Kingston, will also be released on vinyl on December 11. The Tuff Gong set features the original Jamaica-recorded version of Catch A Fire, which is without overdubs, longer fades, and two extra tracks from the sessions.
Continue readingNovember 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released November 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingRoots And Tings – All of This
Title: All of This
Artist: Roots And Tings
Label: Truth’s Sound
Formats: Digital, Limited ed. 45s
Release date: August 21, 2020
Combining elements of dancehall, reggae, soul and hip-hop in a subversive genre that they call Revolutionary Culture Music, Roots And Tings is a new project of Lateef the Truth Speaker (Blackalicious, Lytrix, Quannum), acclaimed DJ-producer Jah Yzer, and multi-talented musician Winstrong. Speaking about their new project, Winstrong describes Roots and Tings as “a community of curious souls with a generous goal to engage with each other through the stories told.”
Continue readingOctober 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released October 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingSeptember 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released September 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingSummer 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during June, July and August 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingMay 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during May 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingApril 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during April 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingMarch 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during March 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingFebruary 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during February 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingMortimer – Fight The Fight
Title: Fight The Fight
Artist: Mortimer
Label: Easy Star Records
Format: CD, LP, Digital
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Kingston, Jamaica native Mortimer’s Fight the Fight has already made a splash in the reggae world, debuting at #3 on the Billboard Reggae Chart and at #1 on the iTunes Reggae Chart. The six track EP, made in collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Winta James, is a masterpiece of live musicianship featuring top-notch production and emotive lyricism.
Continue readingJanuary 2020 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during January 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Continue readingDecember 2019 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during December 2019 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves. Continue reading
VP Records 40th Anniversary Box Set – Down in Jamaica
Title: Down In Jamaica: 40 Years of VP Records
Artist: Various
Label: VP
Formats: Limited Edition Box Set, Digital
Release date: October 25, 2019
Reggae fans will appreciate the new limited edition box set, Down in Jamaica: 40 Years of VP Records, which “tells the story of a continually owned and operated family business at the heart of the global growth of reggae, dancehall, and Caribbean music.” Founded by Vincent and Patricia Chin, VP Records was started as Randy’s Record Mart, a record store in Kingston, Jamaica, and over the years grew into the world’s largest reggae music company. This 94-track anthology focuses on singles released by the esteemed label and its more obscure sublabels, offering many rare gems that have long been out of print. In addition to well-known musicians on the VP roster who are still active such as Barrington Levy, Yellowman, Shaggy, and Beenie Man, there are many tracks from earlier artists such as “Gi Mi Di Weed” by Jigsy King, “Lots of Signs” by Tenor Saw, and “Roots Natty Congo” by Johnny Clarke. This bountiful package includes a 24-page booklet that tells the history of the label, as well as four 7-inch singles, four 12-inch singles, and four CDs. If you want an overview of reggae and dancehall music from the 1980s to present, this is an excellent place to begin, but act fast because only 2000 copies have been published. Continue reading
November 2019 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during November 2019 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves. Continue reading
October 2019 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during October 2019 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves. Continue reading
September 2019 Black Music Releases of Note
Following are additional albums released during September 2019 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves. Continue reading