things and time will tell.

U Roy ‎– Linger You Linger Pressure Sounds ‎– PSS 024 Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Reissue, UK, 2008 (Originally released on Mego-Ann, JA, 1972) info U-Roy, the Originator, passed away a few weeks ago at age 78. There are plenty of obituaries out there . You can read much better writers than me talking about  his place in reggae history or the credit that the foundation deejays, U-Roy above all, deserve for planting the seeds of hip-hop and more. (Mad Professor in Rolling Stone: “Without him, there would be no dancehall, no hip-hop, no rap, no Afrobeat.") By all accounts, this musical legend was a truly humble man and a pleasure to work with or talk to. Many of U-Roy's friends, the younger generation of deejays that he mentored on his King Stur-Gav Sound System, and current dancehall stars have been testifying online about how grateful they are to have known him. Steve Barrow, the writer of many liner notes in your reggae record collection and former head of the brilliant Blood ...

 Quantic ‎– You Will Return Tru Thoughts ‎– TRU7289 Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Europe, 19 Apr 2014 Info I was looking for something to listen to that would improve my mood a few days ago and remembered this record. I am going to credit it for the return of the sun and beautiful weather this week. Will Holland, aka Quantic, succeeds once again here in mixing many of his favorite styles -dancefloor beats, Latin instrumentation, lush orchestrations, funk and folk touches- topped off with vocals from his regular collaborator, Alice Russell. His earliest Quantic records were good, but still essentially downtempo, hip-hop influenced productions, drawing from the British trip hop and electronic scenes. His his growth into serious reggae, cumbia, soul jazz and more was pretty remarkable though.  The UK native transformed himself into a more "international" artist than many that I can think of, spending the better part of a decade based in Colombia honing his cumbia chop...

Jah Thomas ‎– Gwan A School Midnight Rock Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Jamaica, (1981/1982?) Info Chicago teachers and students are heavily on my mind as they've just started returning to in-person school (under stressful and unfair conditions, natch)... I figured a return to our occasional series of school house reggae tunes was in order. "Gwan A School" is Jah Thomas self-production released on his own Midnight Rock label, likely in 1981 or '82. Nkrumah Thomas landed hits both recording deejay cuts as Jah Thomas and as a producer for other classic dancehall vocalists. Here, Thomas rides a recut of the "Mean Girl" rhythm, named for Larry Marshall's track from the late 1960s(?). Jah Thomas comes with lyrics that are straight PSA meets early 80s dancehall: If you really can't spell / Then say a school gon' help / If you really can't write / Then say you really not right... A verb is a doing word /  Adjective is a describing word / A noun i...