Doctor Bird Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Dadawah aka. Lloyd Charmers was one of Jamaica's boldest and most resourceful record producers, testament to which was his standout LP Peace & Love. Originally released as an EP of just four tracks, drawing on the rhythmic hallmarks of the Nyabinghi gatherings of Rastafari, Charmers is heard commanding an ensemble cast of virtuosi, including Willie Lindo on guitar. With its multi-layered, weighty and patriotic breathtakers such as 'Zion Land' and 'Know How You Stand', which blow away with their adept command of space and reverb, the tracks now come backed a whopping 21 dub versions also produced by the man himself - 19 of which have never been before released on CD - the best of his dub output since the mid-1970s.

Review: For some reason, the mighty dubs of Joe Gibbs and musical collaborator Errol Thompson have never been as widely celebrated as the pair's multitude of vocal recordings, many of which became colossal hits in their native Jamaica. This fine double-disc set from Doctor Bird aims to set the record straight, delivering a wealth of 'versions' and dub mixes recorded and released between 1975 and '78, all featuring Gibbs and Thompson's usual studio band, the Professionals. It's all top-tier dub - think skeletal arrangements, booming bass, effects-laden percussion and echoing vocal snippets - with 30 of the 48 tracks on show appearing on CD for the very first time. In other words, it should be a must-have for all dub enthusiasts.

Review: Although he first entered a recording studio in the late 1960s, it wasn't until 1973, and the release of the Alvin 'G.G' Ranglin-produced single 'Love Is Overdue' that Gregory Isaacs career started to take off. The success of that record persuaded Ranglin to record an entire album with Isaacs, In Person, which became the now legendary reggae singer's debut full-length. This expanded edition of the album presents the album on disc one, alongside alternative dub versions and other singles Isaacs recorded with Ranglin during the period. Disc two, meanwhile, offers a celebration of Ranglin's other works of 1973 and '74 - Jamaican hit singles (and their corresponding dubs) which are largely lesser-known outside the Caribbean.

Review: By the close of the 1960s, a number of dynamic, independent record producers were beginning to make their mark on Jamaica's fast-developing music scene. Chief among these initially small-time music-makers were the likes of Lee 'Scratch' Perry, 'Edward 'Bunny' Lee and the man whose music provides the focus of this 2CD collection, Winston Holness AKA 'Niney'. As the 70s dawned, the ingenuity, innovation and determination of these three talented individuals saw their influence match and often exceed that of long-established major operators. But while the music and careers of both Perry and Lee have been rightly celebrated, the achievements and influence of Niney have been largely overlooked. This collection is the first in a series of sets that aims to set the record straight, presenting the very best of his output during key parts of his music career. Featuring numerous hits, including the ground-breaking 'Blood and Fire', 'Message To The Ungodly', 'Hiding By The Riverside', 'Beardman Feast', 'Rasta Bandwagon' and 'When Jah Speak', the 2CD set presents 20+ tracks that have remained largely unavailable for over half a century.

Review: While not as celebrated as some of his Jamaican contemporaries, Winston Holness AKA Niney The Observer was a hugely successful record producer. This excellent two-disc set does an excellent job in rounding up the best of his output between 1973 and '75, a period where he enjoyed countless hits at home and over in the UK. There's naturally plenty of goodness to be found amongst the 49 tracks on show, with cuts featuring now well-known Jamaican scene stars - think Junior Delgado, Delroy Wilson, Big Youth, Max Romeo, Junior Byles, Horace Andy, U-Roy and ska survivor Tommy McCook - being joined by more dubbed-out 'versions' (credited to his studio band The Observers') and local hits by artists whose fame rarely spread beyond the Caribbean (Winston Wright, Hubert Lee, Earth & Stone). In an indispensable introduction to one of Jamaica's finest producers of the 1970s.

Review: In 1985, Lee 'Scratch' Perry returned to Trojan Records for a new album, Battle Of Armageidon, in which he laid freshly-trodden musical ground at the label's feet. Taking after then increasingly-popular dub and reggae artists at the time, such as Scientist, Perry's music was becoming increasingly grandiose and psychedelic, having teamed up with rhythm guitarist and synth player Mark Downie in forming his new band. Long regarded as among Perry's most wild and unpredictable projects, this reissue brings the album to CD for the first time, and isn't for the faint of heart or uncurious of soul.