Jammys From The Roots (1977-1985)

Skilled producer and sound engineer Lloyd “Jammy” James had been involved in the Jamaican recording scene since the late ‘60s, when he headed up his own sound system and picked up work around Kingston building speaker systems and performing repairs for rival soundmen. He didn’t truly come into his own until the late ‘70s, when—after serving an apprenticeship with King Tubby—he established his own label, Jammy’s. The work he produced during this period for artists like Johnny Osbourne, Earl Zero, Lacksley Castell, and others changed the face of Jamaican music. Jammy’s spare, crisp production style swept aside the murky psychedelia of the roots era and replaced it with minimal, percussive rhythms that paved the way for dancehall in the mid-‘80s. Jammy’s from the Roots is an intelligently curated compilation that collects 32 of Jammy’s most vital productions from this era. It opens with "Fally Ranking"—Johnny Osbourne’s ferocious indictment of gang-related violence—and never lets up in intensity. Standouts include Noel Phillips’ relentless “Youth Man” and Dennis Brown’s “They Fight I.”