I Love Jah

This album is something of a curiosity. Although it was released as part of a long-overdue series of reissues from the Wackie's label — and although the "cover art" consists of photographs of what are clearly the front and back labels of a vinyl LP — this CD release actually marks the first time this classic material by one of reggae's most criminally unheralded harmony trios has been made available to the public. (The label photos apparently come from the simultaneous vinyl release of the album and give the cover a suitably vintage feel.) Originally recorded in 1982, just when the dancehall juggernaut was taking over the Jamaican reggae scene, I Love Jah demonstrates that the roots-and-culture sound was still holding its own in New York, where Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes had his music store and recording studio. Three of the six tracks on this all-too-brief album are presented in "showcase" style, with dub versions appended to the ends of the vocal versions, and Barnes' production style in both contexts reflects the clear influence of Lee "Scratch" Perry (with whom the Meditations had previously recorded some of their most celebrated material). The group's harmonies are reedy and not always perfectly in tune, but the joyful devotion of their delivery helps them over the occasional rough spot. Recommended.