Various Artists - Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One Roots (2LP Blue Vinyl)

This is the new 20th Anniversary edition of one of Soul Jazz Records’ classic Studio One releases, now available as a special one-off blue double vinyl pressing.

‘Studio One Roots’ set the standard for Soul Jazz Records’ long-standing series of Studio One collections and features many of the classic artists from Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s mighty roster of reggae. This album includes Freddie McGregor, Willie Williams, Cornell Campbell, Alton Ellis and Devon Russell alongside some of the defining crack session men groups of Jamaican reggae history, including The Sound Dimension, Brentford All-Stars, The Skatalites, New Establishment and more. As ever the album is filled with a mixture of seminal cuts and super- rarities from the vast vaults of 13 Brentford Road.

Stand-out tracks include Alton Ellis’ ‘Blackish White’, a surreal and powerful Afro-centric dream, Count Ossie Nyabinghi and Rastafarian drummers’ genre-defying interpretation of Booker T and The MGs ‘Meditation’, Willie Williams’ awe-inspiring versioning of the Skatalites seminal Rastafari anthem ‘Addis Ababa’ and many, many more.

This album has been fully digitally remastered, analogue cut and packaged complete with original sleevenotes by Lloyd Bradley (author of When Reggae Was King), compiled by Mark Ainley (Hones Jons), high-quality Soul Jazz mastering, fantastic images of Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari on the cover and a rare image of Clement Dodd and musicians inside the studio at Studio One on the full colour inner sleeves.

“The music of this compilation is of a rare, rare beauty and is essential to anyone's reggae collection” - All Music

1. The Cyclones with Count Ossie - Meditation
2. Cornell Campbell with The Brentford Rockers - Natty Don’t Go
3. Freddie McGregor with The Sound Dimension - Africa Here I Come
4. Bunnie & Skitter - Lumumbo
5. Willie Williams with The All Stars - Addis Ababa
6. L Crosdale with Drum Bago & The Rebel Group - Set Me Free
7. Leroy Wallace with The New Establishment - Far Beyond
8. Lennie Hibbert - More Creation
9. Alton Ellis with The Sound Dimension - Blackish White
10. Winston Jarrett with The Sound Dimension - Fear Not
11. Devon ‘Soul’ Russell - Drum Song The Gaylads - Africa
12. Black Brothers with The New Establishment - School Children
13. Linton Cooper with The Brentford Disco Set - You’ll Get Your Pay
14. Sound Dimension - Congo Rock Zoot Simms - African Challenge