Most casual
reggae
fans won't recognize his name, but the late keyboardist
Jackie Mittoo
probably did as much as any other artist to shape the sound of
in its formative years and to guide it through its mature period. As a founding member of
the Skatalites
, he helped bring
ska
to its fully developed sound, and then ushered in the
rocksteady
period; as the in-house music director at
Studio One
, he mentored and supported such seminal artists as
Leroy Sibbles
(of
the Heptones
) and
Alton Ellis
, and provided both keyboards and arrangements for
the Soul Vendors
and
Sound Dimension
. In short, many of the artists most well-known to and beloved of
fans were shaped significantly by the musical guidance of
. This compilation is a warm and loving tribute, featuring new instrumental arrangements of 18 of
Mittoo
's most popular and enduring tunes, each of them featuring a pianist or organist who was influenced by
's playing and writing -- these include Jamaican
jazz
legend
Monty Alexander
(on a gorgeous rendition of
"Evening Time"
),
Gladstone Anderson
(
"Full Charge"
Wailers
alumnus
Tyrone Downie
"Mission Impossible"
), and
Robbie Lyn
"Autumn Sounds"
). Producers
Christopher Chin
Donald Clive Davidson
provide respectfully rootswise rhythms that get perhaps just a bit samey by the end of the long program, but never fail to provide a perfect setting for the featured players. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson