There’s a very stark contrast in terms of what’s exactly going on with this release. On one hand there’s a producer in Lloyd Campbell for Joe Fraser who I feel is quietly one of the greatest producers and labels on the planet who have been known, at least to me, for exercising such a WONDERFUL level of quality control while voicing just a select group of artists in recent years. And on the other there’s ‘quietly’ one of the best known, and just BEST, producers in the world (if one can do such things and still be “quiet”) and a man who not only has worked with some of the best talents in Reggae music, but has DEVELOPED quiet a few of them and is currently in the process of doing the exact same thing again and will probably continue doing so for the rest of his days, in Dean Fraser. Between Fraser and Campbell, I feel you have two of the (ACTIVE) ‘keepers’ of a type of vibes in Reggae which you just need to have - that old school sweetness which so easily translates into this era. Campbell and his label, Joe Fraser Records, has definitely carved out a niche for themselves over the years (especially recently) of making BIG time new school Lover’s Rock with new artists (and in that capacity, they’re probably the greatest at doing it on this side of the globe and maybe even in the entire world altogether). They also have this kind of tight cache of artists with whom they record and as of late, the label has been pretty active, releasing STRONG material from a few of those artists (more on that in a bit). On Dean Fraser’s side, things are a bit more complicated, but not VERY given his history. Years and years ago Fraser was ‘charged’ with developing talents like Luciano and Mikey General and Sizzla and later Turbulence and Chezidek amongst others as artists working with Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell’s Xterminator Productions. You take a look at that list of artists and quickly examine (particularly in the cases of Sizzla & Luciano), just who has been leading figures in Roots Reggae over the course of the last decade plus and you see just how instrumental Fraser has been. Oh! And not to mention the fact that currently the man is doing the exact same thing again with a few artists (one in particular) who, a decade from now, will most likely be leaders of the very same pack. Taking that angle of looking at things, something which comes with BOTH Lloyd Campbell’s and Dean Fraser’s name attached to it (I don’t care if it’s a doggie bowl or a designer toilet) is something that I need to take a listen to. Oh and that other Guy’s name on the project doesn’t hurt things either.
What other guy? Robert Nesta Marley, of course. Within the ridiculously large and the ridiculously legendary catalogue of Marley are a ridiculous number of gems which have resonated and familiarized themselves with not only the Reggae listening public, but casual and mainstream fans all over the world and his music definitely continues to do that. Every few years or so one of Marley’s pieces is redone and does a nice amount of damage amongst the masses and you also see a fairly steady rotation of his riddims used for ‘one-off’s’ and such things virtually year round (and not only in Reggae I should add), much to the delight of his filthy rich estate, I’m sure. Well, aside from the estate (which I’m sure has NO problem with what we’re about to discuss today), with names like Dean Fraser and Lloyd Campbell, I’m sure Marley himself would be quite happy with the fact that the two Reggae MASTERS have taken on one of his perhaps more overlooked, but definitely no less powerful creations, the Jah Live Riddim. You may very well find yourself Googling, Yahooing or Binging (does anyone use that thing yet?) that tune because you may not actually remember it offhand. Unlike some of the other tunes of Marley’s which have reached album form through remakes (like the ‘Redemption Song’, which was subsequently revived as the ‘Old Pirated (yes dem rob I)’ by Harvel Hart a few years ago I believe) (and it was WICKED), I don’t think ‘Jah Live’ was as casually popular and although, like everything else Marley did, it is definitely still respected, it definitely isn’t to the degree of a vast majority of its reincarnated peers. So, that being said I can imagine quite a few people heard and looked upon this ‘spanking new’ release as the very first time such a thing has been done, well they were wrong. The release comes courtesy Joe Fraser Records (in conjunction with Cannon) and is distributed via the largest label in the world VP Records (who apparently is quite high on it and are quietly promoting the hell out it. The VP link was pretty much a given as both Frasers have worked extensively with the label over the years and have funneled their own releases through the label, with Joe Fraser having several (ALL of those artists being on this album) just recently and of course Dean’s work goes without saying at this point (although I’m going to say it anyway in a little while anyway, I’m sure). The two entities have come together to deliver various artists’ take on Marley’s masterpiece, voiced over the past couple of years or so and yes it’s becoming a bit redundant this week, but what they come up with is definitely one of the finest riddim albums you’ll have heard in 2009. No question about it.
For the most part, in terms of the artists chosen, Lloyd Campbell and Dean Fraser play it fairly simple on the album and the results reflect that. Sometimes (and you should know) I do love the labels who take a chance just start mixing up the vibes, but certainly in some cases (this being one of them, obviously) it becomes a matter of less being more and entrusting something so special into the capable hands of people who know what in the hell they’re doing (for the most part) or at least people who seem like they might. You don’t have to worry (AT ALL) with the very first choice on Lloyd Campbell’s and Dean Fraser’s update on the Jah Live Riddim, because ‘they’ go with none other than VETERAN Glen Washington, the most accomplished Lover’s Rock singer and the most experienced artist, period, on the entire project, who opens things with the SPARKLING ‘Mi Did Tell You’. Of course Washington has recorded extensively with Campbell, including the very nice Destiny album from early this year and I had to go back to that album to see, because I didn’t recognize this wonderful vibe and sure enough, it isn’t there. Washington was all but mandatory on this piece and it was clear and he more than lives up to the lofty expectations on this very strong opener. Washington is (respectfully), however, outdone with one of the strangest selections of artist on the entire riddim, BIG Guyanese quintet (I think they‘re all still on board), who brings the equally BIG ‘Not Afraid’. I definitely just gave Campbell and Fraser a big respect for not going too far with who they chose for the Jah Live, but in this case, although the styles match up well, they did step out a bit with this choice, but they were wise in doing so (just as they did on the 'She's Royal' riddim) because First Born DEFINITELY hit a homerun with ‘Not Afraid’. The tune has been making impacts all over the place, worldwide, and hopefully they can continue to ride it and prove my prediction wrong and have an album in 2010 (hope I am wrong) (“anything you can do, I can do dreader than you. I am not a weak soul. Selassie made me brave and BOLD!”). Definitely love that tune and get into the lyrics. Then there’s the first direct sign of Dean Fraser’s handiwork as the divine Etana steps forth on the Jah Live with the nearly brilliant and self affirming ‘Learn To Love’. This one has a WONDERFUL message of pleasing and learning oneself even before attempting to do such things with another person which is something which should be common sense, but unfortunately isn’t to some degree and especially, as in the song, when apparently coming off a bad relationship or a busted friendship. BIG tune.
The extreme allure to the Jah Live Riddim was largely built (in my opinion) on the strength of three tunes. One of which, of course, was done by Nesta himself and the other two were through Dean Fraser’s utmost brilliance and that of his finds. The first which appears on the album for the riddim just so happens to be the biggest as the incomparable Tarrus Riley devastates the riddim with its finest effort altogether ‘Love Created I’. This song is EPIC. Seriously, apart from being a Rasta affirming tune and one which I’m sure has helped a lot of people (especially the youths) trying to find their ways in life, I use it as one which tells people to be careful where we draw our proverbial lines and in front of whom, because not everyone feels how you do! This thing was just MAGIC! And the other tune was from Fraser’s other big young artist, Duane Stephenson, who offers the title track of his 2007 debut album ‘August Town‘. This tune is a MAMMOTH autobiographical tune to my ears and one which so definitely caught the attention of the public and, again, particularly the youths who were actually growing up in similar situations as the future star Stephenson. And of course the two young artists aren’t on their own here, there’re a few other big names voicing the riddim as well. Such as, unsurprisingly, the aforementioned Luciano who comes with the second title track (after Marley) for the riddim,. Okay I don’t really like this song. It just doesn’t do very much and to be perfectly honest after really scrutinizing it, it almost seems as if Luciano is just kind of going through the motions. This one was a piece, I feel, was desperately in need of a combination. Maybe Luci could have tapped UK Reggae master Mr. Lloyd Brown who has no such troubles distinguishing himself with a recent top notch effort from his brand new album For Your Consideration, ’Know Yourself’. I’ve been listening to this one going on two months now and I’ve loved everything about it from the start. The tune basically just goes to people who aren’t living right, by choice or by circumstance. As Brown says, “and if you look inna the mirror, you know like the reflection - full time that you know yourself”. Indeed. Another artist (like Washington) who had a recent album with Joe Fraser Records (Walk A Mile) and is a favourite of the label is Mikey Spice. Spice brings a tune, ’I Cry, You Cry’, from that album which is nice and is a standout here just as it was on that project. ANOTHER artist with a recent Joe Fraser album (More Than Words), is the downright adorable Fiona who brings a tune from her album, one of the few conscious lights, ‘Stop Talking‘. I don’t care what Fiona does, I’m always pretty interested. She never gets the respect she deserves (apparently not even from me, I haven’t reviewed her album, but plan to in the new year) but she sounds excellent, each and every time out and this tune is definitely no exception. AND YET ANOTHER artist who has a recent album for Lloyd Campbell and Joe Fraser (. . . Now), veteran angelically voiced Sandra Cross, is apparently trying to make the people cry with ‘Beautiful Places’. The song is . . . Well it’s beautiful and she isn’t playing at all! The thing is GORGEOUS and one of the riddim’s/album’s finest outings. And I’m pretty sure I know who sweet singing Steele is and he features on two tracks. The first, ’Love Yourself First’, is a combination with a female artist, Mandy Wood (who I’ve never heard of prior to her tune here) (or since), and it very much so follows in the proven format of Etana’s tune (and Brown’s as well to a degree), of taking care of oneself before going outward with your emotions and Wood, like every other female on the Jah Live sounds very good, so keep an ear out for her. And Steele returns to close the album out all on his own with ‘Know For Sure’. This tune is very nice and I say that despite the fact that I’m still working on grabbing the tune lyrically to a point because I think I might disagree a little with the message (in terms of going entirely too detailed as I tend to do or, it may just be that he makes an unusual connection, rather than one that I actually disagree with). Basically what he’s saying is that you should be careful what you do because you “should know for sure” that you’re going to have to pay for your actions one day. And the gist of the tune (which is what that is) I certainly agree with and even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t call it a bad tune because it isn’t. It is, however, very nice and a very good note on which to end things (and Steele apparently has an album out of his own by the name of The Man, The Music, definitely check that out if you can get your hands on it).
Overall, if you like modern Reggae then you probably wasted your time reading this big ass review because you pretty much already knew that this thing was top notch, didn’t you? You have two masters of the music working on bringing back the music of the greatest master of them all, you just can’t go wrong on that. Furthermore, Dean Fraser, as an artist, has recorded the music of Marley quite extensively and has had (at least) two albums reflecting just that (curiously enough, however, I was unable to find him playing this riddim). The Jah Live Riddim is an exquisitely done project and it doesn’t even seem like they spent so much time piecing it together meticulously and that’s exactly what you would expect from this class of producers - effortless work. The artists themselves, of course, are who will ultimately be remembered first, but I’m sure in both the cases of Lloyd Campbell and Dean Fraser, were Nesta around to do so, he would certainly congratulate them both on a job well done.
Rated 4.25/5
Joe Fraser Records
2009
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