Review of Ruff Cutt's IN ROOTS

Here's one I bet you missed...

In 2000, relatively unknown reggae label Tabou1 released a series of rare classics like Black Uhuru's Live 84 and The Gladiator's Back to Roots. Another release that may not have garnered as much initial attention, but certainly deserved it, was the In Roots compilation, which teamed loads of talented reggae artists with the Ruff Cutt band. The end result was nearly 20 tracks of rock solid roots.

The album's opener "Give Jah the Glory" by Freddie McGregor is everything we'd expect from one of reggae's most consistently good voices. Even better, though is the Mighty Diamonds' excellent "Beware Ethiopians," whose shades of Jacob Miller and early Inner Circle make this one a top pick. A "Nyah Version" with a stripped down instrumental is included as a bonus track at the end of the disc.

Other well known voices include Michael Rose (whose "Last Chance" doesn't break any new ground compared to his mid-90s work on Heartbeat, but is certainly a nice, positive addition to the deep Rose catalog), Junior Kelly (whose outstanding "Jah Jah Live On" is a slightly different version of "Jah Nuh Dead" from his hit album Love So Nice), and Gregory Isaacs (whose "Love Triangle" isn't particularly powerful, but still worth checking).

A number of less known (but not less talented) singers make up the remainder of the disc. Kanni's "Green" and Richie Dan's "Hear the Sound" are delivered in a modern singjay style that remind me of the Easy Star crew in the late-90s. Also worth noting are Little Roy's version of Bob Marley's "Rock Steady," Lorna Asher's "The Champion," and Vincent Napp's version of "Get Up Stand Up."

One of the great surprises comes on "Work," a duet between Barbara Naps and Nereus Joseph. If there ever were a pair of artists that could fill the huge shoes of Dennis Brown (because you know one person never could), it would be Naps and Joseph. Naps pure sound is spine-chilling; her intonations and style are like those of a female Crown Ruler. Nereus Joseph's heartfelt vibes provide a great compliment and also do the memory of Dennis Brown proper.

If the classic roots sound is your bag, Ruff Cutt's In Roots is one of the best compilations of the sort in recent memory. The rolling riddims and positive vibes are uplifting and the disc is packed with familiar and new artists alike. I'm not sure if the French label Tabou1 is still around (their web site seems to have disappeared), but I certainly hope they are, as the world can always use more roots.

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