Reggae keyboard king Jackie Mittoo strikes gold

Jackie Mittoo was reggae’s keyboard king, a hugely talented player who worked with The Sound Dimensions, The Skatalites, Sugar Minott and many others who came through the doors of Studio One on Brentford Road in Kingston.

Mittoo had a lovely touch when it came to adding gritty funk to the groove and sweetening out the heavyweight dub to be found at the heart of so much Jamaican reggae. This reissue of four stone-cold classic albums from Mittoo's 1970s catalogue – The Keyboard King, Hot Blood, In Cold Blood and The Jackie Mittoo Showcase – focuses on the work he did with producer and all-round scene mover and shaker Bunny "Striker" Lee.

What you’ll find on these 34 tracks is a producer drawing the best from a star talent by focusing on how those brilliant keyboard swirls and patterns can transform songs into swaggering, skanking dance tunes.

[ vprecords.com ]