Harlem Shuffle Vinilo y CD

Review: Here comes a new V/A that toys with a great idea - there are no real "covers". Everything is a remix, so all musicians are "undercover'. Harlem Shuffle present this compilation to us as a convincing corollary. Many Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady musicians from the 1960s were fascinated by genres from jazz to rock to film soundtracks, and covered them readily. The twist is that none of these covers are of well-known pop songs; selected by expert DJ Helea, all are carefully picked to highlight Jamaican musicians' knowledge and enthusiasm for underground and lesser-known music from across the board.

Review: Harlem Shuffle's third volume of standout rocksteady, boss and early reggae tunes is another jam-packed collection of rare tunes, overlooked delights and hidden joys. Cornerstone labels like Amalgamated, Duke, Gayfeet, Grape, Harry J, Rio, Randy's, Treasure Isle, Upsetter and Trojan are all represented and the sequencing is masterful so that this record tells a real story as it plays out and builds the mood nicely. The results are diverse and paint a fine picture of this golden era of reggae. Here's hoping there are more volumes to come.

Review: Since launching late last year, Harlem Shuffle Records has reissued a string of killer reggae recordings from the 1960s and 70's. Here the imprint offers up its first compilation, a 14-track selection of early reggae, dub and rocksteady hand-picked from the vaults of such legendary labels as Black Swan, Blue Cat, Duke, Doctor Bird, High Note and Trojan. It's a fine and hugely entertaining collection all told, with highlights including the easy, laidback skank of Stranger & Patsy's 'Tell it to Me', the trumpet-laden instrumental shuffle of 'Walk With Des' by Des All Stars, the Hammond-powered dancefloor heaviness of Clancy Collins' 'Brother Moses' and the prototype dub brilliance of 'Black Out' by the Hardy Boys.

Review: Harlem Shuffle knows what's up when it comes to reggae and few labels did it better than the legendary Trojan Records. The ongoing Hot Sauce series hits a fourth volume here with another red hot mix of gems from Trojan's vast vaults and plenty of classics sit next to a few lesser-known delights. Standouts come thick and fast but include a levied up vibe from The Rulers & The Carib Beats on 'Let My People Go (As The JJ All Stars)', a keys lead wobbler from The Hippy Boys on 'Wondering' and Dennis Alcapone who is in fine form delivery his patois over fat drums on 'Shades Of Hudson.'