11/07/2022
Great thanks to for this great write-up of & in
Reggae has long been an international music that’s extended well beyond its Jamaican origins, and the number of homegrown reggae artists in Southern California alone prove it.
Noted reggae disc jockey and author Chuck Foster has emerged as a reggae singer/songwriter in recent years. His new album Long Journey (Catch Me Time Records, 2022) blends his straight-up vocals (no faux Jamaican accents here) with riddims grounded in the roots tradition, real instruments, and thoughtful lyrics on a generous 17 tracks that potently reflect the sort of Rastafarian-influenced consciousness that made reggae music matter in the first place.
And then there’s Instrumentally Yours on the same label, credited to the Catch Me Time All-Stars, the band that backs Foster on his albums. It’s a no-vocals collection of very sharp reggae composed by Foster and laid down by a powerhouse lineup that includes Jamaican vets Tony Chin (guitar) and Tony Bird (keyboards) as well as California-based players such as multi-instrumentalist Mystery Man and Mike Irwin on bass and melodica.
The original versions of the tracks can be found on Foster’s previous releases, and the instrumental treatment they’re given here makes space for the instruments to have their say amid a framework of tasty roots-drenched reggae.
The above title is disingenuous at the very least. Count me among those who don’t feel fully informed as to the “it” being eased back into. The pandemic continues to wreak tragedy even as people and places lower their guards. Some of the music I’ve received lately seems to have snuck in unno...
