Kingston All Stars - Rise Up (Roots & Wire Records)

'Rise Up' opens with the instrumental 'Boo Rock', a tribute to Kingston All Stars drummer ad interim and colleague Mikey 'Boo' Richards. Excellent opener and to be honest we were also quite taken with the other the instrumentals on this album, like 'Jamodica' for example, with a leading role for Robbie Lyn's melodica, or 'Pirates Fog'. Vocalists Allen Jahsana and Stranger Cole signed also signed up for 'Rise Up', the first one even featured twice, first with the nyahbinghi percussion supported acoustic 'Jungle Justice', and again with the excellent roots song 'Rising From The Ghettos'. Rzee Jackson is another regular and with 'Guns & Pulpits' provides the vocal counterpart to 'Clappers', one of the tracks on the band's 2017 'Dubwise' album.

One of two newcomers is Carol Brown, who not only provides the project with its first female voice, but with the dubby rocksteady track 'Only Jah Knows' also signs for one of the absolute highlights in the track list. In that song you can also hear Krystal Mittoo, daughter of legendary Studio One keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, as Carol and Jackie were in a relationship up until Mittoo's sudden demise in 1990. Kingston All Stars' second new voice is a certain Jah Fagan, who with 'Saturday Night Is Here', delivers one of the more frivolous party songs on 'Rise Up'. Finally, if you really want a reminder of who the Kingston All Stars band members are, check out closing track 'Let's Dance', as in that song keyboardist Ansel Collins lists almost all their names. On the same riddim you'll also find 'My Vision', a great roots tune featuring Prince Alla. This group of veterans doesn't really need any recommendation anymore, but for those still unconvinced: 'Rise Up' is yet another rock solid production full of old school roots, instrumentals, dub and rocksteady. Highly recommended!