Various Artists – Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae (Moll-Selekta) Described by one fine publication as the “rocksteady equivalent of Buena Vista Social Club” Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae (and its accompanying film) assembles an esteemed group of aging reggae legends at the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, and lets them loose on a collection of rocksteady standards. I must confess, I was a little dubious as to whether, without the back-story and the visuals, these shiny new recordings would compare with the crackly classics that we’ve grown to love. I needn’t have been concerned, as there’s a lovely feel to this collection, and when the vocalists include U-Roy, Derrick Morgan, Dawn Penn, Marcia Griffiths and Ken Boothe, there was probably no need to get into a lather in the first place. Standouts are plentiful. I’d forgotten what a great singer Ken Boothe is – his versions of “Shanty Town (007) and his own “Freedom Street” are both powerful and fragile. Dawn Penn’s wistful “You Don’t Love Me (No No No)” compares well with her original version, with haunting horns and some genuine hurt, and Marcia Griffiths’ loose, sunny reading of “The Tide Is High” finally dispels nasty memories of Blondie’s lackluster effort. Rob F. Next