Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Light in the Attic
• ASIN: B000FTBJCE
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,931 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a lucky buy, September 13, 2006

By 

Samuel Johnston "Sam" (Baton Rouge) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974 (Audio CD)

Around the end of July, I was in a small CD shop in downtown Toronto browsing, not really planning on buying anything. This album's cover caught my eye, and fortunately it happened to be in a 'featured CD' listening station. After hearing half of two tracks each, I was hooked and laid down twenty bucks immediately for it.

Wow! This compilation is incredible. To me, the real reason I enjoy it so much is that it has such an authentic vibe. Not necessarily a Toronto vibe, but just a real rootsy vibe of original funk and original soul. If there's such thing as 'true' R&B/funk/soul, it's this. Although it's a compilation it just has a uniformly awesome groove to it.

Personal favourites are a run of tracks from 3-7, beginning with the humorous banger 'Chips-Chicken-Bananana Split', running through the inspirational classic 'I Wish It Would Rain' (a song that immediately became one of my favourites ever... exponentionally better than the version it covers, and wrapping up with a groove tune 'African Wake'.

Couldn't recommend this CD more. If you're into soul, funk, R&B, and to a lesser extent reggae, I don't know how you could not love this album. It's pure.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic music !!, November 17, 2006

By 

Dm Otis (vancouver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974 (Audio CD)

The other two reviews posted pretty much nail it, so I won't repeat. I will just emphasize how great this music is. The musicianship is very superb. I was expecting some rough gems, historic curios -- but though these cuts are raw 'n funky, the licks are totally solid. This CD is a lost chapter of soul and R&B, hot wax that holds its own against the best funky stuff from that era from ANYWHERE. Plus it's an intriguing chapter in the reggae story, although except for one token cut the Jamaica aspect is just touches here and there -- literal accents.

One other point to note is this is the best CD packaging of the year! It looks good, feels good, and is weighty as a vinyl album. The booklet could almost be sold separately. For what they are charging consider this incredible groove collection a MUST BUY !!

And if you are from Toronto - - what are you waiting for?!? This will give you enuf pride to make up for a lifetime of Leaf losses!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Collectors; A Maybe For Reggae Fans, August 22, 2006

By 

Shona (Clairton, PA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974 (Audio CD)

I was very impressed with this CD - and from reading the liner notes, what is presented on this album is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jamaicans who immigrated to Canada and recorded soul and funk music. And it's not bad either! I am not from Canada, and the heyday of these recordings is before my time anyway - but these tunes sound like they wouldn't feel out of place at all on any Black music station in the 1970s.

Despite the "Reggae" reference in the album title, this is mainly a soul/funk collection. The two tracks that technically are reggae; "African Wake" by Johnnie Osbourne and "Memories" by Noel Ellis (a rare chance to hear the son of the great Alton Ellis) are excellent. Eddie Spencer and Jo-Jo and the Fugatives (names pretty much unknown today) both contribute two foot-stomping tunes a piece. The Cougars are also presented twice, where I especially like their cover of the Motown classic, "I Wish It Would Rain." In addition to the real funky stuff, you have some mellow tunes such as "Love is the Answer" by RAM and "I Believe In Music" by Bob and Wisdom (to today's crowd, both songs may sound hopelessly green - but put yourself in that time and place please!). But my favorite track in the collection is "Mr. Fortune" by The Hitch-Hikers f/The Mighty Pope; which is an excellent speciman of underground Black soul music.

The CD is very listenable and it's good to see that someone has choosen to shine some light on the music created by Jamaican immigrants in 1960s-1970s Canada. G-d knows, people were not really demanding anyone for it. It may be a little too much of an odd niche however; and may find it's way into the hands of unappreciative listeners on the basis of it's title. But hopefully, if anything, it will turn them on to the diversity present in Jamaican music.