V/A - Jamaica

Albums: Studio One: Roots - The Original; Vol. 2 and Vol. 3
Format: CD (also on LP)
Soul Jazz SJR CD56, CD114, CD168








While reggae and dub fans may eat this stuff up, there is much more going on here than reverb and riddims. It's certainly Rasta to the core -- representing some of the earliest recordings from Studio One, Jamaica's influential studio -- but this is much more than reggae, with diverse world grooves could easily be found on one of those excellent comps of West African highlife from Analog Africa or Soundway. There's even some American R&B and soul thrown in this rundown (Jamaican stew).

V/A - Moroccan

Album: Gnawa Music of Marrakesh: Night Spirit Masters
Format: CD
Label/Info: AXIOM (Island Records) 314-510 147-2

I recently attended a talk with Nathan Salsburg of the Alan Lomax Archive and Twos & Fews Records who shared some incredible documentary footage of Gnawa musicians in Marrakesh made by filmmaker Caitlin McNally. (Salsburg and Twos & Fews plan to release a CD/DVD set of Gnawa performances later this year. More info here.) His presentation inspired me to track down this 1990 AXIOM disc produced by Bill Laswell, which was supposedly given 4 stars by Rolling Stone. It's all I listen to in the car right now, that is, until the Twos & Fews set comes out.

V/A - Nigerian

Compilations of Nigerian Afro-Beat, Afro-Funk, and Highlife from the 1970s.

Album: Nigeria70: Lagos Jump
Format: CD
Label/Info: Strut 035, 2008
***

Album: Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues, 1970-76
Format: CD
Label/Info: Soundway SNDWCD009, 2007

***

Album: Afro Baby: The Evolution of the Afro-Sound in Nigeria, 1970-79

Format: CD

Label/Info: Soundway SNDWCD002, 2004

V/A - Ethiopian

Album: Ethiopiques Series
Format: CD
Label/Info: Buda Musique, 1998-

Compilations of Ethiopian music from the 1960s and 1970s culled from singles and albums for Amha Records, Kaifa Records, and Philips-Ethiopia. Prominent singers and musicians from this era include Alemayehu Eshete, Asnaketch Worku, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke, and Tilahun Gessesse. The series editor is Francis Falceto. All 23 discs are excellent, but the following stand out:

• Ethiopiques 1: the Golden Years of Modern Ethiopian Music (1998)
• Ethiopiques 3: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music (1998)
• Ethiopiques 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974 (featuring Mulatu Astatke) (1998)
• Ethiopiques 7: Ere Mela Mela (featuring Mahmoud Ahmed) (1999)
• Ethiopiques 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax (featuring Getachew Mekurya) (2003)
• Ethiopiques 21: Ethiopia Song (featuring Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Gebrou) (2006)

Joseph Spence

Album: Good Morning Mr. Walker
Format: CD or LP
Label/Info: Arhoolie CD contains bonus tracks. Originally released as Arhoolie LP in 1972.