Mr. Bassie

by Rick AndersonHorace Andy possesses one of the truly immortal voices of reggae -- a reedy tenor that cuts effortlessly through the mix and has influenced countless other reggae singers. He began recording as a teenager, and his voice and delivery have actually changed little since those early days, when he was cranking out hits for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at the great Studio One label. Though never a real household name, in recent years he's made something of a comeback with several good solo albums and guest appearances with the British group Massive Attack. Mr. Bassie collects fourteen tracks from Andy's early-'70s heyday, all recorded under the aegis of Coxsone Dodd with the backing of Kingston's finest studio bands. There are many standout tunes, including cover versions of soul classics like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Oh Lord, Why Lord," and he delivers a rendition of Paul Simon's rock-steady composition "Mother and Child Reunion" that, while faithful to the original in terms of style and arrangement, leaves Simon's original vocal in the dust. Several collections of Horace Andy singles have come out recently on various labels, but this is one of the best.