Ironically for the man who coined the term "reggae", Toots Hibbert's latest album contains few straight examples of that form.
Instead, it focuses on the R&B and soul influences of which he has always been Jamaica's prime interpreter. Besides two covers – a "Higher Ground" blessed with the groove of "Boogie on Reggae Woman", and a Philly Soul obscurity spoilt by horrid 1980s keyboards – Toots's own material is streaked with Southern soul tropes: the Memphis-funk horns of "Fool for You", the crisp Meters-style guitar and drums of "What Kind of Woman", the rolling piano blues of "Good Woman", and the skittish disco-funk of "Got to Feel It". There's even a country oddity, "Bye Bye", to close the album, though fans may be more attracted to the refurbished "Time Tough" groove that powers "There Is a Reason".
DOWNLOAD THIS Higher Ground; Fool for You; There Is a Reason
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