Drum Song

AMG Review of Drum Song

Steve Leggett
All Music Guide

Jackie Mittoo's jazzy-funky eggae keyboard sensibility is at once as pervasive and singular as any in the history of Jamaican pop music, and in some ways his organ work sounds like Jimmy Smith was thrown into a blender with Booker T. Jones and Peter Tosh and then jolted with equal shots of lounge, dub, and acid jazz. It's pretty infectious stuff, bright and spooky by turns, and always right in the pocket, full of a kind of soulful joy, even on the darker pieces. This fine 18-track collection features sides Mittoo recorded over a classic set of Bunny Lee rhythms in the 1970s (which means you're hearing the legendary rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on drums and bass), and includes highlights like the title track, "Drum Song," which was originally released as the B-side on a John Holt single; the spooky jazz dub "Big Bad Organ"; the wonderfully funky "Champion of Arena"; and the bright, chugging "Vibes." It's vintage Mittoo. It'll make you smile.