That Toots Hibbert's voice, drenched in Memphis soul and rooted in Jamaican gospel, is still a powerful instrument after four decades of performing is the first thing you notice while listening to this collection of duets with pop, ock and eggae artists. "Funky Kingston," featuring Bootsy Collins and the Roots is one of the best tracks here, retaining the loose, loopy groove of the original Maytals version, probably because, from Bootsy's opening invocation of "are you ready for some Toots, Roots and Boots," nobody seems to take things too seriously. Keith Richards manages not to sound too ravished on "Careless Ethiopians," while Ben Harper and Hibbert effectively ride an atmospheric, slow-burning arrangement of "Love Gonna Walk Out On Me" to emotional fulfillment. Hopefully True Love will bring the woefully overlooked Toots some well-deserved attention.
I wasn't entirely thrilled with True Love; when I bought it I somehow missed that it was a collection of collaborations, and I was looking for pure Toots. But this one, with The Skatalites & U-Roy, is pretty cheery, have a play and just try and sit still through it (can't be done)
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Here's another from the True Love album, Toots & the Maytals with Ben Harper, suits me as I shake off the tension of getting a preteen and a teenager to school, and making my wary way back through the snow, along the icy highway. You know, this song is called "Love Gonna Walk Out On Me" but I'm sure he's singing "Love's not gonna walk out on me". Which is so much better to sing, because it sur...
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 "True Love")
