Advertisement

Album reviews Music

STUDIO ONE STORY

Rating: NNNN


Soul Jazz has spent the past few years spreading the gospel of Coxsone Dodd’s pioneering ska and reggae label, Studio One, through its excellent Dynamite and Studio One Soul compilations. All those efforts appear to have been leading toward Studio One Story. The massive collection includes a 100-page book, a best-of CD and a four-hour DVD chronicling the history of reggae as it revolved around Studio One. The DVD alone makes this an essential purchase. Assembled from an obsessive fan’s perspective, the video includes revealing interviews with Dodd, Alton Ellis, King Stitt, Horace Andy, Ken Boothe and other Studio One originals as they chart Jamaica’s sound system culture and the development of reggae. The characters slip raw bits of performance into their tales, and while some of the patchier moments of the label’s history are skimmed over, the DVD is worth watching if only for the sight of Dodd and his artists walking around Kingston like conquering heroes on a dance halls tour that degenerates into a midday bar crawl.

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted