Great Moments in Reggae Harmony: Prophetic Voices

Has any musical style been subjected to as many meaningless album compilations as reggae? There are music superstores where these useless collections nearly outnumber the titles by individual artists. So when The Power of the Trinity: Great Moments in Reggae Harmony (Shanachie) appeared, it sounded like an instant classic -- a rewarding antidote to the dozens of volumes of Wicked Dancehall Hits. Casual reggae listeners who wonder about the music's ongoing vitality in this seemingly endless, post-Bob Marley era would do well to listen. And veteran fans will relish these vocal-trio performances.

Vocal trios have been at the heart of reggae from the beginning. The best-known example (not on this disc) were the original Wailers -- Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. What distinguished, and still sets apart, Jamaican reggae vocal trios from their US counterparts in doo-wop and R&B are the small tonal nuances.

Just listen to the version of "Right Time" by the Mighty Diamonds on this CD. Lead vocalist Donald Shaw sings his prophetic message of apocalyptic redemption, nearly crying out with gospel fervor his call for Rastafarian salvation, while Fitzroy Simpson and Lloyd Ferguson harmonize in a manner communicating a cool emotional reserve. It's as if Simpson and Ferguson knew in their souls that those at the bottom of Jamaican society will inevitably be redeemed, so why work up a vocal fuss? You can hear that same duality on Culture's "Revelation Time": lead singer Joseph Hill sings full-throttle his Biblically tinged warning to Western materialist society while Albert Walker and Kenneth Paley provide the calm anchor. The wildest contrast between lead and harmonizing vocalists comes on the magisterial "Row Fisherman," by the Congos. Cedric Myron sings lead in a remarkably high-pitched falsetto that seems to be reaching for the heavens. Yet his cohort keep the tune earthbound, earthy.

All this harmonizing takes place on top of brilliant rhythm tracks, many of them performed by reggae greats Sly Dunbar (drums) and Robbie Shakespeare (bass), who were just coming into international recognition when most of the 14 tracks here were originally released, back in the '70s. Listen to how a galloping martial drum pattern challenges the Wailing Souls' laid-back vocals on "War." Only the finest reggae musicians know the secret alchemy of mixing passion with relaxation, of countering sweetly spacious vocal harmonies with tightly arranged instrumental attacks.

-- Norman Weinstein