|
Wayne McGhie & the Sounds Of Joy
Light In The Attic
**** 4 Stars
Jamaican expatriate soul
In 1967, after imbibing ample imported draughts of American R&B and gigging with the Celestials, Jamaican Wayne McGhie emigrated to Toronto. A guitarist and vocalist, McGhie cut this, his one album, in 1969 with members of the city's budding West Indian community. Studio One's Alton Ellis also pitched in. Yet despite the heavy Jamaican presence, the album is essentially a soul recording, reminiscent of Al Green's early work. The opener, a wonderfully compact version of Na Na Hey Hey, is followed by some melancholic moments - despite the Sounds Of Joy sobriquet. But the introspection is broken by Dirty Funk, a fine MGs/Meters crossbreed, Fire and Cool It. The latter is McGhie's one direct nod to his mother country, a rock steady groover. The album was originally ignored, but now it's greatly admired for it's breakbeats and soul.
- James Maycock
|