Various: 100% Dynamite | Album Review

Here's the album that kickstarted a dynasty. Originally released in 1998, 100% Dynamite was Soul Jazz's seminal dive into reggae's dusty grooves. Little surprise that this finger-popping blend of ska, rocksteady, soul and funk remains the label's biggest seller, with the "Dynamite" series quickly becoming a rewarding guide to reggae's most infectious back pages.

While the reissue comes with new additions, the original rockers rule the roost in blue-chip cuts from Tommy McCook (Green Mango), Jackie Mittoo (Stereo Freeze), Phyllis Dillon (a fine version of Marlena Shaw's Woman of the Ghetto) and the Brentford All Stars (Greedy G).

The additional tracks, including Horace Andy's My Soul, Ken Boothe's Is It Because I'm Black? and Alton Ellis's Son of Man all fit seamlessly on to the album. Every home needs some Dynamite.

[ souljazzrecords.co.uk ]