(The New York Times, November 16, 2010) - Dennis Brown (1957-1999) was one of the greatest singers of the last half-century, his voice improvisationally resourceful, graceful, resonant, optimistic: maybe Jamaica's Sam Cooke. His reggae records - made with the best Jamaican producers and rhythm sections, full of Rasta rhetoric while covering the American soul and pop he had his ear to - maintained a high level through the '70s and '80s. There's already a collection out there with a very similar title released by Trojan, in which you'll find many of his more famous tracks. This one goes deeper into his catalog, with songs produced by Phil Pratt, Joe Gibbs and Niney the Observer, among others; they include "What About the Half"; "So Long Rastafari Calling"; a cover of "Black Magic Woman"; and the super-lovely "Rocking Time." A companion DVD contains a charismatic show from the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1979, on which Brown beams through some of the hits not included elsewhere in the set, like "Wolves and Leopards" and "Money in My Pocket." (17 North Parade/VP, two CDs, 1 DVD, $25.98) - BEN RATLIFF
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