Byron Lee And The Dragonaires - Mash! Mr Lee - The Early Recordings 1960 - 1962 (2023)

In tandem with our Owen Gray collection this month Jasmine dips more toes into the waters of early Jamaican popular music with this collection featuring the island's premier 'uptown' band for almost half a century, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires (or 'the Dragonnairs' as they were known originally.

Byron and his band can claim a similar 'first' to their countryman Owen Gray as they were the first musicians to release an album in Jamaica in stereo - at a time when few Jamaicans had the facility to play anything other than mono! Needless to say, it sold poorly compared to the mono version and is now vary scarce. This Jasmine collection features the rare stereo edition of the 'Joy Ride' album in its entirety alongside the group's early non-album A's and B's (among them an ultra-rare 1962 'giveaway' 45 featuring their big belated club hit 'Bata Cha Cha Cha') and as much of the Dragonaires' 1962 album 'Come Fly With Lee' as could be slotted into the finite running time of a CD. Almost everything here is making its digital debut!

As befits an uptown band, the entire spectrum of early Jamaican music is covered, from Calypso and 'Jump Up' to R&B, ballads and even some early ska, all of it performed with precision and professionalism. The sound is great, and the music is great too!

Attractively packaged and - as always - comprehensively annotated, 'Mash Mr. Lee' is a release that no collector of music that is referred to as 'The Blue Beat Era' will want to miss!