VA - Dennis Bovell: The 4th Street Orchestra Collection - Deluxe Edition - 2CD (2023)

By the mid-1970s, having made his name as one of Britain’s most gifted and versatile musical talents with leading UK reggae outfit Matumbi, Dennis ‘Blackbeard’ Bovell sought to expand his horizons further by creating new material away from the confines of the group.

Arguably his most impressive works from this time were four albums released under the nom-de-plume of the 4th Street Orchestra. Released between 1976 and 1978, each set comprised a mixture of high-quality roots and dub, with their sound so authentic, reggae connoisseurs were convinced the music had to be of Jamaican origin.

Today, these seminal – and now hugely collectable - LPs are widely regarded by music fans to be among the finest British produced reggae music ever to see issue during the roots era.

Now, at long last, they are brought together for this essential set, with a further eight Dennis Bovell-produced bonus tracks from the period making this 2CD even more compelling.