The Abyssinians - Reunion (1998)

Donald Manning, Linford Manning, and Bernard Collins raising voices in Afro-raw harmony makes for reggae intoxication at its headiest. Among the greatest of Jamaica's seminal '70s harmony trios, the Abyssinians rework the "Satta Masagana" anthem, among other songs, for this collection that also includes new tracks fueled by the same old magic. As expected, the group tailors Bible scripture and Rasta orthodoxy to soaring melodies with the tug of the familiar, but no listener could object to those exquisite "Satta" horn lines surfacing throughout the set, like a signature motif. This reunion finds the harmony group's exotic appeal intact and compelling. --Elena Oumano