Burning Spear Live

Burning Spear aka Winston Rodney is reggae’s leading living voice today and creator of the genre’s first bona fide masterpiece “Marcus Garvey” in 1976. So it’s a given that on “Burning Spear-Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival (Session Records) you’re going to hear real instruments. Many of the singer’s enduring classics are here including “Old Marcus”, “Slavery Days” and “Postman”.

The first half of the CD, although well-played, with solid skanky swing from the band, which includes a 3 piece brass section seems to reveal a slightly diffident Spear. I enjoyed the third track “Nyah Keith”, a playful, melodic number that seems to hark from some imaginary pre-reggae land. Spear communicates the fun beautifully. But something is missing elsewhere. Spear’s style is entirely dependant on building a mantra-like intensity through his unique use of sound and silence. I consider him to be the ying-yang man of reggae.

Well, I don’t know whether he yinged or yanged or was possessed by the ghost of Marcus Garvey or ducked out backstage for half a pound of Montreux madness or what because by the time “Old Marcus” (track 7) comes around the lamb is transformed into the lion of Judah and the roar reverberates to the final track (12). “Old Marcus”, “Rocking Time”, “Columbus”, “Slavery Days”, “Postman” and “Happy Day” are all utterly compelling and rank with the best I’ve heard him do. But what happened? The band is the same throughout and there’s the same superb production throughout.

Maybe they were different sessions, because certainly when Spear pulls the pin the rhythm is pumping fire and the horns are slipping and sliding and the trombone yawing, but when Spear was mumbling the band was just polished back-up. One thing’s for sure if Mr Rodney gives up music, his future as a poker player is assured. Curiously indispensable.