Ernest Ranglin - Ultimate Ranglin Roots (2002)

Ranglin's Diamond (With Dean Fraser)

Hail Count Ossie

The Trip

Love Knows

I'll Be With You

Ranglin Roots

On Higher Ground

Love Is Loving June

Explosion

Double Talk

EB @ Noon

Fate

Liberty Valley

Something Gotta

Steppers Dance

This dog's dinner of a CD contains a complete reissue of an LP ("Ranglin Roots") that Ernest Ranglin recorded in Jamaica around 1976, plus a completely unconnected session with Floyd Lloyd Sievwright from, at a guess, sometime in the 1990s or even early 2000s. The original LP, which doesn't appear in the correct track order or even in a continuous sequence here, is, apart from one track, one of Ranglin's finest recordings, the other stuff is utterly forgettable. The two sessions are very different and there's no very obvious reason to put them both on this CD, except perhaps that no one aware of the contents would want to buy the later session on its own, given how uncharacteristically uninspired it is. Its presence here is completely superfluous so I'll say no more about it.

Anyone who is a fan of Ernest Ranglin, on the other hand, and hasn't heard the 1976 album, is in for a real treat. It showcases Ranglin evidently in full charge of the session and mixing jazz tunes (his own) and reggae beats in a highly successful fashion. His guitar playing is quite dazzling, and on a couple of tunes he is even double-tracked. It would be nice to see this album get a proper reissue in its own right but since this is the only way you can get it short of buying a 2nd hand copy of the original lp, you're stuck with this imperfect reissue. But don't let that put you off. If you like Below The Bassline, Ranglin Roots will blow your mind. Shame about the other stuff.