This is part of a new studio recording series on Strut, moving away from compilations, and delivering studio albums by current musicians and their musical heroes in one off collaborations. Each album is centred around an intense five day writing and recording session, the emphasis being on spontaneity. The series kicks off with Detroit soul maverick Amp Fiddler teaming up with reggae legends Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. In theory, this sounds fantastic, but I must say I was a little disappointed with this release. The majority of tracks lean towards the nu-soul sound, which I guess has to be expected, this is Amp Fiddlers trademark vocal style, and while the digital and live rhythms of Sly and the solid bass foundation of Robbie stand well on their own, I was hoping for a more reggae feel, which is only present here on a couple of tracks.
This series is going to be one to watch though, some future releases will feature collaborations between such artists as Horace Andy and Ashley Beedle, and very exciting for me will be the Mulatu Astatke (Ethiopiques) and The Heliocentrics release, having already performed live together, this live footage is out there on the internet for you to seek out, its worth your time, a collaboration made in heaven. Check out future releases at www.inspiration-information-series.com
Wayne Stronell
