Ja-Man All Stars - Ja-Man All Stars in the Dub Zone (2020)

In 1998, the Blood & Fire label released a reggae collection entitled 129 Beat Street: Ja-Man Special 75-78, which featured classic singles produced by Dudley "Manzie" Swaby during the classical era of roots reggae. In the Dub Zone draws on Swaby's dub productions from the same period and from a few years later, at the beginning of the dancehall era. It includes the entirety of two dub albums, Ja-Man Dub and King's Dub, their contents augmented by four additional dub mixes taken from the B-sides of singles released on Swaby's Manzies label during the same period. There are, unfortunately, almost no partial vocal tracks left in any of these mixes, but the rhythm tracks are powerful enough to stand on their own, and Swaby's production style, while not especially adventurous, is fun and creative enough to keep things interesting. His studio band, the Ja-Man All Stars, was led by legendary drummer Sly Dunbar, and included such luminaries of the scene as guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, saxophonist "Deadly" Headley Bennett, trombonist Don Drummond, and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, among others. There are no really weak tracks, but highlights include the horn-and-organ-driven "Half Ounce," "Weak Heart Drop" (which includes snippets of what sounds like a Horace Andy vocal), and the catchy "Poor Man Skank." Highly recommended overall.

Tracklist:
01. Ja-Man All Stars - Dub Zone (2:37)
02. Ja-Man All Stars - Dangerman Version (2:23)
03. Ja-Man All Stars - Herb Cutter (4:21)
04. Ja-Man All Stars - Dread Nut Chalice (3:17)
05. Ja-Man All Stars - Well Black (2:37)
06. Ja-Man All Stars - Fire Bun (3:24)
07. Ja-Man All Stars - Half Ounce (3:01)
08. Ja-Man All Stars - Big Spliff (3:25)
09. Ja-Man All Stars - Rasta Feeling (3:18)
10. Ja-Man All Stars - Bush Weed (3:18)
11. Ja-Man All Stars - Dont Get Crazy (2:03)
12. Ja-Man All Stars - Weak Heart Drop (3:12)
13. Ja-Man All Stars - Blood Version (2:59)
14. Ja-Man All Stars - Kings Dub (3:21)
15. Ja-Man All Stars - Nuclear Bomb (3:46)
16. Ja-Man All Stars - Poor Man Skank (3:07)
17. Ja-Man All Stars - Censemania Dub (3:09)
18. Ja-Man All Stars - Hotter Claps (2:59)
19. Ja-Man All Stars - East Man Skank (3:22)
20. Ja-Man All Stars - West Man Skank (3:29)
21. Ja-Man All Stars - Higher Ranking Dub (3:28)
22. Ja-Man All Stars - Hot Steppers Dub (3:16)
23. Ja-Man All Stars - Downtown Rubadub (3:34)