Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - The Man And His Music (2010)

If the music of Byron Lee and his band sounds hokey to you, then you're missing the point. Granted, this is Jamaican music at its most tourist-friendly: Lee has always followed the trends rather than set them, which means that he and his band learned to play ska in the early 1960s, when that music was peaking in popularity, then moved with the times into rocksteady, then reggae, and then soca (with occasional forays into mento and salsa as well). His band, which he led while playing bass, has always been distinguished by professionalism above all, and often by a slightly overweening slickness. But there are worse things than professionalism in pop music, and this generous compilation (which surveys nearly 50 years' worth of work) finds Lee and his crew making some genius recordings, along with a few examples of pure, synthesized dreck. The instrumentals tend to sound a bit generic, while the vocal tracks mostly shine: there are brilliant performances here by the underappreciated early reggae singer Eric "Monty" Morris (who provides most of the highlight tracks on disc one), calypso legend the Mighty Sparrow, and even Toots & the Maytals (check out this version of the classic "Bam Bam"). Even some of the dreck is fun: Lee's version of "Moon River" will be an ironic hit at any party, while the exceptionally shlock "Elizabeth Serenade" might be useful as a hint to your guests that it's time to go home. At his best, though, Byron Lee led one of the tightest and smoothest bands through some of the greatest songs and rhythms to come out of Jamaica, and if he did so in a listener-friendly way, well, good for him. (That said, feel free to skip over his tight and smooth version of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song.")

Tracklist:
1 01. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Theme From The Apartment (03:44)
1 02. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Jamaica Ska (02:24)
1 03. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Oil in My Lamp (feat. Monty Morris) (02:27)
1 04. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Wings of a Dove (feat. The Blues Busters) (02:32)
1 05. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Soon You'll Be Gone (feat. The Blues Busters) (02:44)
1 06. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Sammy Dead (feat. Eric "Monty" Morris) (02:09)
1 07. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Come Back (feat. Stranger & Patsy) (02:55)
1 08. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Elizabeth Serenade aka Elizabethan Serenade (02:38)
1 09. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Only a Fool (feat. The Mighty Sparrow) (02:44)
1 10. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Bam Bam (feat. Toots and the Maytals) (04:14)
1 11. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Dancehall Soca (03:27)
1 12. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Soca Butterfly (03:32)
1 13. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Soca Tattie (03:20)
1 14. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Dragon Dance (feat. The Mighty Sparrow) (03:25)
1 15. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Give Me Soca (03:29)
1 16. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Tiney Winey (04:58)
1 17. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Wine Down (03:27)
1 18. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires [feat. Keith Lyn] - Empty Chair (feat. Keith Lyn) (02:36)
1 19. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Behold (feat. The Blues Busters) (02:45)
1 20. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Walk Like A Dragon (02:25)
1 21. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Donna (feat. The Blues Busters) (01:44)
1 22. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - 54-46 That's My Number (feat. Toots and the Maytals) (03:05)
1 23. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - A Little Love aka That's All I Want From You (02:28)
1 24. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Redemption Song (03:29)
1 25. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Tempted To Touch (03:10)
1 26. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Turn Me On (03:22)
1 27. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Blackman Come Out To Party (03:20)
1 28. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Old Friends Do aka The Way Old Friends Do (02:41)
1 29. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Sandra (feat. The Mighty Sparrow) (03:02)
1 30. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Soul Ska (03:22)
1 31. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Holly Holy (02:56)
1 32. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Green Island (03:24)
1 33. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Sad Sweet Dreamer (03:07)
1 34. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Dumplins (02:43)
1 35. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Ska Medley [Eastern Standard Time/ Carry Go Bring Come] (02:38)
1 36. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Worried Over You (feat. Pam & Woody) (03:21)
1 37. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - No Love No Money (feat. The Mighty Sparrow) (03:35)
1 38. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Nice Time (02:33)
1 39. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Sunday Coming (02:32)
1 40. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Mambo #12 (03:08)
1 41. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Moon River (02:46)
1 42. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Mammy Blue (02:25)
1 43. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Reggae Love Songs (05:14)
1 44. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Thinking of You (feat. The Blues Busters) (03:12)
1 45. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Maria (feat. The Mighty Sparrow) (03:02)
1 46. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Nani Wine (03:06)
1 47. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Carnival Killer (04:13)
1 48. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Dance With My Father Again (04:19)