Sugar Minott - Nice It Up - The Best Of Sugar Minott (1998)

Sugar Minott emerged from the West Kingston ghettos in the late '70s, almost single-handedly building the template for smooth dancehall with his honeyed vocals and sleek, simple production approach. A gifted guitarist and drummer, a sound system operator, and a shrewd songwriter, Minott wears a lot of hats awfully well, as this collection of some of his biggest hits makes clear. Included are the Coxsone Dodd-produced "Vanity" from 1978, the Niney the Observer-produced "No Vacancy," a definitive lovers rock version of the Jackson 5's "Good Thing Going," and several Minott-produced originals like the beautiful "River Jordan" and the set opener, "Ruff Ole Life." Minott was among the first Jamaican artists to make use of syndrum technology in the late '70s, and one of the few to use it with careful precision, giving his productions a flowing, airy dynamic feel which, when his sweet-as-sugar vocals are applied, makes for an easy, crystal-clear sound. At 18 tracks, Nice It Up is a generous introduction to this phenomenal artist.~Nice It Up: The Best of Sugar Minott Review by Steve Leggett