Rebirth Of The Cool Ruler is a 15-track excursion into the late reggae singer Gregory Isaacs’ late 80s/early 90s catalog with producer King Jammy, featuring a host of top contemporary artists singing alongside the ‘Cool Ruler.’
Feature artists include Shaggy, Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Junior Reid, Chaka Demus, Alborosie, Bunny General, and Ras Shiloh and current artists Jesse Royal, Projexx, Aza Lineage, Ras Demo, Brandon The Messenjah, Claire Angel, and Flinix. Riddims include the popular “China Town,” which Sean Paul rides on “Another Try.” Singer Alborosie goes into the deep catalog with his update of Isaacs’ “Over The Bridge.” Each artist works in tandem with Isaacs from the multi-track master recordings, a follow-up to a series that began with New Sounds Of Freedom (Black Uhuru) and King Jammy Presents Dennis Brown Tracks Of Life.
Producer King Jammy recalls his years working with the iconic reggae vocalist. “When I used to work down by King Tubby’s studio, I used to do a lot of work for Gregory Isaacs. Gregory used to come, and I mixed tracks for him, voice him down there, but I never had the courage to ask him to do a song for me because he was such a big artist. I was afraid to really ask him to do a tune for me. One day I got the courage, … (and I) say ‘Gregory mon, you do a tune for me? Me pay you to do a tune for me.’ Him say ‘boy, you’re there at Tubby’s the whole time, you never ask me to do a tune yet?! You think you grow big and I’ll do a tune for you now that you have money?!’ So I say, ‘how much you want?’ He said ‘alright, put on the riddim.’ Anyway, he did the song and didn’t take any money from me. He said ‘is alright, that’s your present’ (laughs). He came back again and said he wanted do an album. We ended up doing around seven albums.”
The album is out on LP/CD and all digital platforms on Friday, October 6th, 2023.
BUY / STREAM: https://kingjammy.lnk.to/GregoryIsaacs_RebirthOfTheCoolRuler
