While he never achieved the same fame as his peers — a group that includes Augustus Pablo and Tommy McCook — the late Jackie Mittoo (19481990) was a major player in the history of reggae, rock steady and ska. Mittoo was an ace on the keyboards, a charter member of the seminal Skatalites, a performer on recordings helmed by luminaries Bob Marley and Mikey Dread, and the occasional singer/bandleader. His fabulously rare Wishbone album from 1971, recorded in Toronto, makes its CD debut thanks to the Light in the Attic label.
Purists beware — Wishbone is a half-instrumental mix of reggae (more rock steady/pop than roots), melodious Gamble & Huff/Philly soul, and funky, deep-groove instrumentals. Mittoo pours his sumptuous organ work on soulfully thick, singing in a clearly enunciated, mellow baritone. Highlights include “Grand Funk,” which sounds like MFSB meets Funkadelic, and the wistful, Soul Train-circa-’71-to-Jamaica (dig this title) “La-La Girls and Cha-Cha Boys.” Wishbone can dispel your seasonal gloom, at least for a little bit.
This article appears in Nov 16-22, 2006.