The Roots Of Rocksteady

Rocksteady was the brief but vital transition music between ska and reggae in mid-'60s Jamaica. It lasted two, three years tops, but left a lasting legacy. This film does a great service in resurrecting the sounds and feelings of that era. Truth be told, it's not a great documentary, in that it's very episodic in its juxtaposition of the histories of singers and instrumentalists with contemporary in-studio performances and a reunion concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The jazz fest concert is presented in its entirety as a bonus feature and that's a major plus to this disc. But the music nerd in me wants a little more insight than rewordings of "rock steady is a feeling" from its many storied participants, from Dawn Penn to Lyn Taitt to Ken Boothe. The whole project has a relaxed feel to it, the photography is gorgeous and the songs are uniformly excellent, if a little nostalgic in execution. This would be a great rental for anyone interested in the golden age of Jamaican music.