Boris Gardiner - A Soulful Experience Is Happening

Boris Gardiner - A Soulful Experience Is Happening

Vampi Soul LP 2004

Recorded 1970-1971 at Dynamic Sounds

Compilation of Boris Gardiner's albums Soulful Experience and What's Happening.

What's Happening

Ain't No Sunshine

Let's Stay Together

Happiness Is A Warm 'Pussin'

Melting Pot

Breezin'

You Just Got To Be In Love

Don't Take Away

Today

Phoenix

Wicked soulful grooves from the Boris Gardiner Experience -- a group that's equally well-suited to playing reggae, soul, rocksteady, and funk! The tracks on the set are pulled from Gardiner's key early 70s sides -- recorded at a time when he was pulling in a lot of influences from American east coast soul and the Memphis scene -- singing like Al Green one minute, playing like Booker T the next, and serving up some excellent tunes that really crossed over into a global soul market.

Boris Gardiner is a myth in the history of reggae. This Jamaican artist singing as early as 1960 as a seventeen year young man in studio bands and stood seven years later with a foothold in the world famous Studio One and Treasure Isle studio, which brought him together with Lee Perry and the Upsetters. The explicit merit of this powerful vocalist is his introduction of the sensitive soul in smooth dancehall and rock steady from that time. This led to global recognition and cooperation with greats like Marcia Griffiths, Ben E. King, The Drifters, Nina Simone, John Holt and Bob Marley himself, to whom he touched the bass.

A playful caribbean guitar, organ, subtle digital keys, ... the varied tracks are very tight and measured. Musical finesse teaches the simplicity of the melodic roots reggae. Yet the genuine roots reggae of the man that won world fame is here represented by the evergreen "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers (which is played tight and cut and provides possibilities for a sole remaining flute).

Furthermore picked Gardiner, like his Jamaican contemporaries, eager for the repertoire of American soul and blues bands. That makes this very nice contribution from Al Green "Let's Stay Together '(which scored high Tina Turner) or songs by Bobby Womack, Bert Kaempfert, Jim Webb, .... That Boris also could write songs had evidence including the quick, summery bossa nova "Happiness Is a Warm 'Pussin'', the party song" Melting Pot "and handfuls of other singles. Despite a very full and warm voice, many of these party leaders are almost instrumental songs, but do certainly not let that spoil the fun. "A Soulful Experience Is Happening 'is an everlasting soul fire!