Boasting the kind of soulful voice that can wrap around any melody and bring something extra to it,
Pam Hall sings in the tradition of legendary reggae songstresses such as
Marcia Griffiths and
Hortense Ellis. And like those singers -- and most female reggae performers -- she doesn't get half the due owed her, although
Bet You Don't Know is a solid collection of lover's rock, Hall's vocal skills elevate the album beyond the genre. "I Don't Know" carries straight-ahead jazz influences, complete with angelic scatting and her cover of "Someday," infuses the Supremes' classic with soulful Jamaican verve. But it's the singer's transformation of the Titanic movie theme, "My Heart Will Go On," lending style and depth to the formerly white-bread mega-hit, that makes
Bet You Don't Know a standout. ~ Rosalind Cummings-Yeates