Jamaican guitarist
Dwight Pinkney is best known for his work with
Zap Pow and
the Roots Radics, but with
Jamaican Memories by the Score he has found a new platform for his melodic playing and steady, deep tone. A mixture of light reggae and jazz,
Memories features old playing mates
Ansel Collins on organ,
Dean Fraser on saxophone,
David Madden on trumpet, and the seemingly everywhere-at-once
Sly Dunbar on drums and percussion. Revisiting well-known Jamaican standards like
Gregory Isaacs' "Tune In,"
Delroy Wilson's "Better Must Come,"
Dennis Brown's "Left With a Broken Heart,"
Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby," and
Alton Ellis' "Cry Tough,"
Pinkney weaves easy, lyrical leads from his Fly-Parker (his signature Les Paul became too heavy to use regularly, particularly on-stage), resulting in a sound not unlike what fellow island guitarist
Ernest Ranglin has been doing for some time now.
Pinkney isn't quite as sprightly a player as
Ranglin, but he has a thick, elegant tone to his lines that give these tracks a stirring and subtle depth. He also doesn't overplay, giving
Jamaican Memories by the Score a real ensemble feel.