John Masouri

Bobby Digital is a key figure in dancehall music's international breakthrough. When I first visited him in the early nineties he'd recently contributed to Shabba Ranks' Grammy winning exploits, and was working with an incredible roll call of artists including Garnet Silk, Cocoa Tea, Tony Rebel, Bounty Killer and Lt. Stitchie. The main studio wasn't even finished back then. Digital B was a cottage industry, Jamaica style, but the music he created during that era has proven hug

Producer Adrian Sherwood has crossed so many musical boundaries throughout his lengthy career that it's impossible to describe the kind of work he does except to say it's delivered with integrity, and has opened up possibilities few knew existed. Such bravery has long cast him into the role of an outsider where mainstream UK reggae's concerned but his contributions really shouldn't be overlooked. EXTRACT “A sensational and original offering of music you can seldom place, rare

London in the early seventies was a hot bed of creativity; musical and otherwise. I'd just moved to the capital as a twenty-one year old and couldn't get enough of all that diverse talent. Matata was just one of the outstanding African bands from that period and when Cherry Red's John Reid asked if I wanted to write about them I jumped at the chance. EXTRACT Matata – the name means “trouble” in Swahili, and in retrospect it was well chosen. The story of this African funk band

Understand What Black Is was released to coincide with the Last Poets' 50th anniversary. It was co-producer Prince Fatty who first played me tracks from it and from I heard the lines, "America is a terrorist," I was completely hooked. Thanks to Poets Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan for sharing their time, thoughts and memories, and to Tony Thorpe, Lisa Meads and Rich Elson for their input in making these liner notes happen. I owe you. EXTRACT This is the Last Poets’ 50th

The quotes used in these liner notes resulted from a stay in Jamaica during 2015, whilst working on a film about Gussie commissioned by VP Records. Only a fraction of the interviews I did were used in the documentary, but they proved invaluable when writing about Gussie's story, which is unique among Kingston record producers. EXTRACT Gussie Clarke is not only a celebrated record producer – he has a reputation for being business-like and deservedly so. You need an appointment

Bobby Digital is a classic example of someone who hides his light under a bushel, unless he's in the studio making music that is. With the release of not one but two volumes in VP Records' Reggae Anthology series, it felt like his time had finally come. Having spent many happy hours at his Kingston studio I was delighted to write these liner notes but then was deeply saddened to learn of his passing in 2020. EXTRACT From the outside, the Digital B studio at 6 Rons Road looks

This essential King Jammy's compilation is another title in VP Records' Reggae Anthology series, which is aimed at furthering an appreciation for music of the dancehall era. It's long been a thrill, visiting the King in Jamaica and listening to new music coming from that famous studio. Such experiences make writing liner notes relatively easy, and certainly bring back memories. EXTRACT People had been looking forward to the dance for weeks. Billed as “Shock Of The Century,” i

What a label! I'd bought the records, played them as a DJ and radio presenter, interviewed many of their artists and producers and then written a lion's share of the company's promotional material throughout the nineties. I was therefore honoured to write the liner notes for this compilation of Greensleeves' finest, released in celebration of their 40th Anniversary. EXTRACT Greensleeves is one of those labels that define a genre like Blue Note, Motown or Chess. It’s been regg

Like many UK teenagers during the late sixties, I grew up listening to a broad spectrum of music that included pop, blues, rock and roll, folk, soul, Blue Beat, jazz and psychedelic rock, yet nothing prepared us for Funkadelic. Sam Szczepanski commissioned this series of P-Funk liner notes for Charly Records, for which I remain truly grateful. EXTRACT One Nation Under A Groove is regarded as one of the greatest funk albums of all time. Released in September 1978, it was Funka

In 2012, Snapper Music commissioned me to write liner notes for a series of reissues on BYG Actuel - a label founded by three maverick French record producers who'd invited American free jazz musicians to Paris to record in the summer of 1969, at a time when they were receiving little support or attention in the US. I'd long been an admirer of this trio's pioneering spirit, and the artists they recorded never failed to amaze. EXTRACT The Art Ensemble of Chicago didn’t like th