Jamaica jazz from Federal Records : Carib roots, jazz, mento, latin, merengue & rhumba 1960-68

"Ken Khouri's Federal Records made an incredible contribution to the evolution of Jamaican popular music. The first proper recording facility on the island, Federal was home to Clement Dodd's early productions before he established Studio One and countless key hits were recorded there during the 1950's, '60s and '70s. As this intriguing compilation emphasises, it was also the place where winsome instrumental jazz covers and early mento were committed to tape, aimed at visiting tourists and the Jamaican middle-class, mostly executed by session players working the hotel circuit. Ernest Ranglin thus supplies jazz guitar takes of show tunes and classic mentos, excelling on his original "Ernest's Tune", and Alpha band leader Lennie Hibbert contributes a wonderful vibraphone rendition of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris"".