Deal Me In Riddim – Live And Direct

Ten voices line up on Deal Me In Riddim, which gives the set a nicely old-school roots-and-lovers feel rather than a one-artist showcase. Live And Direct keeps the selector-style flow moving with veteran names like Carl Dawkins, Eddie Fitzroy, Glen Ricks and Triston Palma sitting beside Josey Wales and Sasha, and that mix alone makes the project feel like a dug-out little time capsule from 2016. Carl Dawkins’ “Hot Water” has that patient, smoky groove you want from a reggae cut, while Josey Wales’ “What’S It Gonna Take” leans into his chatty authority and gives the riddim a tougher edge. The title tune from Triston Palma closes things in a way that ties the whole package together, and the release lands as one of those mid-2010s compilations that still sounds like it was cut for sound system play first.