Kool Breeze Riddim (2016) – Stringjay Records

By 2016, reggae riddim projects were still leaning on the old practice of gathering a small stack of voices around one instrumental, and Kool Breeze fits that format neatly with six cuts and a roster that mixes veterans and familiar roots singers. Stringjay Records keeps the arrangement lean: no overcrowding, just a clean selection headed by Nikesha Lindo’s “Love and Reggae Music, ” Ginjah’s “Suzzanna, ” and Sandra Cross on “Arise, ” with Little Roy bringing a bit of extra weight on “You Made Me So Very Happy. ” The track lengths sit around the three-and-a-half-minute mark, which gives the riddim a measured, radio-friendly feel rather than a sprawling one. It plays like a mid-tempo roots set, with the bassline doing most of the talking and the vocal delivery staying calm and direct over the groove.